The new book Joyful Mending: Visible Repairs for the Perfectly Imperfect Things We Love by Noriko Misumi shows us practical and creative ways to give stained, torn, or moth-eaten garments a functional and charming new life. No need to toss an otherwise fine sweater or scarf: repair and embellish them however you like.
If you are shifting toward a more environmentally-friendly life, also see 5 Handy Zero Waste Kitchen Ideas to Reduce Plastics.
Giving Favorite Clothes New Life
These images from Joyful Mending by Noriko Misumi are used with permission from Tuttle Publishing who also provided a review copy of the book. Opinions are my own.
You’ve probably seen footage of massive, compressed bundles of old textiles being loaded into shipping containers and sent across the sea. As if sending away our old shirts, socks, coats, and jeans ‘over there’ is somehow less wasteful than keeping them here.
But no. Trendy ‘fast fashion’ where this season’s garment is next season’s trash, the use of unrepairable fabrics, and the lost art of mending, all contribute to this incredible world-wide problem with textile waste.
Years ago, around the same time that it became far more affordable to buy a new appliance instead of repairing the old one (if you could even get it repaired), clothing stores started overflowing with cheaper, single-season garments and accessories: stuff that only lasts a few washes before losing its color or shape or stitches.
Joyful Mending reintroduces the lost art of mending clothes—taking better quality clothes that have the potential to last a lifetime—and fixing holes, stains, or tears to make them useful once again.
It’s perfect for those of us seeking practical and creative ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
The Eco-Friendly Art of Fixing Clothes
From the Cover
With Joyful Mending, rips, holes, frayed edges and stains become a pleasant challenge—a chance to turn flaws into features so you can continue enjoying the clothes (and toys, rugs, and accessories) you love.
Using basic sewing, darning, felting, and crochet techniques, as well as a handful of simple embroidery stitches, you can repair and restore your favorite belongings in a transformative way.
Joyful Mending shows you simple techniques for:
- Repairing fabrics—knitted or woven
- Working with flat or curved surfaces
- Creating repairs that blend as well as repairs that add elements of whimsy and surprise
- Darning your handmade socks and gloves
The joy to be found in working by hand, the artistry you find within yourself while giving new life to old things, and the satisfaction in doing more with less are at the heart of this book.
While nothing lasts forever, there’s pleasure as well as purpose in holding off impermanence for a little while longer.
Contents Include
- The Mending Consultation Booth
Inspiring examples of various repairs and embellishments. - Basic Mending Techniques including darning different shapes and needle felting, invisible and statement mending, patchwork, embroidery, and rug hooking methods.
- Embroidery and Mending Sewing Techniques (20 different stitches and crochet basics)
Want embroidery ideas? Have at look at these botanical designs with wildflowers, herbs, and more. They are just what’s needed for mending a plant lover’s clothes.
If you have an interest in this sort of thing, get a copy of the book to see the numerous examples of clothing restoration. It is inspiring. Your repairs can be as subtle or creative as you like and it’s so satisfying to keep that beloved garment going.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
Pamela says
What a wonderfully useful book. Mending has become a lost art and something like this is particularly practical now that many are becoming more aware of how their practices can have an impact. Yet they don’t have a clue how to maintain or repair things.
My grandmother was always on the lookout at thrift stores for garments that were of high quality fabrics and manufacturing. She had an eye for clothing made to last from good brands (back when paying a good price was because of the quality and not a brand name). She was raised in poverty and went through the Great Depression as a young mother. Yet she always looked like she was dressed in the best. She was also a fantastic seamstress and could make flour sacks into just about anything.