the most sustainable clothes are what you already own

Which is why I have been obsessively practicing and learning about mending. The tagline for my clothing line (still - seems like forever - in the dream phase) is “cultivate a wardrobe of clothes worth mending”

I didn’t learn until many years into my sewing and mending practice that my grandfather did the sock darning in my dad’s household, nor did I fully comprehend just how fortunate I was to have had a grandmother who made clothes for me as an expression of her love until these past couple years.

Even though I have been a vegetarian for 30 years, and recycled enthusiastically as soon as it was available in my area, I didn’t really begin to understand the impact my clothing purchasing habit had on the environment until about 10 years ago.

I first learned to make clothes last for years when I sewed for my kid on the autism spectrum, because clothes became comfort items and security in an overwhelming world. There was no outfit too old to stay in the closet. I learned to transfer motifs or design details to new better fitting garments. I learned to add cuffs and bands to extend the life of those favorite clothes. I learned to add secret pockets for love notes or other special things like a rock, a stick, or a Lego guy.

Sewing for my child with special needs helped improve all of my sewing for myself and everyone, because I began to focus on how something felt not just how it looked. I still focus on how easy something is to care for and to wear, while still making a beautiful garment. I also learned how important clothes can be as a portable safe space - and why keeping what comforts us is a self-care practice as well as a crafting and sustainability practice.

Make it last

A stain or a hole can be covered with beautiful embellishments and renewed for another season of play.