I love this book! 

I have been mending jeans for a long time now and a few pairs have so many patches that not much of the original jeans are present anymore. Katrina Rodabaugh’s book is full of mending techniques and ideas but what I really love about the book is the WHY behind mending: how slow fashion is another form of mindfulness, how it changes our shopping habits and helps us understand our needs better.

So much of our donated clothing just ends up in a landfill overseas and I’m trying to do better about not contributing to that cycle. I have a great group of friends that passes clothing back and forth to make it last longer and the things I can’t pass on I’m constantly trying to make into something new. I carry a bag full of mending projects to the DMV, the school pickup line and on any road trip. The process becomes enjoyable…and there’s a design element that’s added with patching and mending! I’ve had people ask to buy my old jeans because of how interesting they look after years of mending. So even if you can’t bring yourself to wear something that’s mended…there’s someone out there who would love to wear it instead. Slow fashion is a revolution and I love that more and more people are becoming aware of ethically made clothing. It gives me hope for our planet and that more and more people are concerned with who is making their clothing and how. 

I get so many emails with questions on how to slow down, how to create a simple life…start with things like clothing, toys and food. If you can find meaning in those three things it’s a huge step. It’s very empowering to take control and make hard decisions…and there’s so much joy to be found in the process. 

Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim & More by Katrina Rodabaugh

“Mending Matters explores sewing on two levels: First, it includes more than 20 hands-on projects that showcase current trends in visible mending that are edgy, modern, and bold—but draw on traditional stitching. It does all this through just four very simple mending techniques: exterior patches, interior patches, slow stitches, darning, and weaving. In addition, the book addresses the way mending leads to a more mindful relationship to fashion and to overall well-being. In essays that accompany each how-to chapter, Katrina Rodabaugh explores mending as a metaphor for appreciating our own naturally flawed selves, and she examines the ways in which mending teaches us new skills, self-reliance, and confidence, all gained from making things with our own hands.”

I’m all about books…here’s a link to more I’ve written about if you are interested!