Have a torn but beloved article of clothing you can’t bear to throw away? No need! Bring those pieces and learn how to stylishly mend your clothing with visible mending, appliqué patching, and Sashiko stitching. You can also learn how to shorten jeans with the original hem. You’ll keep more clothing from being thrown away! No previous sewing experience necessary.

Art Scraps almost has everything you might need! So if you can't find it there, here are local gems.

Where to find clothing and other textiles to up cycle

• Buy Nothing: "We provide free global Buy Nothing gift economy access, community resources, and personal support to Buy Nothing participants."
• Goodwill Bins: “The bins” also known at Goodwill Outlet stores are deeply discounted thrift stores where items are sold by the pound.
• Estate and Garage / Tag / Yard sales
• Textile Center: their garage sales are overwhelming in the breadth and depth of items for sale. The next sale is April 11-13.

New Fabric, Notions and Trims

• Affinity for Quilting: your one-stop destination for all things quilting!
• S. R. Harris -- ginormous warehouse and equally large variety and amount fabric and trim, at discount prices Brooklyn Park, Burnsville (smaller)
• The Sewing Lounge: “A Sewists Dream. Premium fabric, supplies and tools for apparel sewing." St. Paul
• Sew Inviting: a new fabric store on the south end of Snelling Ave., Saint Paul

• Daisy Stitch
• Flowers
• Jeans hem a bloom with flowers
• Lace edge --- A prettier blanket stitch
• Leaf -- filled in to go with your flowers.
• Simple & Easy Flower
• Herringbone Stitch makes a Sunflower
• TEN hand embroidered flowers tutorial
• Visible Mending Samples

• Invisible seam -- like sutures
• Puntada invisible / Invisible stitch
• Invisible stitch for Denim Tears
• Blanket Stitch for clean edge finishes
• The 10 Basic Stitches You Should Know: an excellent step-by-step tutorial
• Raw Edge Embroidery

They stretch! Which is why we like them! We use ball point (blunt/dull) so we don't split the threads accidentally.

• Darning a Sweater Hole
• Star Stitch repair for small sock hole

This is a wondertful tutorial from the Koekoek Studio, in the Netherlands.

"We share our recommendations for Sashiko materials. You will also find step by step guidance on how to Sashiko stitch for beginners."

How to Hem Jeans with the Original Hem (Ultimate Guide!) By keeping the original hem, you preserve the look of the denim with all it’s unique distressed and washed out features. Furthermore, you keep the contrasting thread color from the original hem. And a fun take on it from Instagram.