Patches and Slow Stitching

I've begun using the cotton knit scraps that I've purchased from The School of Making

They are cutting room scraps that are scooped up and packed for shipping, so they are rather random.

I'm doing 3 in x 3 in patches and exploring the fabrics and what threads work well with them.

Eventually I'll assemble them into usable pieces, maybe scarves or cushion covers or other larger works.

The knit feels lovely in my hands and the small size of the patches provides enough territory to try something, but it never takes a lot of time to finish the experiment and move on.

Variations in color and stitching produce interesting results.  I'm going to be playing with these fabrics for a long time to come.

I'm also trying small zokin style utility cloths, inspired by the the Japanese zokin, made from old fabrics as one final use before they are discarded.

The zokin on top is an older one from linen and the black one on the bottom is make from a waffle knit.  Each one is three layers, so it is like using a small sponge and it's washable.

I wanted to try the stretchy knit as a binding for the layers of the zokin - it's too stretchy!

This binding adds a lot of happiness!

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

https://www.instagram.com/journalofathousandlives/

New Year 2026 Update

Happy New Year!: 2026

New year begins in the studio with a hand-stitched patch for my old linen smock. I don't recall when I bought this shirt from The Gatsby's boutique in Great Barrington MA, but it may be 30 or more years. The fabric is quite threadbare in spots now, and I'm having a wonderful time stitching and patching so that it can keep going for some more years.  It's a short-sleeve shirt and serves very well to protech my clothing since it is getting thicker and thicker with patches and fill pattern stitches.

This large patch it the greater part of a vintage handkerchief that I scored from Swanson's Fabrics in Turner's Falls MA. https://www.swansonsfabrics.com/ I'm having a very good time stitching all over it to join it firmly to the deteriorating fabric below, and it's slowly stabilizing both fabrics by making them virtually into one strong fabric.

I'm opting for using a variety of stitches to fill in the empty spaces rather than the straight lines of running stitch that is very popular right now.  I'm going for a look on this patch which is more like stippling, It is tiny back stitches that form tiny dots.  I'll use a small variety of other stitches as well.

I've been collecting vintage cotton and linen hankies and table linens from Swanson's for a few years now and will be using them on my signficant mending pile over the course of 2026.  It's time to get everything back into working order!

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

https://www.instagram.com/journalofathousandlives/