Mending with Love: Creative Repairs for Your Favorite Things

by Noriko Misumi

Mend, rethink, transform, recreate!

Mending With Love shows you how to apply embroidery, patching, darning, felting, stamping and a little crochet to worn pieces of clothing or household items. Instead of stowing or throwing away damaged pieces that hold happy memories, you can employ these beautiful and sustainable ideas to give them a new life.

With this book, you'll learn how to:

• Repair knitted and woven fabrics
• Work with flat and curved surfaces
• Artfully repair comfy, well-made socks and gloves
• Make a statement with creative patching
• Fill in holes with roving using felting techniques
• Use embroidery to visibly mend frays or damage from the odd cat claw
• Apply other tips and techniques to torn, worn, or stained favorites

Creative as well as practical, mending is both a source of pleasure and an eco-friendly fashion statement. Instead of buying more stuff with less meaning, this method allows you to hold on to the things that have a special place in your heart. As "fast fashion" has rapidly expanded, mending has re-emerged as a popular, environmentally-friendly movement around the world.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Sewing, Reference, How To, Adult, Sustainability

88 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a whimsical yet informative book. I appreciated the mixing of Japanese ideas and techniques with traditional European techniques for mending. Not all of her designs are aesthetically pleasing but if you love something or don't want to waste an item, then this book has great ideas. I actually enjoyed the refresher on stitches in the back the most. It's detailed and easy to follow.

[hope h. · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally tackling my ever-growing mending pile and this helped immensely with techniques and ideas for fun and innovative ways to mend all the little rips and tears haha. big fan of this one, would recommend! (although admittedly i've seen better diagrams of how to actually sew the different stitches required)

[Page · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lovely pictures. I have doubts that a beginner would be able to comfortably follow the meager directions tacked on at the end of the book. "Crochet with pretty colors around the hole." Gee, thanks.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love mending books for their ideas & also because they are often so pretty + motivating. i checked this out from the library after finding noriko on instagram.

[Irene Adler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of bright and colourful photos which makes it lovely to browse through. Note that the mending projects are visible ones, so if that is not your aesthetic this is not the mending book for you.

There are 5 parts and an appendix of mending techniques:

1. Mending and Living - short essays on why the author mends.

2. Mending Socks - mostly this made me want to upgrade my socks so they would be worth mending with colourful crochet and darning.

3. Mending Stains, Holes and Frays - a wide range of projects and techniques. The instructions are a little difficult to follow because you have to refer to the techniques on other pages. But then, you can't replicate the projects anyway because you'll be mending different items. Why the technique(s) was chosen for that project is more important then the step by step instructions.

4. Covering Stains with Stamps - might work for you, good for kid's clothing.

5. Remaking Old Items Into Something You Like Even More - when something really is beyond repair.

Appendix - mostly stitch types and some crochet.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction was super cozy. I loved that there was a whole section on fixing damage from cats, specifically. I wish the information had been laid out in a more streamlined way, but I got a lot of inspiration for mending that I need to get done.

[Leora Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the idea and ethics of this beautiful book. Take an item that was once loved and cherished but is now a little worn and fix it with creative needlecraft. The book inspired me to patch an old tablecloth by choosing matching threads and creating patterns out of the bits of holes.

[Sheryl Sato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photos of pretty repairs of functional items. Inspiring and fun to read.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a lovely book! I got it from the library but will almost certainly be purchasing a copy. In reading this book I’ve learned many new-to-me ideas for how to mend clothing and other items. I’m very excited to try them out!

[Jacqueline M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to be really honest that I didn't enjoy this book. I think it has several problems. One, the English is written or translated in a very clunky way. It's hard to follow and I think may have benefitted from more editing by a native English speaker. Most of the projects also suffered from different cultural norms and are not aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunate because they definitely could have been made attractive. My biggest issue with the book is that the bulk is geared towards repairing woven items with crochet. I actually do not know how to crochet and this book gives scant instruction even in the appendix. I also found that the embroidery instructions would be inappropriate for a beginner, though as someone with hand-sewing experience, this would be less of a barrier for me. Even the suggestion for materials is not accessible for a beginner. For example to darn a sock it says "yarn". What kind of yarn? What weight of yarn? Are there yarns that are better for this task that others? Also, I am annoyed that there is a page of "favorite things" which have nothing to do with anything and some appear to be literal garbage (a small tin of trimmed threads that 'I should throw away but it's dear to me")

Overall, this is not a helpful visible mending book, but I'm going to give it an extra star for the suggestion of a Russian nesting doll set for a darning tool because that's brilliant.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comforting and inspiring book that explores the art of creative textile mending as a means of treating your favourite items with care and extending their longevity. Misumi provides readers with valuable insights and practical techniques to revive and repair their garments, encouraging a shift towards a more mindful and sustainable approach to fashion. This book is a philosophical ode to mending.

One of the standout features of "Mending with Love" is the author's emphasis on creativity and self-expression through mending. Misumi showcases a wide range of techniques, from simple stitches to more intricate weaving/darning techniques, demonstrating how mending can not only repair garments but also transform them into unique pieces of wearable art. The book is filled with vivid and inspiring illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and helpful tips that empower readers to embark on their own mending journey.

Beyond the practical aspects, Misumi delves into the emotional and mindful aspects of mending. She explores the concept of cherishing our possessions and the stories they hold, encouraging readers to develop a deeper connection with their clothes and to value the resources and craftsmanship that went into creating them. This shift in mindset not only helps reduce waste but also fosters a sense of gratitude and contentment with what we already own.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Ingram Publisher Services - Tuttle Publishing. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

We have people in our library community that love to sew and look for new ideas to repurpose and reinvent many clothing especially clothing that have tears and stains. The ideas Noriko Misumi presented while accompanied with fantastic photos and diagrams were so brilliant that I can't wait to apply them to some of my clothing rather than throwing them away.

We will consider adding this title to our TT NonFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a fantastic manual for mending!

This book opens with the author's reason for writing the book and philosophy. It then delves straight into example mending projects - disguising stains, holes, frays. When the item (an old shirt or sweater) is no longer needed/wanted, she shows you how to turn the item into something completely different. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, this author does something I have not seen in any mending book before. She has an appendix in the back for stitches. It is wonderfully illustrated and uses straightforward language to identify and teach techniques for you to adapt to mending items.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of the book is the glossary of decorative stitches at the end of the book. - For which I gave it to 2 stars.

I've been looking for helpful instruction on repairing some work garments that I love, unfortunately short of replacing the items it doesn't seem as though I have a lot of options.

Not all work garments can have their life extended by using embroidery like stitches over holes, threadbare spots and on top of stains - the repairs make the garments look to "homespun" for professional wear. Must go shopping - bleh.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More inspiration than instruction. The main part of the book has lovely photographs of mended items accompanied by sparse instructions. Unfortunately, even though most of the mends are visible, the artistic photos often make it difficult to really see how to duplicate the mend at home. The last few pages of the book have detailed instructions and clear line drawings of various stitches useful for mending (but no notes on when each stitch would be useful). In summary: it was an inspiring library read, but not practical enough to buy my own copy.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of several books I've read on mindful, visible mending with a philosophy of gratitude and being gentle to the Earth. This book is strikingly similar to Joyful Mending, same author, same type of book organization but it introduces the idea of "covering stains with stamps" and "remaking old items into something you like even more." I was surprised that there wasn't a chapter devoted to full-out embroidery, as that seems like where things were headed. Plentiful photos and helpful illustrations.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this out of the library to compare to Visible Mending. Although the photography is beautiful, I didn’t care for the mending. The results weren’t pleasing, and the explanations weren’t particularly clear. I didn’t care the lumpiness of the crocheted patches.

You can definitely learn some mending techniques from this book, but I don’t feel it is the best on the market.

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was sweet starting from the title all the way to the end. It mentioned saving anything made from fabric and, therefore, saving memories. The only thing that I ever heard of doing with old clothes and fabrics was making a patchwork quilt with them. This opened my eyes to a whole new world. The author of course, talked about mending holes, but also covering stains. That's genius!

[Tracett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational mending ideas. Some were expected (darning and patching), some not so much (crocheting and felting). I liked her whimsical touch with mending - and yet - I'm not usually much fond of whimsey. I enjoyed reading this book and will take her ideas into my own mending.

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The examples are great, the pictures make it super easy to understand, and the instructions are very clear. This is one I definitely want to buy a copy of at some point. I love the emphasis on using what you have rather than buying a bunch of materials.

[Eurydice Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a super cute read! I would not consider it a how-to book, though it does have some instructions. It reads more like a love letter to fabric, life, and the act of mending. If you are interested in mending but get frozen trying to get started, this is a great book for inspiration.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute, and full of unique inspiration.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

repetitive

[Nore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute ideas but Misumi does not hold your hand with any of them.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visible mends to extend the life of your well-loved fabric things. A nice companion to more thorough manuals for various repairs.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, gentle read. It feels very attainable—and it probably is, because I can do this kind of mending too! She has nice clear stitch and crochet instructions at the end.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only critique is that I wish it were longer, with more examples and more methods. I love what's here and am finding it a very useful reference and inspiration. 4.5*s

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational book. Lots of great ideas on how to repair clothing.

[Twinkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this book was interesting. I liked some of the ideas. Some felt far fetched. I would round this up to 3 1/2 stars.

[Asavari · Rating 3 out of 5]

just good for inspiration, liked the clouds and rain, lace and spiderweb stitch, using the blanket + running stitch to make a geometric edge, and the couching