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Redditor shows how they transformed an old, falling-apart jacket into a 'work of art:' 'It was in a real poor state'

"My friend asked me to repair her favorite jacket with some embroidery."

Old jacket with embroidery

Photo Credit: u/Mindbogglingloops/ Reddit

One Redditor is helping their friend get the most out of their clothing by repairing a heavily worn jacket with embroidery.

The post was shared on r/Visiblemending, a subreddit where users post attractive and interesting ways to repair clothing. 

"I posted this at r/embroidery but wanted to share it here as well!" says the original poster, who also says this was their first embroidery project. "My friend asked me to repair her favorite jacket with some embroidery. The jacket was in a real poor state, but I said yes."

Beginner. My friend asked me to repair her favorite jacket with some embroidery. The jacket was in a real poor state, but I said yes, and now it's done! Hopefully now she can love the jacket a few more years!
by u/Mindbogglingloops in Visiblemending

The original poster shares several photos of the beige jacket, which has been heavily embroidered with a variety of brightly colored flowers. They've repaired worn edges with a decorative blanket stitch and used flowers to obscure patched areas on the pockets and sleeves. Smaller holes are covered with swirled floss roses. 

"Beginner," they say. "This is my very first embroidery project, so most things I know about embroidery I learned through this, and the learning curve was steep." But as several commenters point out, "You should be very proud, it doesn't look 'beginner' at all."

Mending used to be a common way to extend the life of clothing. Today, though, many people simply buy a replacement when their clothing wears out — costing them money and leaving the old garment to sit in a landfill. 

Mended clothes often look different from new ones, with visible seams or patches. But r/Visiblemending embraces this fact and promotes decorative repair methods that turn a mass-produced article of clothing into a personalized signature piece. Not only are these clothes beautiful, they save the wearer money and reduce waste.

"That's a work of art now. Incredible!" says one commenter. Another points out, "This is a gorgeous bit of work and it would cost a lot if it just came that way. Wonderful job!"

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