Sashiko style denim elbow repair

My friend Paul gave me his very precious UES Denim Shirt, so very well worn at the elbows, there were holes as big as saucers!

I wanted to give this project time and attention, as the shirt is so beloved to Paul and it must now be the most well travelled shirt. It’s been on holiday with me to France, to the End Of The Road festival camping, and to Wales on the fforest & Betty Silk sewing retreat in November, and yet I still didn’t have time to repair the broken elbows 🪡

Soooooo finally, I sat down and got on with it and I think my friend Paul likes it, big thanks to Saffron, at Bristol Textile Quarter for the soft denim I’ve used for the elbow patches, and to Derby Braid for the amazing rotary cutting wheel and textile glue 🔆

I loved his thank you video – it makes it all worth while!

I enjoyed the process of repairing these elbows. I decided to ‘glue’ the soft denim patches to the reverse of the sleeves, pinning them to hold them securely. I used embroidery thread that I had purchased on ebay, (a job lot that was sooooo tangled!) and worked my way around the edge of the ‘hole’.

I then used Tailor’s chalk and a ruler to mark out a simple grid, and following a Sashiko style pattern, got to work sewing with a long needle to hold the structure together.