Darn These Stitches

How Simple Mending Became An Artistic Technique

From its practical purpose of reinforcing fabric to the elaborate execution in needle art, darning in one form or another has existed since the 12th century.

In bygone days, household textiles and clothing were not as disposable as they are today, so repairing them was the preferred choice when a hole or worn spot appeared. The darning stitch resulted in tidy and sturdy repairs. Many a grandmother’s sewing basket contained wood, Bakelite or china darning eggs used to make repairs to the heels and toes of socks, and to the elbows of sweaters.

The decorative-pattern darning stitch, however, was employed to embellish the garments and textiles of many cultures ranging from Egypt to Japan to Mexico.

The basic darning stitch is a running stitch of varying lengths that follows the weave of the fabric (warp and weft) to create a geometric design. Nuances in the darning stitch’s execution create intricate and decorative designs.

“From the 14th-century Chimú culture of what is now Peru, who stitched their motifs on fine cotton gauze, to the 19th-century young girls whose darning samplers were completed for learning to reconstruct intricate damask weaves for repairing fabrics, cultures all over the world have used this method to decorate articles of clothing and household linens,” says Sally Simon, needlework teacher and designer.

“Traditional Mexican designs were outlined and then filled in, while the Japanese used allover bands of patterns or individual motifs, usually in diamond shapes, in their work. Depending on the time period and location, threads of choice have varied over the years from silk to cotton, linen and wool. The designs were worked on trousers, sashes, tunics, veils, religious embroideries, table linens and towels. Although border designs are most common, the geometric patterns created by pattern darning have been fashioned into stylized birds, fish, flowers and even human beings.

Whether you’re new to this form of embroidery or have prior experience, you’ll enjoy the traditional blackwork techniques and Japanese-style pattern darning included in Liz Almond’s Diamond Ice project on page 43.

Resources

Caulfield, Sophia Frances Anne and Blanche C. Saward. The Dictionary of Needlework. New York: Arno Press, 1979 (facsimile of 1882 edition).

Feyh, Debi. “Darning” article initially published in Nordic Needle’s weekly newsletter; www.nordicneedle.net/guides/ stitching-techniques-guides/darning/. Simon, Sally. “Pattern Darning” in

Needle Pointers, Vol. X, No. 1, American Needlework Guild Inc., spring 1982.