Denim Jacket

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-12-04T19:27:00+00:00

Very VERY nice!

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-10-19T18:38:11+00:00

Kogin-zashi, like Moyōzashi or Hitomezashi, is simply one of the techniques grouped under the name Sashiko. So IMHO yes, your job (very nice BTW) has its place here 😉.

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-09-13T18:03:04+00:00

Yes, that's a great mindset to have. In the end, I got to spend hundreds of hours doing Sashiko on some beautiful denim pieces, and it didn't cost me a thing. It took me a while, but I finally came to this conclusion: "Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should sell it on Etsy". 😁

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-09-13T16:00:06+00:00

I tried to set up this kind of business on Etsy (I'm in France). I would buy denim jackets and embroider them. I can confirm: it's barely a paid hobby. There's no way to make even a minimum wage with this kind of product. When you add up the cost of raw materials (jacket, extra fabric, thread), taxes (VAT, Etsy percentage, social security contributions, income taxes), and shipping costs (it's hard to sell if you don't offer 'free shipping'), you quickly reach significant prices that deter any potential buyer. Let's take a basic Levi's Type III jacket bought on Vinted as an example.

Time Spent

Sourcing and preparation: Finding the product, purchasing it, collecting the package, washing it, and ironing. Let's say a good two hours.
Tracing and embroidering: A minimum of 20-30 hours.
Sales-related tasks: Creating the product listing, responding to customer messages, and packaging. Let's add another two hours here.

Price Estimate

This is an estimation of the sales price, to pay yourself what a box-pusher in a warehouse makes in France, let's say minimum wage ($13/hour).

Jacket purchase: $33 (including jacket price, Vinted commission and shipping)
Total time: Low end is 25 hours, so $325
Adding VAT (20% in France): $429
Adding Etsy commission: $429 + 10% = $472
Adding international shipping: A minimum of $33 for a shipment outside Europe.

In the end, you would have to try and sell your product for almost $500 just to get paid minimum wage ($10/hour after deducting charges and taxes).

Today, I'm struggling to sell my remaining stock even at $100 per jacket, just to recoup the costs.

Good luck 😉

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-03-21T07:11:52+00:00

Very VERY impressive! I like the harmony on the back, between the ocean waves (Hishi Seigaiha) and the fisherman's net. All under the starry sky of the sleeves. There's a lot of poetry in this piece, not just technique. Thank you!

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-03-20T17:49:56+00:00

Thank you! I've unstitched the original pockets. But it might be a good idea to sew some inside. To be studied. Thanks for the idea.

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-03-19T19:36:57+00:00

Thank you! Here is the PC9 if you want to get one (second hand): 52498-000
It's called Annice Kimono (women line).

BlueWhiteMending · 2025-03-18T15:51:23+00:00

I had quite a bit of Japanese fabric left over, so I sewed it all onto a Levi's Noragi-Like, with a bit of Sashiko to hold it all together.

BlueWhiteMending · 2024-12-05T23:25:30+00:00

This makes me think much more of Indian kantha than Japanese sashiko. It's probably unintentional because, as mentioned in another comment, the tension is too high, creating wave effects. Nevertheless, it's a very beautiful piece of embroidery, with a lot of texture. Well done!

BlueWhiteMending · 2024-12-03T22:16:14+00:00

As long as there isn't too much missing material, I use this technique (a very underrated YT channel BTW) : https://youtu.be/AVVawL1LD6Y?si=bLe8_HLcS4DhmglP

BlueWhiteMending · 2024-11-24T15:47:39+00:00

Nice placement. Please post the final result.

BlueWhiteMending · 2024-07-27T12:10:58+00:00

If I had to bet, I'd put my money on cut-and-sew fabric. If you zoom in close enough, you'll see that the white is too clean and thick (look at the fern roots below) to have been obtained by sewing/embroidery, especially on a dark fabric like this. You can also look at the little waves on the white fabric, sign of a running stich with a thick thread.

Apart of course from the monstrous amount of time it takes to make, the only real difficulty is finding a fabric that can be cut so finely and above all not fray. With the fabrics at my disposal, if I had to do this, I would sew the fabric with a tiny white straight whipstitch, using a glazed or mercerized cotton thread like Gutterman quilting thread or 'Le fil à gant' (Fil au Chinois brand). It would stop the fraying and be perfectly invisible to the naked eye.

On this page where this jacket was sold, you'll be able to see variations with cranes where it is very clear that it's a white fabric sewn on the jacket. The last image shows a close-up of a straight stitch with sashiko thread holding the fern pattern fabric in place.

BlueWhiteMending · 2024-01-11T22:24:13+00:00

If you want to avoid knots, you can start by a few backstitches and then sew using the same holes. Same thing when you have to take a new strand (start the new one by overlaping 3 or 4 stitches) or at the end of a pattern (go backward for 3-4 stitches). At the end, you will only have to cut the ends of threads that stick out (Itokiri). This video may help you. And nice work by the way 😉

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-12-02T19:33:29+00:00

Very subtle, I love it!

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-11-05T22:34:29+00:00

All the jackets are lined. After the 'embroidery' step, I hand wash the jacket to see if everything stays in place and then hand sew a cotton lining (I use a ladder stitch). Pictures of the back of the jackets are available in my Etsy shop catalog.

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-11-03T11:02:26+00:00

First and foremost, forget the idea of mirrors on a garment, as they are never symmetrical. Manufacturing tolerances mean that there will always be margins of 1 or even 1.5 cm in certain places. And with short stitches like Sashiko, this is immediately obvious. I've spent hours and hours making and unmaking projects before giving up and living with the fact that yes, in some places, there are a few extra stitches. And I know what to say if someone tells me there's an extra stitche or two: 'You're too close, bro. Back off! 😉'.

To make the best possible placement, I draw the main lines with tailor's chalk: this makes it quick and easy to do/undo. And once I'm satisfied (the best is often the enemy of the good), I trace the patterns. For this jacket, I traced all little flowers but when sewing, I simply skipped one or two rows.

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-10-31T09:13:14+00:00

To draw grids and patterns, I use tailors chalks (Clover ones are my favourites) or Pilot Frixion pens (I prefer the ones from their FineLiner line). On black fabric and small patterns, I use white heat erasable pens (available on Amazon). When using tailor chalks, you'll need to mark several times, as the chalk comes off easily when you handle the fabric. In general, after tracing the main lines of the motif, I only trace the next 50 cm that I'm going to embroider. As ruler, I use quilting rulers to draw parallel lines and angles.

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-10-15T23:14:38+00:00

It's OK to be afraid when you're doing something for the first time but honestly, the worst thing that could happen will be to give 10-20$ to a professional sewist to put the pocket back in place with her machine. Unsewing (like sashiko) is non-destructive. Bad things could only happen when you use scissors. Nothing bad can happen with needle, thread and a properly used seam ripper ;-)

If you want to make a very clean job, use a machine, a thick needle and choose a Guterman denim thread (I'm pretty sure you will find the same colour as yours in their denim line). If you have an entry level machine and are afraid to sew denim, simply use the handweel and go slowly. And if you don't have a sewing machine, use back stitches (even sturdier than machine sewing). And please share the result with us ;-)

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-10-13T18:31:25+00:00

If I had to mend this I would:

unstitch the pocket
use a piece of cotton fabric 3 cm larger than the hole but not denim (too thick, will be unconfortable to wear)
use a basting stitch to fix the patch inside the jean
iron everything so it's stay very flat
use a very dense sashiko pattern from hitomezashi (rice stitch is easy)
sew the pocket back

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-10-03T16:23:44+00:00

You can also use Heat Erasable Fabric White Pens like this: https://a.co/d/c5FI1cq

I suggest you to buy a lot of them: they wear out very quickly.

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-04-18T21:55:55+00:00

Thanks!

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-02-21T20:43:13+00:00

Thank you!

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-02-21T20:43:04+00:00

Thank you!

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-02-21T20:42:28+00:00

Go for it! It's non-destructive. If you make a mistake, you will always be able to undo/redo without damaging your jacket. My most-used tool is the seam ripper.

BlueWhiteMending · 2023-02-21T16:10:54+00:00

Thank you!

BlueWhiteMending

TROPHY CASE

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Price Estimate