Eva Hesse at Oberlin: Mending + Embellishment Transfer

Eva Hesse’s time at Oberlin shaped her approach to materiality, process, and imperfection—values that align beautifully with the art of visible mending. This booklet offers a collection of mending transfer patterns inspired by her early drawings and experimental forms. By layering texture and repetition, these transfers invite stitchers to engage with repair as an act of transformation, much like Hesse did in her sculptural work. Printed on water-soluble stabilizer for easy application, these designs honor her raw, process-driven approach to art.

Inspired by Eva Hesse’s time at Oberlin, this artisan mending transfer echoes the quiet intensity of her early line drawings—sensitive, searching, and beautifully unresolved. Meant to be stitched slowly, it invites you to trace form, imperfection, and feeling through cloth. 

Spend 1–2 hours bringing this design to life—no machine needed. With just a needle, thread, and a bit of time, you can add a quietly expressive layer to garments you already love.

What’s Included: Four original transfers printed on water-soluble stabilizer Elegant, easy-to-follow instructions designed for reflection, not stress Sustainable, gift-ready packaging that shares the story behind the design.

Perfect For:

• Adding a minimal, hand-drawn detail to denim, canvas, or well-worn cotton
• Gifting to artists, students, or anyone drawn to tactile experimentation
• Transforming repair into an act of thoughtful, personal expression
• A stitched homage to Eva Hesse’s early gestures—honest, experimental, and full of presence.

Each transfer cut-out is 4.25" by 5.5".

How to Use Your Visible Mending Transfers:

• Prep Your Fabric: Make sure your fabric is clean and dry before starting.
• Choose Your Design: Pick one of the four designs from the set.
• Apply the Transfer: Place the transfer design with the printed side facing the fabric. Gently press to activate the adhesive.
• Stitch: Use a needle and thread to stitch along the design, following the printed lines. Feel free to add your own flair or skip areas you don't like.
• Rinse and Reveal: Once your stitching is complete, rinse the fabric to remove the stabilizer. Your design will stay in place, and the stabilizer will wash away!

Handcrafted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Woman Owned Business

At Approved Textiles, we make visible mending easy, beautiful, and accessible—whether you sew all the time or haven’t picked up a needle since grade school. Our water-soluble mending transfers are designed to extend the life of clothing while inviting creativity, slowness, and care. Inspired by repair traditions from around the world—like sashiko, kantha, and darning—each pattern is printed on a dissolvable wood-pulp stabilizer (no microplastics!) and packaged in compostable paper. Just press on, stitch through, and rinse away. We’re based on historic Fabric Row in Philadelphia and proud to be a queer- and trans-owned business rooted in sustainability, handwork, and storytelling.