A BIG THANK YOU to Chronicle Books, Princeton Architectural Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of Well Worn: Visible Mending for the Clothes You Love by Skye Pennant. This is a comprehensive and inspiring guide to the art of visible mending, offering readers a fresh perspective on clothing repair and sustainability.

As the founder of Slow Stitch Club, Pennant brings her passion for textiles and craftsmanship to the forefront, guiding readers through traditional darning and Sashiko techniques with clarity and enthusiasm. Whether you're a seasoned sewist or a complete novice, this book provides the tools and inspiration needed to breathe new life into your well-loved garments.

Pennant encourages readers to view mending as a creative and therapeutic practice, offering practical advice alongside engaging anecdotes and historical insights. With step-by-step instructions and detailed illustrations, even those with limited sewing experience can confidently tackle a wide range of repairs, from patching jeans to darning socks. This book is not just about fixing clothes—it's about fostering a deeper connection to our wardrobes and embracing a more sustainable approach to fashion.

In addition to its practical guidance, Well Worn serves as a timely reminder of the importance of slow fashion and mindful consumption. Pennant's thoughtful approach encourages readers to rethink their relationship with clothing, emphasizing quality over quantity and the value of investing in pieces that will stand the test of time. Whether you're looking to save money, reduce waste, or simply explore a new creative outlet, this is a must-have resource for anyone interested in mending their own clothes and cultivating a more sustainable lifestyle, one stitch at a time.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 21 May 2024
#WellWorn #NetGalley

A decent enough title on getting creative/expressive with mending damaged garments, although I've read and reviewed several titles in this category over the past few years--definitely support the movement of mending, repairing, and reusing our clothing rather than indulging in the disposable fast-fashion economy.

These books all kind of blend together for me as the methods are all of a piece--it comes down to whether the reader connects to the authorial voice or plugs into the perspective of the writer.

So, recommended, but there wasn't a gap in the market for this book so much as it's a solid addition to the resources out there.

Well Warn is fantastic book about saving your favorite articles of clothing and breathing into them new life. I love the ideas in here for saving the clothes we love and I hope to do so. The pictures are beautiful and it’s well laid out.

I have a great interest in visible mending and this title gave me a ton of ideas for how to manage various repairs. This title is fair game for beginners or people new to mending / sewing. Great photos! Thank you Netgalley and Chronicle Books for access to this title, any maker will appreciate this quick title, great little reference book. The darning section is well done and will benefit anyone looking to practice. Visible mending solutions for problems we all encounter with well worn clothing!

Diving into embroidery and garment sewing over the past few years has sparked my interest in visible mending, making "Well Worn" a perfect discovery.

This delightful book strikes a balance between comprehensive knowledge and approachability, catering to both beginners and seasoned stitchers. I particularly loved the helpful chart detailing common clothing issues and compatible repair methods. The layout and photos are outstanding.

Huge thanks to Chronicle Books, Princeton Architectural Press, and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy!

Well Worn is just the book I've needed. I have been wanting to learn how to mend my clothes for the longest time and this book has helped me so much. I have patched three holes in my favorite pair of jeans using this book and it looks great for being my first time. I can't wait to mend more clothes!!

I have been mending textiles of all kinds for more than 50 years, and this book taught me some new skills. Instructions are clear, with line drawing to demonstrate techniques. I was especially happy to see the section on mending edges of knitwear. This is not easy stuff!

I've long considered mending to be an act of love, and have actually purchased second-hand pieces mainly because they had been mended. My own mending has covered everything from the usual socks and jeans to leather jackets to a soft-sided dog crate. It's a step to help a planet drowning in discarded clothing.

Excellent addition to public library collections.

The photos and illustrations are good. I however did not find anything new in terms of mending strategies in this book. If anyone has reviewed shashiko sewing techniques this will look very familiar. Thank you for the opportunity to review an advance copy of book.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and Princeton Architectural Press for granting me early access to this title!

Well Worn by Skye Pennant is a thorough catalogue of mending techniques from highly technical to basic. I think this book serves as a great dictionary of straight forward and well-explained mending techniques for a sewist or crafter who might need the occasional refresher. A first-timer might find the lack of full "projects" a bit of a let down.

The photography in this book is absolutely gorgeous, with an heirloom quality. I was even more impressed by this when I read that the author herself took the photos in a makeshift studio in her home! The photos and technical drawings add a lot of value to this book, especially for someone who doesn't want to have to go to YouTube every time they want to look up a mending technique.

Overall, I think Well Worn is a great reference guide for sewists and those looking to get more into mending. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and followers who are interested in making their clothing last for years to come instead of falling back on fast fashion, which creates so much unneeded waste.

“Well Worn” will make a great addition to your crafting bookshelf! Skye has given you all the tools to start mending your garments. In a world of fast fashion, this book will help you slow down and save your favorite pieces of clothing. Have a hole in your favorite leggings or puffer jacket? There is a repair to be made! The author shows you different techniques to apply to different items. They also discuss different fabrics and which mends would be most appropriate.

A lot of really good mending information to be found among the pages!

Many thanks to Chronicle Books and Princeton Architectural Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This book looks at the importance of repairing or mending damaged clothing, rather than throwing still-usable pieces away. Skye Pennant provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for beautiful mending that is designed to be seen. The book is easy to read and has lots of helpful hints to ensure success. A valuable addition to any sustainable household.

I have been searching for a book just like this. It has so much useful information to help start and continue the journey of mending clothing and keeping your wardrobe looking great!

A beautiful book that captures a skill we all need to (re)-remember. I feel that this was lost somewhere during our parents' or grandparents' generation, by and large. This book will make you inspired to love your worn-out clothing in a new way. My only frustration was that I wanted the actual techniques to broken down even more step by step, with even more tips and explanation on exactly how to do them. Mending holes in knitted fabric by picking up the loops is DARN hard (see what I did there? ha ha). But it really is, and I was hoping that the author would have some tips on how to be more successful at it. I also wanted more specifics on every other process, even more of a tutorial. The big photos are certainly beautiful but it was a lot of space that could have been filled with line diagrams to help teach us how to become more expert. I also wanted a larger variety of techniques - this offered several good ones, but it wasn't a huge variety. I was hoping for more of an encyclopedia of techniques. Regardless, this is a topic usually overlooked and I understand that the publisher probably wanted to make sure the book wasn't overwhelming to the beginner. So I say - well done, and thank you for reminding us of this important skill!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC for unbiased review.

I don't do a lot of mending, but I quite liked this book for its straightforward practicality. The one other mending book I saw recently was more about the meditation of mending than the techniques of mending and it turned me off. Skye Pennant focuses on mending and leaves you to your own spiritual growth.

My favorite bit of this book is the table on page 12 that suggests which of the 10 mending techniques presented in the book are best for various mending projects. To repair damaged belt loops on jeans consider Sashiko, Machine mending, and Patching. Each of these techniques is explained later in the text, with examples.

Visible mending embraces two visual concepts. First is that it's OK for the mending to be seen and a repair can and should have a pleasing aesthetic. The second, and this goes a bit against more traditional mending instruction, is that it's OK for the raw edges of the teat remain visible. Thus jeans are patched with a fuzzy bit in the middle. It's an artistic thing that might not appeal to everyone in every situation but you can choose another technique if you want to cover up the hole instead.

There's a lot about what the stitches work for. A bit wordy in that sense. However, almost no write description of how to actually do the stitches. Sorry, but 1-3 pictures of the stitch are not enough for everyone. More descriptions were used later in the book but as much as I'd like.

I love the new trend to sustainability in fashion right now. This book gave some easy tips and tricks on how to do visible mending that works with the style and type of clothing you are trying to mend.

I think it would be a great hobby book or a gift for someone in your life who is looking to relearn some time-old skills. It is a super basic look at what tools and technique you might need to know to get started.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

It’s a great feeling to repair a well loved article of clothing rather than throw it away. I had been looking for instructions on clothing repair since one of my favorite pairs of jeans developed a rip along the back pocket. This book addressed that exact repair along with many other instances of clothing damage I have encountered over the years. The author obviously knows what clothing damage is most common and addressed the repair of these in practical and unique methods. I learned a lot from this book. I’m now going to fix those comfy jeans and hopefully get many more years of wear out of them!

I can’t wait to use these mending techniques on mine and my loved one’s clothes! The attention given to different fabrics, techniques as well as which technique works best for each fabric type, and the tools needed to accomplish the repair. The directions are pretty easy to follow, coming form someone who is VERY crafty!

This is an extensive collection of mends you can easily make on all types of clothing you might want to keep or might even want to purchase in order to save from landfill. It offers you information on when and how to mend clothing in order to keep it in use, but also improve its look by adding details.

You can find out how to mend all types of clothing, from fine garments to jeans. The details are spelled out well and techniques and tools are explained for even a layperson to understand.

This book would be a good addition to any hand crafter, environmentalist or even fashionable person's repertoire. It can give your accessories new life and help you to personalize them.

I received an advanced copy and am giving an honest review,

This is an excellent book on how to mend clothing and the different tools and techniques that can be used. It includes really good instructions and pictures.