Throughout the course of history and until very recently sewing was seen as a necessary skill for every woman. Then, clothing was not so easy to come by as it is today, each garment was treasured and repairing clothing - rather than buying something new - was the go to solution for tears and lost buttons.
In other words fast fashion didn't exist yet. All clothing was either handmade by someone in the family, or bought, kept, repaired & passed down for years, even decades.
Fast forward to now when so many of us are waking up to the destructive realities of fast fashion. Luckily there is one really important way to "slow down" fast fashion, and that is by mending clothing so that they last longer instead of constantly replacing them. I am lucky to have grown up in a sewing family but so many didn't and sewing / mending will be totally new to them, maybe even intimidating.
My journey with mending began ...
... while working & traveling for several years in Central + South America. I was living out of my backpack and had to make the little clothing I owned last.
Along my travels I picked up lovely scraps of fabric from traditional Guatemalan weaves to patches I just found fun. I kept these along with necesary items for mending in a little bag which went with me everywhere. Tools a simple as a needle and thread, a pair of tiny thread scissors, and extra squares of fabric for patching made up my first sewing kits. Eventually I went on to make & sell these kits online. But really the point of this article is to share my practice of making, mending, and upcycling the clothing I love.
No matter what your background, or gender, sewing can be a very rewarding activity. Especially the alchemy of mending: taking a once beloved (& now broken) item and restoring it to favorite garment status with a little care.
And you do not need a sewing machine to give mending a try! In fact, sewing by hand is a great place to start out in this craft. I recommend starting by hemming a skirt or pair of pants is the perfect first step into the world of sewing & visible mending .