Mend!: a Refashioning Manual and Manifesto by Kate Sekules

Mend!: a Refashioning Manual and Manifesto by Kate Sekules, 227 pages

I got this book because I am interested in mending my own clothes, despite my woeful lack of skill with a needle. Sekules is nothing if not thorough with the whos-whats-whys-whens-wheres and hows, in addition to an ample collection of charts detailing strengths and weaknesses of fabrics and which methods work best on what you've got in front of you.  But I learnt much more than rudimentary mending skills.

My favorite bit of trivia I learned was that fabric could be used as a sort of currency, and was so valuable that it would require its own provenance, from who grew the plants, who processed the materials, who wove the fabric, to who cut it, who tailored it, and who wore it. As someone who grew up in the grips of fast fashion, that fact was a paradigm shift.

 

Mending with Love: Creative Repairs for Your Favorite Things by Noriko Misumi

Mending with Love: Creative Repairs for Your Favorite Things by Noriko Misumi, 88 pages

I'll be honest: I originally picked up Mending With Love to distract me from buying a darning mushroom.  I enjoy watching repair videos because I find them soothing.  This book had a similar calming effect. 

Part DIY, part memoir, Mending With Love began with a picture of a treasured item (an antique blouse, a hand towel passed down from a grandmother, a favored dress turned nightshirt). The history of the item guided how to restore it.  Misumi's anecdotes reveal more than a talent for mending, but a deep, meditative thoughtfulness that speaks beyond physical things.  What is worth saving and why? To lavish all the time and attention and care such tasks require, it might be a worthwhile venture.  Repaired items can be charming and beautiful and unique. 

... I bought the mushroom.