I love mending!
Well…I love easy mending. Small Man’s Landsend pyjamas were not easy mending. I had to unpick the triple-stitched-in elastic and replace the entire casing. It took hours (quite literally). The first pair were a bit dodgy, so you’re only getting to see the other two…
But it was worth it, right? The pjs are in pretty good shape after five years of constant wear, so this quick slow fix should hopefully give them another year of wear!
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My friend Ian’s work jeans also came in for another repair. Farmers are hard on their jeans – I suggested wearing leather chaps but Ian wouldn’t have a bar of it (which is the Aussie way of saying that he wouldn’t even consider it)…
His heavyweight Wranglers are incredibly sturdy, so they’ve always been worth mending. They’ve still got quite a lot of life left in them!
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Finally, Eli’s old shoes were dropped off for a quick fix so that his baby brother Seb could wear them. Aren’t they the cutest things?
I stitched the hook side of the velcro down, then replaced the loop section on the front straps, just to make sure they stayed on securely…
It was a messy job, but it only needs to last a very short time…
And here’s my young neighbour, up and walking just before his first birthday!
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If you’re a mender too, you’ll understand the joy that comes from breathing life into something that might otherwise have been thrown away. I’d love to know about your latest project!
Once we’re able to let go of the notion that repairs need to be invisible – once it can be seen as a point of pride and the continuation of a story – then mending becomes easy, functional and rewarding. And often unexpectedly beautiful! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I wouldn’t say I actually *enjoy* mending the Husband’s work pants, but it’s very satisfying to whip them back into serviceable shape. Other mends are much more interesting. I’m currently trying to work out what to do with a couple of favourite pillowcases which have been in more or less constant use for nearly 20 years and which are now beginning to disintegrate in the middle. I’ll probably end up making one out of the two, uniting the less worn backs and retiring the ragged fronts. Here’s my latest mend post:
(https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2020/04/06/mend-it-monday)
I’ve just repaired a fitted sheet – forgot to mention that! Just a patch!
Quick! Add it to the post!
I am not a great mender by my great aunt Edna who passed away in 2015 at the age of 97 was brilliant. She was a wonderful seamstress and made wedding dresses out of parachute silk in the war. She always sided into middled her sheets before fitted sheets were invented. I have her silver thimble as a treasured possession. Wish I had just one ounce of her skills. She made so many clothes for me including box pleat skirts. She used to buy all her material on a stall in our high street. The stall holder was called Kangaroo Lou but he wasn’t Australian!
Hey Celia, I was watching the Drum last night. Was it your sour dough starter that got a mention? Xxx
Hahaha yes! My five seconds of fame! Hope you and Maus are well, G! xx
OMG I know someone famous 🤣🤣🤣
I love sewing, mending not so much but happy to do it for my family. I recently had to sew a large patch into the crutch of my husband’s suit trousers. The jacket is in perfect order so it seems a waste to get rid of it. He is very pleased and looks shmick as long as he doesn’t bend over lol. 🤣🤣
Btw love the regular posts 💜💜
Thank you Celia for your daily posts which I look forward to and so enjoy. A little ray of sunshine in the dark days we are experiencing and all thanks to you.
Like you Celia, I love mending anything from turning shirt collars, mending socks, sheets and anything else that needs fixing. The process always leaves me with a sense of quiet contentment and satisfaction that I have managed to extend the life of an article and saved it from either the rag basket or the bin.
Hope you and your family keep well and safe
LOVE those shoes! Yes, cutest ever and won’t be given rigorous wear. Nice.
Agree so MUCH about the triple stitched elastic, and I swear, the more likely it is to wear out the more rows there are. Even worse on knit fabric, harder to unpick. I occ unpick but if its my jim jams I might cut it all off, and sew a quick and easy waistband of stretch fabric -the stuff sold for sloppy joe necks and cuffs works very well and for some reason is often in the fabric pile in opshops. Just fold it lengthwise and stitch the raw edges to the top of the pants. I leave a gap for the next time, some of mine are on their 3rd elastic.