Boroboro : tattered and repaired

I have a favourite pair of shorts. They are old and not particularly special, and certainly not very pretty.... but I like them. They are 'comfortable'. They have been to lots of places and I've had lots of fun whilst wearing them. My most memorable occasion was when I was visiting my friends in Puerto Rico about 8 or so years ago (and they weren't new then). I was walking their lovely Basset hound on a lead and, very unlike me, I decided to jog for a bit. I was a few kilos lighter then, and as I ran the shorts began to slip. Downwards. Then some ducklings crossed our path and Ludovic decided to run a bit faster than me. He wasn't a dog that was typically inclined to move any faster than absolutely necessary, but the next thing I knew Ludo was trying to get away and my shorts were around my ankles. My friends nearly died laughing. It wasn't pretty. 

There is no way that would happen these days (they fit well now!) but those shorts have begun to show serious signs of wear. When I hung them out to dry on the washing line this week a major problem became apparent....
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The bum had finally worn through

Not wanting to part with them just yet I decided to do a proper repair job and chose a traditional mending technique; shasiko.  I have only ever played with sashiko stitching on a decorative level before, but this was my chance to have a proper 'go' at it.
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Blue cotton fabric patch

A simple sashiko pattern

Pinned in place

Dense stitching holding the patch on place

Better than new!

This is how they look now and I love them even more! 

Next time you have something that needs mending why not see if a traditional technique could help you? 

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