Hanne Darboven: Visible Mending Transfers

Hanne Darboven transformed numbers, dates, and time into intricate, repeating grids, showing that discipline and structure can create quiet poetry. Her work reminds us that repetition is not monotony—it is rhythm, accumulation, and care. This transfer set draws on her geometric logic to create mending designs that use repetition to reinforce fabric while adding visual texture. Each stitch becomes a deliberate act, turning repair into both practice and pattern.

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!

---

Hanne Darboven (1941–2009) was a pioneering German conceptual artist celebrated for her monumental installations that visualized the passage of time. After moving to New York in the mid-1960s, she befriended leading minimalists like Sol LeWitt and developed a unique "writing" system based on numerical calculations derived from calendar dates. Her sprawling works often consist of thousands of individually framed pages covered in rhythmic, handwritten digits and wave-like lines that she described as "writing without describing."

In the late 1970s, she expanded her practice to include "mathematical music," translating her numerical systems into musical scores for chamber orchestras and organs. Throughout her prolific career, Darboven remained dedicated to exploring the intersection of personal experience, collective memory, and the relentless, objective flow of history.

---

These mending patterns are a love letter to the artists who move us—not replicas, but stitches inspired by their spirit. We believe their genius extends far beyond the canvas, into the way we see, create, and repair the world around us. While our designs are original interpretations, they wouldn’t exist without the brilliance of Hanne Darboven and her enduring influence.