What an enjoyable activity. It can't be rushed and forces the sewer to go slow and mindfully lest a finger (or worse) get poked.
Of course I put it off so long that one of my shirts was missing not one, not two, but three buttons. I guess some people would throw out the shirt and buy a new one, but not me.
Finally, with Linda's help, I got down to business. While sewing on the three buttons, I noticed most of the others were loose. That happens when you keep clothes as long as we do.
I fixed the three buttons, then reinforced the others. The shirt I fixed will wear out completely before it needs button love again.
What a simple, functionally useful, and meditative activity. You can't say that about many pursuits these days.
Sewing buttons - give it a whirl. We all know you have at least one item of clothing that could use a bit of button love right now.
Don't you?
I try to catch buttons before they completely fall off and reinforce the rest even if they don't need it. When I sew up a portion of a seam that has given way, I go over the whole seam and maybe all the seams in the garment. If you wear a thimble, you will not have to worry about hurting yourself.
ReplyDeleteI've been darning socks lately. Have some wool socks that are wearing thin in the heel and ball of the foot, so I'm reinforcing them with cotton yarn. This too is a meditative, relaxing thing to do, and it's good to know that my socks now have several more years of wear. - Mary
ReplyDeleteIt's socks for me too, Mary. A couple of years ago I swapped from store bought woollen socks to hand made socks as I discovered that the store bought ones usually contain elastane so you cannot compost them. The only disappointing thing is that they get holes much faster and seem to be harder to repair so that they don't wear through again. It is definitely an exercise in being more mindful and noting where they might be feeling a little thinner. Does anyone else have this problem? Do you reinforce them before you start wearing them?
ReplyDeleteAnd before you feel impressed by my hand-knitted socks, I was not the knitter! I hope to be one day and can only imagine I will take even greater care of my socks due to the hours spent knitting them. I also hand wash them, which is another lovely, meditative activity.
Something I am trying to commit to is to stop buying clothes altogether, and to make my clothes from ethically produced fabric. We don't have good second hand stores in my area. I have found some fantastic patterns through Merchant and Mills, and some of them are beginner level. I will start using fabric I have to hand, to avoid potentially ruining new fabric. And my choice of fabric will be linen as it has much better longevity than cotton and is easier on the environment. When you look at the time and effort involved, it makes you full of admiration for women who used to knit and sew clothing for the whole family whilst living without labour-saving appliances.
Madeleine
Hi Madeleine! My wool socks were once my boyfriends socks. He doesn't like wool but had been given several pairs of them over the years. I love them during the winter but I did not reinforce them prior to wearing. Wish I could knit too - the best I can do is to use knitting needles for washcloths, and knitting looms for hats. Keep us informed on your home-made clothing adventure. I can use all the creative inspiration I can get! - Mary
DeleteSewing on a button, stitching up a seam, darning the heel of a sock, ironing a shirt - all ways to focus the mind and slow down time.
ReplyDelete