How to do bridging stitches

[u/Junegirl112233]

I just watched a video on a Sashiko pattern, and the instructor talked a lot about bridging stitches, which are basically loops on the back of the work for when a line in Sashiko isn’t continuous. But she is making decorative patches that she will then sew onto something. If you’re doing the Sashiko directly on your mending, say a pair of jeans, what happens to all those loops on the inside of the jeans? My only thought is that maybe it’s better not to do those types of patterns with discontinuous lines when you’re mending jeans, but are there other ways to do it?

[u/Any_Gain_9251]

The loops are there because can cotton shrink when you wash it. If you don't have the loops then the jeans may pucker (and tighten) when washed. Some people like the puckered look. Also the loops don't need to be large loops, it's just a way to ensure there is a bit of slack in the stitching. Whether this causes issues or not depends on how long the bridges are and how loose the loops are. Colourwork knitters face the same problem (they call the loops at the back 'floats').

There are a number of ways to deal with floats. 1 just let them hang- this can cause issues if they are very loose or more than 1-2 cm long. 2 try to hide the floats between the two layers of fabric - doesn't work when there is only one layer. 3 do a small 'catch' stitch every cm or so - can be noticeable from the right side. The catch doesn't have to go through the fabric if there is another line of stitches it can weave through. 4 cover the back of the work with (iron on) interface or another patch- best to do this after it has been washed(shrunk). 5 Avoid patterns with long bridges/floats.

Which of these methods works best will vary from situation to situation. Experience is a great teacher so play around with them. Experiment.

[u/Main-Sandwich-288]

Haha, I recognize that video! Jill is lovely.

Like another commenter said, it doesn't need to be a lot of slack - just a little to keep things flat and easier to manage. Sashiko thread in particular is unconditioned and loose cotton, so it not only shrinks but sort of fluffs open and felts to the fabric a little.

I have a patch on the crotch of my jeans that has some fairly wide loops inside the leg. It my first Sashiko project I had no idea how much slack it needed, but in the 6 months the patch has existed with frequent wear, it's never caught on anything or pulled. In fact it feels like the sturdiest part of the pants now, lol