Mending What Can Be Mended

Sometimes, no matter how much you wish you could, you can’t fix something. It can be a relationship you can't seem to repair, no matter how hard you try. It can be big world problems that are overwhelming and entirely out of your control. 

So many things in life can go wrong, and they can suck you down into despair if you aren’t vigilant. There are ways you can mitigate the whirlpool: limit your consumption of social media, limit how often you watch or read the news, and take care with whom you choose to spend your time. 

One amazing ability of arts and crafts is to uplift us when we’re struggling. We can draw or paint what we’re feeling and put it on paper or canvas so we no longer have to carry it. We can also mend a loved article of clothing or bedding to gain a sense of accomplishment and its continued usefulness rather than letting it go.

Mending presents an opportunity to personalize our wardrobe and personal space. It also extends the life of the things we love, reduces the waste going into landfills, and boosts our warm and fuzzy feelings by taking a small positive step toward reversing climate change. 

I am no sewing expert. However, I will happily point you to Bernadette Banner (https://www.youtube.com/@bernadettebanner). Her enthusiasm for historical hand sewing and slow fashion triggered my inner sewist. If YouTube isn’t your thing, she has also written a helpful handsewist’s guidebook, “Make, Sew, and Mend,” available at a bookseller near you.

I also highly recommend “Mending Matters” by Katrina Rodabaugh. She provides easy project examples, simple supplies, and some sound advice, which I will paraphrase for you now: “Begin where you are.” Use what supplies you have, use the knowledge and skills you possess, and do not listen to any small voice telling you reasons not to try. 

From the images shared in my Quilt Mending Project, you'll find that I do not have an extraordinary talent for sewing. But I love every uneven stitch because I made them. I use materials that mean something to me when I can to add even more personality.

The Dog does not wish to wait to use the finished quilt.

The quilt in the project is one The Mister and I purchased after our wedding. We loved it so much that many areas of the fabric have worn through. There are also many holes for which we can thank several of our pets (past and present). 

It isn’t a very high-quality quilt, which has reduced its longevity. We weren’t as aware then as we are now of fast fashion and the damage businesses can do to the environment and other populations through cost-cutting. (Do bed clothes have fast fashion trends?) 

I can reduce the negative impact of our younger selves' poor decision-making by keeping this quilt in use as long as possible. Once finished, it will benefit from being warmer and having more personality and unique character than any other. It boosts my mental health during a long and frigid winter. It also feels nice whenever The Mister asks if it’s ready to use.