Mending Monday-sewing notions visited

Well, it is here again.  Just like clockwork the first Monday of the month comes around and that is the day I force myself to mend. You know what I mean, buttons replaced, hemlines repaired, seam separations restitched. I hate mending, always have. I suspect most people who like to sew new garments balk at the mundane chores related to mending.

The process of maintaining clothing, in a frugal sense, always reminds me of our ancestors who had very limited resources and made every effort to increase the life and usefulness of their clothing and linens. Our current lifestyles have made mending sort of a lost art. I hear from friends that their daughters clothing is essentially disposable. One or two washes and they fall apart. What a tragedy. That is one reason why I prefer to sew much of my clothing. I can control the quality of the fabric, the fit, and the construction.

For the monthly  mending I usually use a sewing machine or a serger, but sometimes I just like to sit in a comfortable chair with my sewing box nearby and sew a few stitches by hand.  I gather buttons lost in my sewing box that I purchased on Ebay. I keep a small assortment of threads there as well. I have seen these sewing baskets over the years in antique shops, and decided that would be a some day purchase. Well, someday arrived last summer and this beauty came home to stay.  She came originally from Norway, who knows where all she has been. The ebay seller was from the mid-west. As you can see this box folds out to reveal a large bottom compartment and two trays on each side. I like to keep misc. mending tools here and well as extra sewing needles.  In its own way, this sewing box makes the mending chores a little more pleasant. A sense of history and a connection to so many other women who sewed and mended clothing, sometimes threadbare, to maintain those they loved and cared for. In spite of our disposable culture, the mending process brings me closer to living a more purposeful life. We are not so different after all.