For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers.
March Slice of Life Challenge Day 4: Mending
Later in the afternoon I mended a hole in my daughter's mittens:
What kind of shopping habits for clothing do you have? Are you an impulse shopper like me, with a closet full of garments with tags still on them? Do you consider what you really need and how long clothing will last before you buy it? Or are you mindful in any clothing you buy, examining the quality of fabrics and how it was made?
Although always on a strict budget, my grandma was amazing at only buying high quality clothing; she rarely bought new clothes unless it was absolutely necessary. She mended anything she could, including socks, sweaters, and jeans. Grandma always looked great (and she still does at nearly 95 years old).
As a kid, I rarely had new clothes. Most garments I owned were hand-me-downs from my brother or sister or clothes that my mom made. I loathed this. As soon as I made money from babysitting or working, I bought everything new. I rarely spent time to fix anything and purchased a lot of clothes that I didn't need.
Lately, I've been reading a book called Mending Matters. Author Katrina Rodabaugh describes a movement called Slow Fashion - being more mindful of shopping habits and being more intentional about what clothes to purchase, why and where to buy clothes, and how to chose garments that last. This book also teaches you how to repair clothing through artful patches and stitching - adding longevity and story to clothing.
If anyone needs to learn a few lesson from this book - it's me.
Actually, I love this idea. I want to be a better consumer of many things, including my clothing. Instead of impulse shopping, I could take the time to fix what we already own.
Recently I started setting aside what needs to be fixed in a mending basket instead of immediately donating clothes to charity. So far I have collected two pairs of jeans, a t-shirt and a shoulder bag that needs mending attention.
Yesterday I spent a few moments mending a few rips in my son's winter jacket. It felt good to do this. It looks better on him now, too.
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| My son's ripped jacket sleeve. |
Later in the afternoon I mended a hole in my daughter's mittens:
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| My daughter's ripped mitten thumb. |
As the author shares in Mending Matters on page 15, "When we spend time patching, stitching darning, or otherwise fixing torn fabrics, we ultimately deepen our understanding of quality, composition, and craftsmanship. Here's my motto: Just begin. Begin this journey with whatever skills you have today and trust that you will deepen your relationship to fashion as you continue. You'll improve techniques as you practice."
I bet my grandma will be pleased when I tell her about this.
I’ve approached fashion much the same way as you, Trina. But I tend to ruin clothes through staining or ripping in a place that can’t be mended, like the arm of an expensive dress. Still, I’m working to be more intentional in my clothing purchases. These days retirement guides my selections. If I can’t wear the item in retirement, I won’t buy it. I also only buy jewelry when I travel, so my accessories fill me w/ memories of experiences.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely checking out that book. I can see it finding its way into a persuasive speech. One of my favorites earlier this year was about fast fashion.
BTW: We’re on the same topic page today!
Yes, that book sounds fascinating, you've quoted some gems and I do think sewing brings a certain sense of satisfaction. Your grandma sounds great!
ReplyDeleteMending projects tend to sit around here and never get completed. I feel like it's simply not a skill I have, but your slice makes me rethink that assumption and suspect that it's simply one I need to develop.
ReplyDeleteI'm a mender and a patcher, but - oh! - my basket gets full and my children excel at putting holes in the knees of everything with knees. Still, I've gotten better (and quicker) over the years, and I love your motto. Think I might need to look into that book, too.
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