Can I make ? Am I a maker ? How much practice and talent does it take to be creative with my mends ? Creativity is practice of a process and a mindset. It has to be learnt, doesn’t it ?
I always found embroidery rather superficial and the craft rather pretentious. ( Sorry mom.) It often ruins the Pu. Mends are a kind of embroidery that I appreciate. They belong on the garment. There is nothing superficial about a mend.
A mend may sit on the surface of the object, but it’s a transformation. The transformation isn’t entirely on the object being fixed but rather on the person doing the fixing.
Repair inspires creativity and skill building. Outfits and shopping often inspires consumerism.
After my first repair, something deep inside me changed. It’s given me a certain confidence. It’s created an emotional connection with the garment I mended. It’s created a different kind of relationship garments that would have looked stale to my eyes.
These past years have me doing not much other than “being woke”. I called out fast fashion. I “cancelled people” who promoted fast fashion. I spewed facts to people comfortably seated in renovated dining rooms. We all nodded, went shopping in some very expensive stores and patted ourselves on our backs. Looking back, was that in the spirit of slow fashion ?
Slow fashion = { minimalism + sustainable living } + { mindful consumption } + { well-made + well-worn} + {abandonment of seeking perfection } + { well-mended + well-repurposed } + { acceptance of transience } + { a salute to life } ++ { climate action } .
A revolution, not tweaks.
A better world, not business as usual.
Not woke-ness, but action.
My love of fashion was initially all about consumerism. I then tried to channel it towards outfits with what I own. The more you have, the easier it is to make cool outfits. It didn’t solve the problem. The gaze then shifted to the craft that goes into making the garments. It was a great space to be in. I got my fashion fix. I could taste the creativity. I could read about the artists. It helped me out. I didn’t just love fashion. I was in love with fashion and consuming much less than before. Now, I want to create something of my own. The natural patina is beautiful. But I want to create my own patina. Seeing and wearing isn’t enough. I want to act. “Craft of Use” is the sustainable solution.
Is it okay that my heart aches for this idea that I don’t fully comprehend nor know how to implement ? I am learning to mend my clothes. Every hole my clothes make as they wear is an opportunity. I have many waiting their turn. When the snow falls and we are locked in, I pledge to practice mending.
What has been your sartorial inspiration lately ? What are you up to ? Are you a mender ? Are you a maker ? Are you creative ?
I’m currently working on a lining for my everyday bag. It is a big, beautiful bag made with surplus leather that would otherwise go to waste. Every piece of leather the makes pick is only enough for one big bag or other small designs. After my previous big, everyday bag became too boxy and formal and also small I chose the model and leather for this one and I love it. It is good for traveling too, it is well made, resistant, beautiful and fits everything BUT the lack of lining has annoyed me since the beginning… I made it and added a pocket. Now I need to hand sew them together. It gives me so much joy having it more like I want it to be.
(but tonight I mended a small hole in my pajamas-turned pilates shirt. No big accomplishments here :).
What a good idea! Modifying your objects to be just how you like them always feels so satisfying. Did you use an awl to sew into the leather? I’m interested in working with leather but it seems quite different from fabric in some ways.
I really wish I knew more, but I am here sitting with my only needle and some random thread I bought last month. The pictures here are from expert menders. ( See credits for source. )
Ho Anna! I decided to sew the lining to the zipper. I think it’ll be ok since there’s not much tension, and it was easy to do than sew onto the leather 🙂
My mum taught me basic sewing skills and I learned more during Home Economics in middle school. I can mend the simple stuff, like when my skirt got torn or loose shirt buttons. One of my canvas tote bags got a small hole from a friend’s cigarette, I patched it up with a blue cloth scrap from my mum’s stash. I don’t think I am being creative by doing stuff like this, it’s just practical.
I’ve always done a lot of customization of my clothing—cutting things up and sewing them back together was a favorite hobby in middle and high school—and that skill set lent itself well to small mends. I also started darning knits a few years ago, and I still find it challenging to get the weight of the thread to match the weight of the fabric and keep it from pulling or puckering. It’s certainly an art. The intimidating variety of mending I hope to move into next is fixing electronics. (I have no knowledge at all in this area so it freaks me out!)
Thank you for being a sustainable blogging voice that actually questions consumerism. I’ve been getting frustrated with all of the voices ostensibly touting sustainability or minimalism while buying and promoting so much stuff. Its antithetical! And good strength for your mending. It’s a wonderful thing!
I struggle with needing excess too. But the fashion blogs are quite unhinged and I dont find them helpful at all with my personal goals. I do not want to see an endless stream of outfits and need the same. I do not want to know whats new in stores and want the same. I dont know how any of this is helping and whom. Maybe we all fall in shades of green and its helpful for folks who are on the deep end ?
I have a huge pile of clothes that need mending. I am am frankly quite embarrassed to take them all to a tailor and pay 10$ per hole. I should be able to do this by myself.
I mended many of my wool socks, first darning, then patching (cut up an unsalvageable wool sock for the patches) and it looks like I’ll have to patch some of them again. I like mending but obviously am not very good at it, but I think that will come with time. One thing I realized is that I should have started darning earlier, before defects got too large.