Last year I tried and fell in love with Sashiko stitching. This is a  type of decorative Japanese embroidery which I had loads of fun trying. So I was excited to be #gifted a copy of Make and Mend: The Japanese Art of Sashiko Embroidery by Jessica Marquez. It is packed full of Sashiko-inspired embroidery projects to customise and repair textiles and decorate your home.

Make and Mend by Jessica Marquez

Make and Mend is an exquisite, full-colour guide to sashiko, a simple Japanese stitching technique that uses stunning patterns to decorate or repair clothing, accessories and home textiles – requiring no special equipment other than a sewing needle and some thread!

Sashiko is traditionally used to mend and repair clothing and textiles, but it can just as easily be used to create beautiful, decorative projects for the home. With 15 projects applying a modern, on-trend aesthetic to this ancient craft, Make and Mend shows readers how to apply sashiko stitching to a variety of craft projects, such as repairing torn jeans, decorating a shower curtain, mending a ripped hem, and making a simple pet bed, throw pillows, napkins, a tablecloth and a tote bag.

I’ve had this book for a couple of weeks and picked out a pair of jeans, thread and sashiko needle to embroider them but I just can’t decided which type of stitch to use! As well as the different projects there are lots of patterns including 13 myozashi and 6 hitomezashi patterns, as well as a series of darning patterns. Too many to choose from!

As well as adding patched jeans to my to do list, I’ve also bought some supplies to try the stitched shibori bandana. Shibori is a Japanese dyeing techinique that uses folds, binds, twists and wraps to create patterns on fabric. Add in stitched shibori and you reveal a hidden pattern untouched by the dye. It looks stunning and you can use dried tumeric to create a natural, non-toxic dye.