Laine Saint-Pierre Threads
All images (c) Susan Cropper for Loop Knitting, London.
It’s your last chance to enter the competitions from the current edition of Selvedge (Issue 93 Rethink). The prizes on offer include a complete set of Laine Saint-Pierre Embroidery Threads by Sajou’s (thread sellers since 1828), from Loop London. The threads are a darning wool made of four strands and apart from their original intended use, they are often used for embroidery projects. The thread is made of half wool, half polymide and is very solid, easy to use and its colours remain fast. This prize offers a complete set of ninety-six colours, wound on lovely cards and measuring ten metres each, and presented in a box entirely covered inside and out with Laine Saint-Pierre paper, worth £234. If you want to begin darning, or if you are an experienced darner already, then the threads are a great addition to your toolbox.
Until relatively recently, mending was a mainstream activity, akin to doing the laundry or doing the dishes. And although fast fashion has threatened the survival of mending skills - a 2017 study by the British Heart Foundation found that a woeful 60% people couldn’t or wouldn’t sew on a button – the grassroots Visible Mending movement of the last decade has spearheaded a revival of traditional mending and darning techniques as a form of protest against consumerism. In our current Issue 93 Rethink, we feature artists and makers who reuse and recycle textiles, and a tambourine stitch darning tutorial from Hikaru Noguchi.
Loop London stocks a range of darning tools and accessories alongside Laine Saint-Pierre Embroidery Threads, including darning mushrooms, eggs, and books. The shop also includes a visibly mended couch for inspiration and runs mending workshops with Celia Pym and Hikaru Noguchi – currently running online.
To enter to win the Laine Saint-Pierre Threads visit our Competitions page. This issue, you can also enter to win a Retrouvius sourced rag rug and a Ratatouille designs linen jacket, all competitions close on Wednesday 15th April.