I really started to dive into mending during the pandemic, I found the slow work meditative and soothing during a time when everything felt out of control. It was one of the things I could dig into and lose myself in. I learned as I worked, the stitches giving me a rhythm and a physical thing that I could see the effects of my work. It afforded me the opportunity to play and experiment without a lot of judgement on what it looked like, happy accidents abounded. It was freeing to start a mend with a rough idea of how I was going to tackle it and improvise my way through. Each project a new opportunity to learn, and the beautiful abundance of my favorite thing about the internet, sharing processes and creativity. I found #mindfulmending #visiblemending on instagram and was hooked.

As I started to mend things for friends and family I got to stitch loving intention into the work, thinking of that individual as I created new fabric with needle and thread or yarn, once I figured out it’s better to try and mend socks with yarn rather than thread. Years later, I’m still mending, not always hand stitching or darning, I’ve gotten a lot of experience working with denim, crotch repairs in particular for jeans worn out by thick thighs and or cycling. Those I can patch with old jean scraps and all the zigzag stitches I can muster on my 1960s Singer.

Mending our things is a way to counter fast fashion and all the waste we experience in our daily lives. I started offering mending services in 2024 and look forward to growing my list of folks who care to repair the the things they already own. And if you want to try your hand at mending or find community in mending come join me every 2nd Monday of the Month 3-8PM for Mending Mondays!