One of my library books that arrived last week I saw mentioned on a blog and actually know whose blog it was, which makes a change.
Angela at Tracing Rainbows said it was interesting even if you weren't planning to do any darning.
The Art of Repair by Molly Martin was published in 2021 and is about the history of darning including in other countries like Japan which has many different names for different types of mending.
'Part how-to guide, part manifesto - a gentle exhortation that encourages us to reconnect with our damaged belongings and ourselves.' TOAST magazine
For Molly Martin, it all started with a pair of socks. Her favourite pair. When the heels became threadbare, her mother got out her darning mushroom and showed her how to reinforce the thinning stitches and bring them back to life. She has been stitching and darning ever since.
In The Art of Repair, Molly explores the humble origins of repair and how the act of mending a cherished item carefully by hand offers not just a practical solution but nourishment for the soul. Using her own beautiful illustrations, she guides us through the basics of the craft - from piecing and patching to the ancient Japanese art of Sashiko.
This book will stay with you long after you put down your needle and thread. It offers an antidote to our increasingly disposable lifestyle, encouraging us to reconnect not just with the everyday objects in our environment but also with ourselves.
I used to do lots of mending and darning - especially Col's welly-boot socks, jeans and the cuffs of shirts. Now my darning mushrooms sit unused............not sure how I have two............. because very few things need repair - I don't even remember the last time I sewed on a button.
Angela was right - it was an interesting little book.
But definitely a library book to read and return. Even for a mender like myself, I enjoyed reading it but did not want to own/keep it.
ReplyDeleteIt will be on it's way back to the library very soon - but it was an interesting read
DeleteThat book is on my tbr list too, since Ang mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it too
DeleteMy mum always ensured we looked after our clothes, she would insist we hang, fold and pack away everything, it's a habit I always stick to, quality clothes often last for years. I don't mend anything more than a button, by the time wear shows I'm ready to stop wearing it.
ReplyDeleteI still wear the oldest clothes at home for years. Good clothes for out and change when I get in - just like School Uniform days!
DeleteYes, what start off as best jeans go through round the house, gardening and then finally rags for polishing, or best bits saved to mend other jeans . . .
DeleteIt’s always nice to see skills like these, in some ways it’s an art form.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Especially the Japanese ways of mending with gold
DeleteI've just sewn a hanging loop on OH's fleece, but apart from buttons, split seams and name tapes for granddaughter's school clothes, I hardly do any mending these days, but like Poppypatchwork, I was always told to put my clothes away every night. Xx
ReplyDeleteSewing Brownie badges on uniforms for granddaughters was my most recent sewing.
DeleteI don't do much to damage my clothes nowadays - not like smallholding days
The book sounds interesting, especially the various techniques used to mend/patch are fascinating to me. That said, I've never mended or patched anything. I have no skill.
ReplyDeleteWhen my Irish wool woven jacket needed a repair, I found a woman specializing in Irish weave repairs. She did a spectacular job.
How good to find an expert for mending - good to hear there are still people who can do these things
DeleteI'm the darner / repairer / alteration expert in our family. Granddaughter wears a school uniform (not all schools do over here) and it frequently needs repairs. The tunic is so expensive they get handed down from one family to another, and one we scored for free needed many repairs - which I thoroughly enjoyed doing. OH wears his jerseys until they are very holey, and so I'm an expert on them too - because he will not throw them away! There's an art to repairing, part of which is choosing the correct materials. Fortunately I have a gazillion.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try and find that book too, would be interesting/ useful for me to read.
ReplyDeleteI used to do a lot of decorative needlework like cross stitch and tapestry but have pivoted in recent years to really enjoying mending and darning. There feels to be much more purpose to it. I am not particularly adept but I have patched, darned, sewn on buttons, needle felted small holes in woollen jumpers etc. This is insanely satisfying. I also change from 'out' clothes to 'home' clothes and wear them for many years. I also mend household items.
Penny