Make do and mend patches
For several years my glorious down jacket has been patched with gaffer tape, after the object of desire was snagged and torn on a barbed wire fence. Because of the relative slightness of the problem, the jackets’ luxurious warmth and lightness, it seemed such a waste to throw it out. With my make do and mend hat on I entered the usual obsessional phase, hunting for the perfect repair fabric, nothing answered, hence the temporary repair with gaffer tape. Recently I noticed the tape was failing and it was crunch time I needed to find a solution.
To repair the rip, I embroidered a patch. I measured up for the best patch size, marked the design out on calico then began stitching and filling in with coloured silks. To finish off and give a firm shape, the border is framed with blanket stitch. The position it’s sewn on the jacket on the hem, over the rip is random, quirky even. When I am bored with it, I can make another to replace it. I am rather fancying something abstract, that’s another project, I’ve got lots to keep me busy now.