Boro Repair Shop 'Mottainai'
We use off-cuts from our denim sampling warps to patch old jeans in the style of traditional Japanese Boro mending and Sashiko stitching.
We give Boro mending workshops, and we also offer a denim repair service.
We encourage the 'make do and mend' culture, instead of the constant cycle of buying and disposing that we often see today.
We need to learn how to repair, and not replace, to take care of our clothes, and not be wasteful in our buying habits.
Mottainai', means 'too good to waste.
Aviary Denim
Southend-on-Sea, England
Hand woven waste yarn denim samples ready to be used as patches in our repair shop!, Sarah Ward
Stitch Lines, Sarah WardFirst the runner stitch is done, then the crosses
Darned with twill, Sarah WardA stubborn stain is covered up with this darned twill mend.
Before and After, Sarah WardStrengthening the back side of some well loved jeans with our denim off-cut patches
Running stitch, Sarah WardOnce the patches have been tacked on, the Sashiko stitching begins. For this, we also use waste yarn.
Three patches, Sarah WardEach patch is an off-cut from a different sampling denim warp, made with mill waste cotton and dyed with natural indigo
Darned Hole, Sarah WardA small hole has been repaired using a classic darning technique, woven with needle and thread in a twill structure.
Folded, Sarah WardThe finished repair work, ready to be worn again
Boro 3 patch, Sarah WardThree offcuts from our denim sampling warps, used to repair an old pair of jeans
Sashiko Stitching, Sarah WardWe use many different types of stitch, this one is a running stitch, ready to become Sashiko crosses
Boro patched Jeans, Sarah WardA hole in the back of a paid of jeans is patched with denim sampling off-cuts
Patches, Sarah WardOnce the patches have ben tacked on, the stitching begins, to hold the layers together
Boro mending, Sarah WardThe jeans are repaired and ready to be worn again! Off-cuts from our denim sampling warps have been used to patch the jeans, and only mill waste yarn was used to weave the patches.
Inner patch, Sarah WardThe inside of the jean must also have a patch, so that the Sashiko stitching secure the two layers together to cover the hole on both sides.
Placement , Sarah WardFirst we decide where each patch should go, before tacking them onto the jeans
Apron Repairs, Sarah WardA worn corner of an apron has been repaired using a visible mending technique
Darning on old beloved black jeans, Sarah WardFour visible mends to the inside knee of each leg of a well worn black jean
Sashiko patch, Sarah WardWe celebrate the holes sometimes instead of covering them up. Repairing our clothes makes them stronger than they were when we bought them!
Off-cuts, Sarah WardThese offcuts from our denim sample warps will now be used as patches in the denim repair shop