MENDING LIFE

A HANDBOOK FOR REPAIRING CLOTHES AND HEARTS

By Nina and Sonya Montenegro

Hardcover, 194 pages, 2020.

Sasquatch Books (Penguin Random House)

I got depressed from COVID overload at the end of 2020 that I didn’t have the energy to read, write, nor post anything.

With the New Year, it’s time to resume normalcy and face long overdue tasks, like decluttering.

Since we no longer go out, I discarded many work clothes that no longer fit my lazy lifestyle.

I also rediscovered my favorite comfort clothes—-buried because it needed a fix—-a small hole, a loose button, a small tear.

Fixing my favorite clothes to last is not easy for non-sewers like me. Good thing I found this inspiring instruction book. Filled with comforting pastels and quotes, it teaches unskilled beginners like me how to sew, darn, patch, hem, and alter clothes.

It may seem laborious to mend when we can easily replace, but taking the time to sew a solution empowers and restores us.

“Mending cultivates patience and calm.”

Even if you don’t want to sew, reading this book rekindles an appreciation for the craft and labor in producing our clothes. With stores closed, mending may once again become the primary practical solution to simple rips and tears in life.

“Making something whole again is also a form of healing, and we humans have a deep desire to heal what is broken.”

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