![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHktTqyUF_uej0FVPpW173xqRqvV2Z1cbkl_lscMhOlfXnXJ43k0o9NN4BgmGX8sn1yKjtDuQzNJ3D8DZxp8L4Z74Jhu6Q9VPjPKxGiiL-KDus3ejm1YK4Gp5h61DeDXOHefR4g5uYYcJd/s640/patchkit.jpg) |
Sewing and patching kit: London 10/17 |
My small, portable hand-sewing kit is one thing I will never, ever travel without. In recent years I have started including a packet of patches as well. In addition to bits of varied material, I also have an assortment of one-of-a-kind patches I created using photo transfer paper and a bank of intriguing non-copyright images I have collected over the years. Fully armed and ready to stitch, I hit a very hospitable friend's house in London for a ten-day stay. She fed me wonderful food and showed me around the lesser-known neighborhoods of London, and I patched clothes for her and her family. Her glass-ceilinged dining room became my temporary sewing atelier.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFeaByxLfgW9LRFSBzolvWtX4DdTPUkN-6UWn3nMxWuUD_sWrDFNqXWbXbE16Ui-EoGimlrNBFONNbrecR_MR0JCbk7_gmitUhUjY6glg75ofj-Kqk5lKRvoZb-dXabFruvfTU3Zc7YNr/s400/atelier.jpg) |
Sewing atelier |
The mending mania included one pair of ripped jeans for a son willing to embrace non-conventional repairs:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqUjz7sh3jRXt3zxVuc1m8y9XZRaea67VYOHgbXojZYsUhTr8_hwfFCGtMOpJEzcHSwVlUimfBxCuMVIr4dpxznGt5eJaCn93X8wAA2QgnoT7EOEUa5SbgY6SS3msI-tl6WYvuNG3g8Kz/s400/chpants1.jpg) |
Mended jeans |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1Dg-_oPkfMMMEeDkQqfGl6JqbOgLyEhEQnEH_uSasyJx4E5FQsotuDBBz0Es1CiTSkcRNkyB8GZuR1yKyd3x6Uz-LerkEWJgOdeuzJ0lxZCsLNTcxAUV3Z1Ux-7lcrrLi5UkjFLAmE1a/s640/chpants2.jpg) |
Close-up of mend: patched photo transfer image combined with under-mend and sashiko stitching. |
One reversible raincoat with holes in lower front (with additional patches added to balance the look):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4fhvWDPU7Lf9gKvrcrSm4QE1lP-Mrh_pUTzJlwNhiJLdazkYjwH-3DnlRYmWx1CWDQEoblpcIY_f2ovv9FnKCcjWLhf44Ufbd7StWReExByw9cjVhploUlNA6weSjEFuE9MrlH-NS0Bs/s400/coat1b.jpg) |
Back of coat with vertical patch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXj9RTnkNSlRxxcyubc6HMzhSPjXohnPBKyh1qodDukIqQkj2ivGCtigsN34_iLKCtTqMo-LEwE9bOuCF8kAD3EoyPCUQpUDyiu89iRYSfP9X4MmChF5l_W2gMhvmKG7QOzzon5FaNxvv/s400/coat2.jpg) |
Close-up of sashiko stitching used on coat patches |
Two diaphanous cotton shawls for a pregnant daughter, incorporating ancient Chinese medical text image and ancient Arab monkey image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPeo7y6T_5CVS76lyY4r_QaZaXbt8ulKuj-ey_Yiyti-6lkWzL2rMPZu8Bj_zuT9wdaHLL6cG7DZmvNg_CLj-vSsK373wemdG3vIV70CfksqbrGeDeiQoykmo3axYTfV49ERp-kk_zWaq/s400/khadi1.jpg) |
Two shawls with decorative (as opposed to functional) patches |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQmfETUkLt6jjCIaylKGx0hV2-JqAurgUIiNLP-kXzYMZw6oGwJyI8jRLCO4n5X4hV1USwquyMgtx966flaqsousW83EJM7PuRWSvydkCJ1DtDm5fyyZamVQQj-Ba4H8yWrWyG7YOGkQD/s400/khadi2.jpg) |
Close-up: shawl patch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm42kHiUSMmpFeGOvWRdmzq1_lgihLFuw6Mx_wOvM7d2gx-qOftTIEKyVZW1M7sUJEiiQdRR_BK008aG96oein4i8KGOihptopS274LIVXPk2gFL078u9ZmlkrgfM-F2nc5NM5WrL_4VED/s640/khadi3.jpg) |
Close-up: shawl patch |
Four shirts worn and torn by my lovely hostess. I had already repaired earlier tears in some of these, so the end effect here in some cases is the result of cumulative patching.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tosmGA5me1f_OCcDsjjCLdbVxh946Jr44UDL4qE6DO287BHBY73ZZ6zy40C1oP1iZcNRrQfNZsby-tA-3RxA7dz9LhPFh4fSOuRbJhfnjHzeYJDUPG1yiUSseFQ3ZQpJ2TpsiJbB9QWN/s400/shirts1.jpg) |
2 mended shirts |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGoPZaZIBhlQ584STnw6YSaMgr5Nmigs1xtevBtWave4MCsKQp_vr-BQchWhx9kJemvX5DisH7d_9T0lEAsF5GLN4Yj4cONzfa7eAxVbvmN85yyNWmWdJcLytSZrdkvkQel7iRYhyFe40/s400/shirts2.jpg) |
Close-up: patch using ancient Chinese medical text image and photo transfer |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLUXbyosaiTjT_Rj-UWSDiKJrg06qxN3wI1LC_qGL37UxJjvSS6HnBsc3BXHjHSEeL507S8yOiLq7R-bjNim3Mw4FqQa9tT-DoQ2UfdUxVdcosiJSKVgpSl0rK8RmcbvoDflkqSH42-N_/s400/shirts3.jpg) |
Patch using image from old Arab book and photo transfer |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWQxBZJSFLIqlQPuBqLINbWyQQNWRZiKIbpf5yx1J_VrGKHTAHvLFX9ibm6ilsy0wDC7uyYWDMBY2tNV19udgG2okkCEAZpT-JYxK7VI0ipeiYFTdrKTLoVU_u_z15pT08zPu6iMvGNo-/s640/shirts4.jpg) |
Patch using traditional Japanese sashiko stitching |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmj10Ckc4sk3WRDMvmR6isw33L1lK1t7eeEa-Jlf1_PCXJbzGPsFjGgXvxaZGnUZthP3YDMdHGQwdG4L0FQ_L-nDIG1-TYbtQB3-ddxoaVmXwtbXl2milN8zukHnGNXGzy6t4CjmKOj30z/s640/shirts5.jpg) |
Cumulative patching |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcbzqvD7-ybtev6VvOwKa4w1y2Pj8R6wvQBrtD0M4X1sd55f2dw0efpslKJmBIitWdEihJyN7iRoiADPpaVqJ0uO2VeBR3HCgv1jW-ZRYMZk2eAn3PCpJNrgEkzRWuAEHuas9ScmcAhKK/s400/shirts6.jpg) |
Sashiko stitching for traditional Japanese Boro patching technique |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeFEkrloiiY-EiuqoFOkj9Ow0wIpX6N7ai28U7I596ThDHLzVmZrjohA4V29Yz7Ws5VqI6WBCMI1zscr1iV3pmbr3EqOZoCHiz7C2ZmNIjUKdwEvXBRy9L3R5tbaIuYNPskfPAxkzGtBe/s400/shirts7.jpg) |
Sashiko stitching |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90JmSYrG2bX5W04caRr0RtzcnOUsm_3orSmIJM47m_fn6ECoIO9dzmLoliPgBJ1K6ll4KgBb1BJA5BJdIYO1XU0PHfrcLJWbvT0Ggc0y6ajb5lD2gSKpffiPsklD_ZfRGHBuTsmloxR6Y/s400/shirts8.jpg) |
Patch using cloth photo transfer |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZE3eg_ejH33DHRRQFJVW7kfgXQQxfMqBtoybs_8mptHbvK1rhClj7KiCsZiwzQ45IMUibuSJ2Bo0JUP6cXy0KuTRfvkWX0TBa7RoM9jBL5WeWU_6qYkEj3gxDR_6DPzJ140pDVsaVftvC/s400/shirts9.jpg) |
Shirt with small previous sashiko patch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDD8v-RryocS-jNGyz9nTs_G7OWis1k6SZNBirgueyXMETMV5SRkLW4L_qZC1glyy2jpMgOdxSF_9wxgLP7vhz30gk1-rsfSPqFDx360YNBUD9YV8zDTt4Ba-PdLgC_kKohgu1F21kfKR/s400/shirts10.jpg) |
New patch using scrap of old Guatemalan cloth |
I am happy when I sew, and at this point in my life I cannot imagine traveling anywhere without a sewing kit and a supply of patches in hand. I believe the people wandering around the planet sporting one of my patches are happy also.
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.