MAKE DO AND MEND
I learnt to sew and use a sewing machine at school in dressmaking classes. I remember making a green gingham pyjama top and matching shorts. My skills are very basic but they have been very handy, as I’m 5ft 2” (157.5cm) so I’ve been able to alter clothing when I’ve felt brave enough. I’ve also made my own cushion covers, simple curtains, bunting and other craft projects.
It’s also handy to be able to do small repairs on clothes as I generally wear my clothes to death. I’ve found over the years jeans especially get worn out in that awkward spot, and recently I had two pairs which had fallen victim to thigh rub. A friend of mine co-hosts virtual clothes mending workshops with Fast Fashion Therapy. I saw they were doing an evening patching workshop and immediately signed up. It was during the third UK lockdown so it was lovely to stop and take some time to learn a new skill alongside like minded people, even if it was over zoom.
The jeans I wanted to repair had some stretch in them, so I decided to sacrifice the pair that were in worse condition and use them to patch up the other pair to maintain the stretch and put less stress on the repair. In the workshop we were shown the boro stitch technique, which is a simple running stitch used to visibly patch clothes and reinforce the fabric. Check out Fast Fashion Therapy’s blog post all about it.
I found it very satisfying to repair my jeans and prolonging their life and not having to go out on the hunt for another pair. It was also therapeutic and has made me do more repairs.
Children’s trousers and leggings are also notorious for getting holes in the knees. I have quite the pile of small clothes needing to be patched or have the seams repaired. My oldest was so excited when I repaired a pair of her favourite leggings, she made a hole in another pair because she wanted a new patch! I had quite the conversation with my then 3yo about not intentionally making holes in our clothes.
Luckily I’ve kept some old t-shirts which have come in handy for stretchy patches. It’s also fun to make a feature of the repair and in doing so teaching my girls about taking care of their clothes.
I have a gorgeous double oven glove which I bought a makers market, which have really been used. Through years of use, wear and tear started to show, so I stopped using them to prevent more damage. This upset me so I decided to try and fix them. Not knowing where to start I asked my friend Sarah who owns Olive Road, a vintage fabric and haberdashery. She had some fabric she thought would be hard wearing enough and would complement the existing fabric.
To repair the damage, I stitched up the holes, then I ironed on interfacing to strengthen the stitching. I covered the interfaced area with the new fabric and pinned it in place before cutting to shape and then stitching around the edge. To secure the fabric more I did boro stitch along the vertical lines of the fabric pattern. The binding around the edge of the glove was also very worn so also replaced this too.
I have to say I’m so chuffed with how the oven glove turned out and the new binding makes the original fabric really pop. Another bonus is my oldest is learning about repairing something rather than instantly discarding and throwing away. I hope once she’s a little older I can start teaching her to sew.
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