Mending Project

Elise Delgado

Process:

I was interested in fixing a ripped windbreaker as well as covering up a stubborn stain on a white shirt. I started with the white shirt and chose to make a visible mend for it because the stain was visible and I wanted to make a cute addition on top of that. I love butterflies as we come into Spring, so I chose three shades of orange for my butterfly. I started with a variation off of the satin stitch as the wings. I then added the french knots in a lighter orange and finished it off with a backstitch for the antenna and swirls.

As for the windbreaker, I found embroidery floss that matched the color of the fabric. I chose to do a herringbone stitch to pull the two pieces of fabric together while adding an interesting texture to the mend. I found that it looked like how a scar forms on skin after a deep wound and I really like it. I think having the same color allows for it to be invisible from afar, but a point of interest when up close.

Discoveries:

I discovered that both fabrics I worked on were more difficult that the muslim and required a different attention to detail. I also discovered how these different stitches can provide different structure to the piece being worked on.

Successes:

I felt successful in my imagery of the buttery and color choice. I think it shows movement and is a simple addition to a shirt that really felt ruined from the stain. I think I was very successful in the mend for the windbreaker as I got both pieces of fabric together and it feels very sturdy. I also was proud that I kept in a straight line because that can be hard to do.

Challenges:

I had a challenge with the butterfly wings because it was a small space and a small shape. I kept seeing open areas, so I made them a bit thicker than intentioned. I also had a challenge with how stretchy the shirt was to not pull the fabric with putting my needle through it.

The challenge I had with the windbreaker was using the embroidery hoop to keep the fabric stiff while not having the seam stretch apart. I used pins to keep the fabric in place, but still saw an unevenness after I finished. It is not drastic but it could have been better. It was also challenging to not poke a hole through the fabric in the wrong place because this fabric was not forgiving.

1) Butterfly Embroidery:

2) Windbreaker Embroidery: 

Ripped-open seam:

Ripped seam around the zipper: