Submitted by Dianne McD.
Marcia sent me an article about mending the other day. It made me wonder if she had sneaked over and seen the holey clothes I wear around the house all day. But it turns out that the article in The Columbian (based in Vancouver, WA) features our own MPS member Miki Landis!
The article is all about trying to save clothing and other things from the landfill by looking at how they might be repaired. It’s a good article and has made me think about some of the things I have that don’t go out in public because I either won’t fix them or don’t know how to fix them.
You can read the article by clicking on the button below. You can also visit Miki’s website to see all she has to offer. Thanks Marcia, for sharing this. And congratulations to Miki!
Are you a mender? Do you think it’s a lost art? Let us know in the comments below.
Very cool! Ridwell takes clothing, shoes, linens and, yes, fabric scraps and recycles them as below:
45% of the clothes, shoes, and linens that get collected is reused or repurposed as secondhand clothing. When possible these items are kept locally or domestically supporting local communities. Some items are also sent overseas to communities that cannot afford to purchase items firsthand.
30% of what is collected is recycled and converted into new things considered wiping rags. This material is used as absorbent materials for various industries and residential uses.
20% is turned into fiber that can be used for carpet padding, home insulation, and raw material for automotive industries.
5% is sent to landfills.
What great inspiration for me. I have a pair of really cute jeans with embroidery on them that are too big. I couldn’t bear to get rid of them so I stuck them in the bottom drawer. Maybe I can remake them into something else or reconstruction them into a pair that now fits. Definitely food for thought here.
Wonderful to have a feature on mending and continuing to use an item in the current throw away society. And beautiful pictures of Miki who is most talented with a needle. If you haven’t seen Miki’s shop, it is worth a special trip. And I would recommend taking the tour of the building after visiting Miki’s Shop. My woodworking husband was very impressed with Mother Joseph’s carpentry skills!
What a nice article- way to go Miki! Very entrepreneurial! As piecers & quilters we sometimes forget that not many of the younger generation are learning these skills. I’ve taught my 4 granddaughters to sew and have an appreciation for basic sewing and quilting. Nancy W
I think I need to make a field trip to Vancouver!
Thanks for sharing! Having grown up with a mother and grandmother who sewed ( and were very frugal) I am always surprised that many people don’t even know how to sew on a button. Maybe teaching these skills would be a great volunteer opportunity at the “makers lab” at the library? Just a thought…
Kim T.