mend it may: mending techniques

what is mend it may?

a campaign launched by sustainable fashion week, mend it may encourages people to mend the clothes they already have, rather than buying new.

throughout the month of may, we encourage everyone to spend time mending their clothes and sharing their journey, techniques and what they learn on social media.

inspiring and encouraging others is a great way to take part in mend it may

why should we take part in mend it may?

mend it may has lots of benefits, but above all it’s an investment. an investment in yourself, your future, the planet you live on, and your values. by spending a small amount of time mending something you already own, you’re proving to yourself that your clothes have value, and you’re valuing the time, skills and money that have been invested by whoever made your clothes for you in the first place.

you’re investing in your future by saving your money for other things that might be more important to you, and you’re saving yourself time and money to make space for more important and aligned activities and purchases that may arise. you are also saving yourself an extra trip to the shops to buy a new garment, which is in turn saving petrol, money, time and keeping that item you already own from landfill. you're investing in your planet by slowing down your consumption of clothing, valuing what you own and saving your precious pieces from becoming waste. when you mend your clothes, you’re investing in your values: your financial values, your environmental and ethical values, your social values and your personal values

what are the benefits of mending your clothes?

great for your bank account:

mending is good for your budget as any money that you might spend on new clothes can stay in your bank account and be put towards other things that may align better with your values

great for the planet:

by mending and valuing the clothes you already have, you slow down your consumption of fashion and save waste from landfill

great for your mental wellbeing:

mending your clothes can be a wonderful mindfulness activity, a chance to slow down and take some time out from our busy lives

great for creativity:

mending your clothes requires some creativity and innovative thought. it’s also a great brain exercise, especially if you are learning techniques as you go

great social opportunities:

well known campaigns like mend it may provide great social opportunities!

you could invite some friends over and have a mending party, run or take part in a mending workshop or join a mending group

you can also interact with the vibrant online sewing community and make some likeminded friends who share similar values to you!

participating in large, worldwide movements like mend it may creates a feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself, and making a positive difference. if everyone makes the choice to mend one item they own, every small change will make a big difference and we will see the change happen!

how can we take part in mend it may?

it’s very easy to take part in mend it may, in fact, you can mend anything at any time of the year!

here are some different types of mending and some ideas you can use to fix some of your garments that you may not have thought of before!

quick fixes

buttons and buttonholes

sew a button back on by hand using needle and thread and hand or machine stitch button holes to stop them from fraying

knitting

knitting can be darned or stitched together. the main thing to remember with knitting is to make sure you catch all the loops, as the whole garment will unravel if you miss one!

hems

hand sew with an invisible hem stitch or machine sew using matching thread

sewing

you can mend flaws like rips, tears and holes by sewing, either by hand or with a machine

hand sewing all you need is a needle, some scissors and some thread to sew your garments back together.

some basic mending stitch types include: back stitch, slip stitch, blanket stitch, and running stitch

machine sewing: it's easier to use a machine for hems and holes along the seams rather than holes in the middle of the garment

patching

patching involves using another piece of fabric to cover a whole or flaw in the fabric. it can be done with a similar fabric in a similar colour to make it as invisible as possible, or it can become a feature of the garment. there are many different ways to add patches to a garment, including sewing, ironing, machine stitching, boro (hand stitching as a feature), adhesive tape or glue

darning

this technique is used to repair holes any kind of fabric, but especially knit fabric. it’s often used for garments like socks, sweaters, stockings and other knitwear. darning can be done by hand or with a machine, and if it’s done by hand, a darning mushroom or egg can be used to support the fabric while you work. yarn or thread is used in a ‘darning stitch’, which is like a running stitch running up and down around the hole. the hole is then filled in with the yarn or thread by weaving in and out of the darning stitch, similar to how woven fabric is created

appliqué, embroidery and felting

appliqué is a decorative technique used to cover a hole or fault in the fabric with a creative feature. embroidery can be used to mend flaws in the fabric, or reclaim them and use them as a decorative and creative feature. felting is a method of agitation and meshing that can be used to mend holes in knit fabric, especially wools