My! We are Giveaway Central at the moment! And this isn’t even the last one, so do stay tuned.
It’s an exciting day when the book you’ve contributed to arrives. You open it at your page to feel a surge of recognition followed by mingled joy and disbelief. Small wonder that authors often refer to books as their children; the parallels with gazing at your own baby for the first time are obvious. Though I’m not really the parent here. More of a distant cousin. Anyway, that happy day came a few weeks ago when my contributor’s copy of Mend it Better (subtitled Creative Patching, Darning, and Stitching) by Kristin M. Roach plopped onto the doormat.
I was delighted to be picked for inclusion in Mend it Better back in the spring of 2011 because mending is a subject very close to my heart. There are issues on which the world divides cleanly into two mutually exclusive halves. We have the lovers and the haters of marmite, the watchers and the non-watchers of The Apprentice, and then we have the menders and the non-menders. It seems that you either get the concept of mending, thrift, recycling, conservation etc or you don’t. Long ago I had a very interesting discussion with a friend who didn’t get it at all; in fact, she found people who upturn their washing-detergent bottles (in order to extract that last little drop) positively repugnant: “cheese-paringly mean” was, I think, the term she used. As a fairly compulsive bottle-drainer myself, I felt a little jarred by the strength of her feelings on this point. I can’t quite remember how the conversation progressed from there, but there was probably a tumble-weed moment.
The rift between the two camps can be explained (at least partially) by the moral high-ground implicitly adopted by the thrifty, possibly imagined by the non-thrifty and felt by them as an unspoken rebuke. Most of us really don’t like shoulds and musts and uncomfortable being-told- what- to- dos, even if they are not actually uttered. Sometimes the mere presence of people doing-the-right-thing is enough to set off the won’t-do-it-and-you-cant-make-mes. Back in the old days, we used to call this ‘conscience’. Me, I quite like conscience. I think it can be telling us something useful. But I digress.
Into the gaping chasm between the thrifty and resolutely non-thrifty ( I see it rather like the Grand Canyon!) Kristin M. Roach rides, cheerfully a-whistlin’ a tune. Her panniers are full of jaunty calico iron-on patches, prettily painted darning eggs, shiny skeins of embroidery silk and boundless enthusiasm. With these she can charm the birds from the trees (or do I mean cacti?) and persuade even the most militant non-mender that mending might be OK. Fun even.
The first thing that strikes you about Kristin’s book is how neat and tidy it is. The small scale — just 18.5cms x 21cms — is genuinely handy, perfect to slip into the mending bag. It’s purse-friendly too at just $18.95/£12.99. The book is laid out very appealingly; check out the perky appliqué fabric-letter graphics and the vintage sewing effects peppered throughout. This pretty book functions beautifully as a call-to-mend, with joy and creativity the main flavour and just the subtlest hint of virtue as an after-taste. As Kristin’s site says, ‘With Mend It Better, every garment and fabric repair is a chance for self-expression and fabulous creations.’ Yeah, the creativity card might just win it!
Title page
And now for the nitty gritty:
Who is the author? Kristin M. Roach lives in Ames Iowa, is a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Northern Illinois University) and she started writing her blog Craft Leftovers in 2006 as a way of keeping on top of her craft supplies — using up what she had rather than buying new. It’s a great source of inspiration for making the best of what’s already to hand.
What’s in the book? After a sweet introduction (in which Kristin pays homage to the significant sewing females in her family) there’s a brief foray through the evolution of sewing (which is possibly extra to requirements but enjoyable all the same) before Kristin tackles the basics. How do you assess if a piece is worth saving? What do you need in your essential mending tool kit? This includes instructions for a mending bag and upcycled tool clutch (see below). What basic stitches will you need? – both hand and machine. These can then be practised to make a cute needle book.
Mend it Better contents page
Next come all sorts of inspirational projects, each setting out a particular method or type of repair. As well as showing her own makeovers, Kristin has curated often bold and inspirational mends from other crafters, including Susan Beal, Rachel Beyer, Deb Cory, Carina Envoldsen-Harris, Crispina ffrench, Jennifer Forest, Diane Gilleland, Pam Harris, Marisa Lynch, Francesca Mueller, Cal Patch, Stacie Wick and Sherri Lynn Wood. Additional contributors are Caitlin Stevens Andrews, Maja Blomqvist, Cathie Jo, Ágnes Palkó, Megan Pederson, Leah Peterson, Jamie Smith, and Yours Truly. Areas covered include: patchwork (including Leah Peterson’s gorgeous reverse applique shown below), seam fixes, secret pockets, clever ways to adjust hems, waistband repairs, darning (by hand and machine, and an ingenious way to make your own darning egg using a wooden egg and a Shaker-style peg), fasteners, zip replacements, handling fancy fabrics, and decorative embellishments (including applying beads round a moth hole to create a flower motif).
Who will the book work best for? Kristin has clearly worked hard to make this an inclusive book, and I think it will work both for the absolute sewing newbie (who needs guidance through even basic stitches) and the more seasoned sewist (who can flip past that). Because it’s aiming to appeal to a wide audience, it crosses into the territory of some broader sewing manuals (such as this excellent one from Ruth Singer), but mostly includes what is relevant. I fear that it would frustrate someone expecting to find a lot of fancy hand-stitches as the ones included are fairly basic. I love the first few sewing projects which include a bag to hold your mending (upcycled from a damaged tablecloth) and a mending kit to hold your scissors, needles, marking gauges etc (upcycled from a felted sweater). Kristin conceived it as a book you can dip in and out of as necessary, whether you want to sew on a button or fit a hidden pocket.
Most inspiring mends? For me, it’s the reverse appliqué patching. I also liked the machine-darned jeans on the opposite page. Both are beautiful. There are a few other mends featured which go well beyond the purely practical and are aptly described as devotional. I also loved the crocheted sock darning done with oddments of yarn. It looks stunning, appears to be very robust, and I can’t wait to give it a try.
Mends by Leah Peterson and Jamie Smith
I must mention in passing that though I really loved Kristin’s make-your-own darning egg project (using a wooden egg and that Shaker peg) which she includes because she says they’re hard to find in the US, darning mushrooms etc are fairly commonplace over here in the UK. You can also buy vintage ones at a certain Etsy store.
My contribution to the book was a mended apron (which you can see over on my In Print page). It wasn’t done for the book – can’t you tell? – but was a favourite of mine I’d fixed. It’s not what I’d call exciting but its mother loves it. And that’s one of the points Kristin makes; unless very ragged, something is worthy of fixing if you happen to cherish it, for whatever reason.
We may be stuck with a pretty dodgy economy for some time, and I doubt that spending our way out of it will be the answer — wasn’t that what got us all into this mess in the first place? Most of us will have to tighten our belts and take our dose of thrift as palatably as possible. Happily, Mend it Better helps the medicine slide down.
OK, I’m convinced. Where can I buy it? Look for it at your local bookshop, and please ask, if you can’t find it. If you’re within spitting distance of me, I have a few copies available so email me. If you’re a bookstore or making establishment in the UK and would like to stock copies, get in touch with Melia Publishing Servcies. You can also get a signed copy direct from Kristin.
And finally to the giveaway! I’m really thrilled that the nice people at Storey Publishing (here’s their Facebook page, by the way) have offered to send a FREE copy of Mend it Better to one of my fortunate readers. The offer applies to readers in the US and UK only so if you’re hoping to learn to mend elsewhere, I’m sorry to disappoint. To enter, please leave a comment below. You can tell me what you have that needs mending, if you wish. A detached button? A tear to a precious dress? The knees of your favourite jeans? I’d also love to hear about any encounters you’ve had with the non-mending, thrift-intolerant portion of the population. But there’s no right answer, and a winner will be picked entirely at random. Entries close at midnight on Sunday 1st April, and the winner announced here on the blog on Monday 2nd April. Good luck!
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I need to sew buttons back on a few things.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
Me too, Melody!
So many beautiful things can be made from old fabrics, buttons, etc., that no-one ever need buy anything new ever again! Cant wait to get my hands on this book!
I am fascinated by the ‘gaping chasm between the thrifty and the resolutely unthrifty’ that you describe so poetically and think it important to distinguish between being thrifty out of choice and being so out of necessity. I see examples of both camps in my extended family with each at times claiming the moral high ground! The different outlooks are epitomized in two, very dear, relatives – now in their eighties – who each grew up in poor households, each were evacuated during the war, to less than kindly hosts, and each of whom has enjoyed a comfortable income in adult life. Over the decades, Ron has continued to ‘make do and mend’ and to be extremely careful with money. He hoards anything that might be useful to make into or repair something else, is a great DIYer and vegetable gardener, loves to potter around markets and charity shops in search of an interesting bargain (he always wore charity shop suits in his professional life) and is quite scathing of people who automatically turn to ‘shop bought’ goods and services. Elsie, on the other hand, buys the best she can afford of everything and seems to find the idea of second hand or homemade to be distasteful, or even insulting. She has always hated cooking and needlecrafts and her reaction to any breakage is ‘never mind – making a new one provides work for someone’. Another relative, who takes a similar approach, explained that, whilst she diligently recycles all that her local council will collect and donates all her unwanted goods to charity shops, as she doesn’t need to shop there herself, she feels it wrong to do so and that she should leave them to those who cannot afford to go elsewhere. As for me? I have a loft full of ‘stuff’ and get a real kick out of mending and making. My sixteen-year-old son and his friend are going to a fancy dress party tomorrow evening and have asked me to help them make their costumes, as they don’t want to go in anything ‘generic’, and I’m thrilled at the prospect!
What beautiful examples of the differing responses to wartime deprivation, Cornelia! I certainly recognise those two types, the one embracing thrift, the other moving on and away from it to perhaps a more expansive approach. Both are quite understandable reactions to growing up without much (even without loving family surrounding them), and I so appreciate your taking the time to describe them so carefully. I suspect that many of us will have to re-learn habits of thrift, and I wonder how easily younger people (who have known only relative plenty and disposability) will take to it. We've moved so far away from the concept of cutting one's suit according to one's cloth! I can just about remember the 3-day week in the 1970s when it wasn't unusual to go to bed by candlelight, which seems bizarre, in retrospect – a bit of an adventure, as I remember it. Blue Peter had us making things out of old washing-up bottles, of course, so perhaps my ongoing urge to clean them out stems more from my desire to get hold of the raw materials for those TV makes rather than from genuine thrift!
My thrift response is probably more complex than I've let on, because I do like to sprinkle on a liberal dose of luxury here and there. For instance, that Liberty fabric (featured in my last post) is expensive stuff (retailing about about £22 a metre) though I try to pick up ends of rolls and scrap bags and to make the most of just a little. That said, I definitely hoard (ditto full attic!) so suspect I have a squirrel or two in my family tree somewhere. Is there a hoarding gene, I wonder?
We could also have an interesting discussion about the various responses to needlecrafts over recent generations. Leavning men to one side for a moment and just addressing women, for my mother's generation (who was about the age of the people you describe, or slightly older) sewing and needlecrafts represented tradition menial female tasks in an enforced domestic setting, or possibly within a low-paid factory, and she had no appetite for them at all. It was almost the same for me growing up in the '70s, now I come to think of it, though the patchwork revival (a la Laura Ashley) was already giving handicrafts a different, more liberated feel. However, Domestic Science was only something you did at school if you couldn't manage something more academic. I hope that isn't still the case.
I'm delighted that your son wants to make his costume! How wonderful! Getting boys and men sewing is another subject I'm fascinated by. Do come back and let me know how you all get on with that fancy dress!
Well, the sewing session was quite brief, as were the costumes, as the boys decided to both be Tarzan! – the party theme was 'jungle'. They ended up wearing, what were essentially, mini skirts, made from pieces of scrap fabric in shades of brown! They went off very pleased with themselves while I had a quiet night in with my knitting, and then returned in the small hours with several friends who slept in a mass, like puppies, on our futon! He is so different from me as a teenager. I was very shy, threw myself into the 70's crafts revival and, though I wouldn't have admitted it, would probably have been happier spending a Saturday night in with my knitting than blush my way through a party, even then!
I can see that for our generation, many crafts have been a matter of choice and creativity and therefore a pleasure, rather than the enforced, low status, chore that your mother found needlecrafts to be. As well as knitting as a teenager, I did patchwork, made bobbin lace and gained an O'level in weaving. I have appreciated textiles ever since and quite understand why you love Tana lawn. I agree about trying to make the most of little pieces – I am hoarding some small scraps of Liberty fabric left over from when I cut a handkerchief out of the centre of my old shower cap after the lining perished! I'm wondering if it would be possible to use them to patch my favourite coat. It is purple boiled wool with beaded pockets and I bought it in East about six years ago. I also have a lovely silk blouse that I foolishly wore over a fine jumper, even though I knew it was a bit too tight, and heard a horrible ripping noise coming form my armpit when I stretched up to reach something from a high shelf! The fabric is very fragile but it's a beautiful shirt and I would love to give it a new lease of life.
yes! bring back mending I say! much less wasteful. anyhow, I do have a mending bag, and I try to tackle it periodically. at the moment it has some handmade by me socks in it, as they are showing signs of wear and I need to darn them. very boring!
I've noticed a change in my spending habits as I get older. Partly because, as you say, the economy has not been Team Happyplace's friend for the last few years and partly because I hate clothes shopping. Who hasn't walked into a clothes shop and had their heart sink to their boots at the racks and racks of man-made fibre cheap as chips stuff? So these days when I buy I buy better. Better quality, better fabrics – things that are worthy of the time and effort to mend. My favourite jeans have been dyed twice to keep them at their original French navy best, but the knees are going now, they remain the most flattering garment my bottom has ever known and I'm not parting with them yet. Ditto the worn out elbows on the lovely Kiwi's favourite jumpers – which if I can't find a fix-it for them will soon find themselves in my 'to be felted' pile.
I love your comments on seeing the book come to life, as a former editor I always considered myself the midwife of the book production process. From the gently encouraging 'you can do it, you're doing great!' to 'PUUUUUUUSSSSSHHHH dammit!' at the late-delivery of manuscript stage. It's always a marvel that it's taken shape, leapt off the computer screen and become a real, live book!
Great post – the book looks wonderful!
I so agree about avoiding the regular high-street clothes-buying experience, Helen! And,yes, you can often find things of wonderful quality which would otherwise be unaffordable – I'd never buy cashmere new.
Your jeans story is lovely; I'd never thought of redyeing them. How clever! When they're finally on their last legs, maybe you could attempt to make new ones using the old as a template? There's a great tutorial somewhere. Will give you the link, if I can find it again.
Mend it Better has some nice ideas for worn sweater elbows, btw, like a reverse applique patch from contrast t-shirt fabric. A nice twist on the usual hidden mend, it makes the repair more of a feature and looks great. With your patchworker's eye, you'd make a lovely job of that.
Ah, where would we all be without midwives! – book or otherwise. And both are almost entirely fuelled by chocolate biscuits, as I recall. 🙂
Needle felting (incredibly easy) is a great way to repair holes in jumpers. I just googled for sites and found this quick tutorial which not only mends the hole but also creates a unique decoration:
http://goodknits.com/blog/2011/11/28/patch-up-you…
Also great for mending holes at elbows – heart elbow patches:
http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-elbow-patch/
Lovely suggestions! Thanks Alison!
I've noticed a change in my spending habits as I get older. Partly because, as you say, the economy has not been Team Happyplace's friend for the last few years and partly because I hate clothes shopping. Who hasn't walked into a clothes shop and had their heart sink to their boots at the racks and racks of man-made fibre cheap as chips stuff? So these days when I buy I buy better. Better quality, better fabrics – things that are worthy of the time and effort to mend. My favourite jeans have been dyed twice to keep them at their original French navy best, but the knees are going now, they remain the most flattering garment my bottom has ever known and I'm not parting with them yet. Ditto the worn out elbows on the lovely Kiwi's favourite jumpers – which if I can't find a fix-it for them will soon find themselves in my 'to be felted' pile.
I try hard to mend things, only thing is I know have a pile of things that need mending. Mainly my other half's work clothes…
Yes, me too. Can be hard to find the right moment.
Oh Id love a copy. :O)
Good luck, Kiwijo!
What a lovely little book! Would love the chance to win. I love make do and mend, thrifting and re-cycleing so out would be perfect for me! At the moment I have buttons that desperatly need sewing back on my favorite coat and my little dog also tends to make alot of mending work for me 🙂 fingers crossed x
Ah, I have a button to sew back on a coat too. And my cat seems to be in cahoots with your dog to create mending – the arms of the sofa's loose covers are her scratching posts. Good luck, Em!
My Grandma Eva taught me to darn socks. It wasn't fun!. I'll mend most things but I just refuse to mend socks … good job I don't knit them!
Great giveaway!
I so understand! Enforced childhood mending doesn't sound fun. Good luck in the draw!
I always fix my clothes until they can't be fixed, then repurpose any part that's still useful. Right now I've got a pillow on my bed that's made out of a T-shirt I bought in 1996. My wife is stunned while I actually let something go.
Impressive! I can see you mending and repurposing with a vengeance if you win, Jason. Good luck!
Congratulations on being in print 🙂
I have a lot of socks that need mending from the men in my life who both walk heavily through them. i even have my nan's old darning thingy to do it with. Now I only need to mend my ways and actually repair them!
Thanks Claire! You've supplied the best pun so far! Did your nan have a darning egg or a darning mushroom? I've wrecked my favourite socks too. I blame going slipperless round the house. Good luck in the draw!
What a lovely post and well done on being part of it. I’m loving the sound of this book. It made me think of patchwork quilters and using every last bit of fabric.
Once I have no use for something, or acquire odd bits of fabric (like the net sometimes around bouquets) it makes it to my material box. Last week my prospective daughter in law and I had fun looking through it for suitable bits for wedding bunting. Not quite mending but definitely making do.
As well as being extraordinarily useful, this book also sounds to me like a celebration of women’s work over the years, the ‘silent work’ that usually goes unnoticed. As such, I am wondering if I should review it for my own site!
Congratulations! I hope the book is a huge success! Jane
I'm sure you're right, Jane. Mending – like so many acts of care and love – is most conspicuous in its absence. How much we owe our mothers and grandmothers! One thing I like about this book is the talking-point mends which shout 'I'm fixed! LOOK at me!!' so at least the mender may get a mention. Good luck in the draw!
Brilliant post, Eirlys! I found the discussion on the rift between the thrifty and non-thrifty particularly interesting. I think it also sums up the gulf between recyclers/environmentalists and those who just don't get it. Not sure what the answer is except to try and make it fun, as you suggest.
Yeah, fun helps a lot. 🙂 Good luck in the draw, Alison!
as you know i love to recycle and am passionate about using up every last scrap of fabric. i also like to refashion but i am guilty of having an ever growing mending pile. not for want of doing the repairs but mostly as i am busy sewing for others. i did however mend one of my fav t.shirts just last night. mending to me represents not only thrift but also of care and respect. i do regulary mend my husbands jeans… it's his big thighs you see, he is always splitting the seams! anyway sorry to leave you with that image.. and please do add my name to the giveaway as the book looks delightful! and congratulations for being included too.
ginny xx
p.s. also a fan of reverse applique x
A woman after my own heart! I My husband managed to split his jeans too but swears it was a manufacturing fault. 😉 Your name is in the hat, Ginny. Good luck and happy mending!!
Wow gorgeous book!
My lovely mother has holes in some beautiful sweaters at the elbows. She wants me to patch them up for her so that she can have them see her out of her end days (she’s 84!).
Myself? I have jeans that need patching up, I have a gorgeous tea dress in 40s style that could so benefit from the seams being re-inforced and a couple of patches here and there that the moths sadly got to.
I’d love to have the book and be able to use it to help me mend things that I never want to wear out!
Prolonging your lovely mother's comfortable (and comforting) clothing – what a beautiful thought, Mulene. I am sure you can rescue your jeans, and your tea dress from the ravages of those moths. Wishing you the best of luck in the draw!
got a problem with putting bias binding around a handbag im making =( it is at a standstill as im onlt starting out
Hmm, sounds tricky, Aileen. Hope you figure it out. Meanwhile, good luck with the draw!
My favourite bag which I was given for my birthday a couple of years ago needs mending – it's a beautiful velvet handmade bag, but the handle has come apart at the seems, no matter how I sew it I can't seem to get it to stay fixed for long. Perhaps this wonderful book has some suggestions for me? ^_^
Sounds like a lovely bag and certainly worth persisting with. Maybe you need stronger thread?
What do I have that does not need mending is the bigger question? I do have a lovely marled grey turtleneck wool sweater that could clearly be nursed back to health if only it's elbows were to be contiguous fabric once again. A precious cashmere with an unfortunate nick of unknown origin. Who knows what else lurks in the large pile, threatening to take over a significant portion of my bedroom's real estate…. gee, do I ever need this book!
Oh, the book should certainly be able to help you, Jennifer! Great elbow suggestions in there.
Socks, stocking and sweaters. Hems and darts. Aaack. I'm realizing I need this book to even know if some of this stuff CAN be mended.
Yes, it'll help you sort your mendables from your unmendables, for sure. Good luck in the draw, Cathie Sue!
We knitted socks this year; now I need to learn how to mend them!
Exactly, Andrea! When you've put all that work into making them, you really feel motivated to fix them too, huh? This book has an amazing crochet mend which would work well on a knitted sock.
Congratulations, Andrea! You won! My youngest pulled your name from his bowler hat this morning – the pics are over on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrapiana/7038303897… Please drop me a line at eirlysATscrapianaDOTcom with your address so that the book can be mailed to you.
This book looks fantastic – I've added it to my Amazon wishlist just in case I don't snag this one. 😉 I've got a sock darning stack to deal with, which I swore I was going to finish over the Christmas holidays. Sigh. It just takes too long and isn't very exciting – I'm very intrigued by this crochet darning technique! I do have a vintage darning mushroom, which I keep meaning to blog about, and that's just about the only good thing about sock darning.
Despite my darning despair, I am with you on the mending / re-using – things just aren't made to last anymore, and we've been trained to just toss something out over something as minor as a tiny hem tear. I volunteer at a charity shop warehouse, sorting donations, and sometimes I just can't imagine why those nearly-new things were discarded. Sigh. I always think, what would Ma Ingalls say about that waste?! 🙂
And on a completely different note – you're such a beautiful writer! I love reading your posts. I just wanted to mention that. 🙂
Aw, Julie, you're very kind about my burbling. Thank you.
Well, we have a veritable sock mountain between us all, huh? I'm not sure why we're all so daunted by fixing socks, but we are. Knowing your expertise with embroidery, I predict you'll take to darning like a fish to water. And you will simply LOVE the crochet technique! Good luck with the draw. 🙂
I love mending ! My next mending chore is a favorite pair of jeans whose front pocket has blown out. I’m going through my scrap stash to find the perfect bright fabrics to use to remake the pocket. Please enter my name I the book give away.
Ooh, that sounds good, Judy. I've done a sashiko mend on one jeans knee (interesting!) and need to repair its twin. Good luck in the draw!
I can make and create things, but not so good on the mending. This little book looks so inspiring. Your review of it is also lovely and so well written 🙂
It's a sweet book, Tamsyn. With your creativity, you'd run with the mending, I have no doubt. All the best with the draw!
I've inherited a darning mushroom, would love to be able to use it properly! This book looks like a delight.
I'm trying to mend a cord jacket I love as the lining shrunk back in the washing machine (even though it was machine washable) and ripped. It's taking a long time!
What a fabulous book : )
It’s my husband and son’s trousers that always need patching but I’m always interested in learning new ways to make do and mend! Looks like a great book!
I mend knees on my jeans, and also my dog toys! Would love to learn more about darning socks. Why is it that my favorite Paris always get holes? Fingers crossed.