Extend the shelf-life of your clothes for a sustainable cwtch lifestyle
Some clothes have a shorter shelf life than necessary because they need mending, repairing, or altering. This isn’t good for the environment or your pocket. Most people haven’t learned how to make the simplest repairs, like sewing on a button, darning a hole, covering a stubborn stain, or doing a hem. Paying someone is either too expensive, too much hassle, or inconvenient.
Super simple to learn
Repairing your clothes is empowering, and learning a new hobby is good for you; it’s de-stressing. Maybe you have a friend or relative who knows how to mend-darn-patch or watch YouTube videos. There are so many demonstrations on how to repair just about anything.
Tradition mending from Japan
Boro and sashiko are traditional Japanese mending techniques rooted in humble beginnings. The advantages are that you don’t need to know how to sew perfectly or have a sewing machine. All you need is a needle and thread. Boro was born out of necessity and dates back to Japan’s Edo period (1603-1867). The technique developed in poor communities without money or assets to buy new textiles, which at the time were extremely expensive.
The image is from the V&A. This garment is covered in repair stitches, layers, and patches. It’s a work of art.
They would repair their clothing and other household items with what was readily available: a needle, thread, and any piece of fabric to hand. With so few clothes to wear, the repair speed was quite important. They used a simple running stitch called unshin, resulting in purposefully uneven stitches. This mending was always visible, and as people became better off could afford the luxury of time and attention to detail. It became a form of expression where artisans could leave their personal mark.
Taking repairs to the next level
Today, mending is about making it visible, taking it to the next level, designed as a feature, and actually celebrating the repair. Extending the life of the garment and reducing its carbon footprint.
Joyful Mending or Mending with Love are two books on this subject that provide step-by-step instructions. I am not affiliated with these two links; they are just suggestions. There are many other books that cover the subject.
Visible mending communicates and normalizes sustainability. Breathe new life into your favourite clothes.
Small initial layout
Supplies for repairing and darning clothes are easy to come by, and the initial layout is small. You don’t need to buy a sewing machine unless you want to.
Various size needles for sewing and darning.
Pins, safety pins, sewing threads of various colours, a selection of cotton embroidery threads known as floss, and heavy cotton thread. I also use a variety of wool yarns and strong cotton yarns.
Two sharp pairs of scissors, one small and one normal size.
A collection of odd buttons in all sorts of colours, a wooden darning mushroom. If you don’t have a darning mushroom, you can improvise. A lid from a jar or a lid from a round ceramic trinket container, a large smooth pebble, a small embroidery hoop, and the pestle from the pestle and mortar set. I have used all sorts in the past, depending on the size of the darn. Recently, while repairing a large area of a pair of jeans, I placed a table mat under the repair.
Various fabric scraps, possibly from clothes you will no longer wear. You will need a thimble for those thicker fabrics, a fabric marker (temporary water-soluble or disappears with heat) and a ruler.
Depending on what you will repair, you might want to add embellishments like beads or lace.
Many of these items can be found in charity shops, on eBay, or bought new at craft or hobby stores.
Practice simple repairs before moving on to your favourite clothes and enjoy your new rewarding hobby.
“Kintsugi “golden joinery,” the beautiful art of repairing broken ceramics.
