Mend It, Wear It, Love It! : Stitch Your Way to a Sustainable Wardrobe

A practical tool kit for mending and upcycling your wardrobe. It's “sew” simple to give your wardrobe an eco-chic edge! With fast fixes and clever techniques, this accessible, fully illustrated sewing book has everything you need to mend, customize and care for your clothes. Parting with damaged, yet beloved, clothes can be one of the saddest things, but what if you were able to fix those holes, give them a fresher look, and extend their life? Luckily, with this guide to mending and patching, you don’t have to say goodbye to your favorite clothing items ever again! Now you can cherish all your garments, even those in the furthest corner of your closet! This sewing book for beginners will help you master the skills to repair a seam and mend a hem, even if you’ve never touched a needle and thread before! Enjoy Your Clothes for Longer This sewing book arms you with the techniques you need to enjoy your clothes for longer and express your creativity. Detailed step-by-step illustrations and clear instructions explain how to sew, repurpose, and care for your clothes in a range of materials. For anyone who cares about reducing fashion waste but doesn't want to sacrifice style, this is the book for you! It addresses the way mending is great for fashion sustainability and gives you the low down on “fast fashion”. From polluting ecosystems and breeding unsafe work environments, discover the huge human and environmental impacts those irresistibly cheap t-shirts have. The Art of Mending and Sewing Mend It. Wear It. Love It is for everyone! Packed full of simple fixes, as well as more advanced techniques, this book is perfect for sewers, crafters, and fashion lovers of all experience levels. Contents 4 Introduction 6 The lowdown on “fast fashion” 8 The Basics 13 Your basic sewing kit 14 Other equipment and useful supplies 18 Mend Your Clothes 23 Introduction 24 Using a sewing machine 26 Sewing on a button 30 Repairing a buttonhole 32 Inspiration: Contrasting buttons 35 Repairing a hem 36 Invisible-hem method 37 Visible-hem method 38 Mending a hole from the top 40 Basic sashiko-style stitching 42 Inspiration: Visible mending 45 Patching a hole from behind 46 Patching robust garments 47 No-sew method 49 Stitching for strength 50 Darning a hole 52 Inspiration: Visible darning 55 Mending a tear 56 Robust repair 57 Less-visible repair 58 Mending a split seam 60 Repair from the top 61 Repair from the inside 62 Repair and reinforcement 64 Zipper issues 66 Repairing collars and cuffs 70 Fixing a collar 71 Mending cuffs 72 Repairing visible topstitching 74 Inspiration: Visible stitching 77 Wear Your Clothes 79 Introduction 80 Shortening a hem 82 Lengthening a hem 84 Adding a contrast band 85 Creating a ruffle 86 Inspiration: Contrast bands, trims, and ruffles 89 Adding a simple patch pocket 90 Inspiration: Patch pockets 95 Refitting a garment at the seams 96 Refitting with waist-shaping darts 98 Making a garment larger 102 Removing sleeves 104 For woven garments 105 For knit/jersey garments 109 Adding elastic to hems and cuffs 110 Super-speedy method 111 Creating a channel 112 Inspiration: Elasticized sleeves and trouser hems 115 Love Your Clothes 117 Introduction 118 Smart storage options 120 Laundry and ironing tips 124 Stains and how to remove them 128 Fabric dye transformations 130 Inspiration: Dyeing 133 Disguising a stain with embroidery 134 A simple flower motif 135 Flying bug or bee motif 136 Inspiration: Using embroidery to cover stains 139 Index 140 Further resources 142 Acknowledgments and About the author 143 Learn how to use simple sewing and mending techniques to extend the life of the clothes you love. Have you ever thrown good clothes away simply because you didn't know how to mend them? Have you got clothes that you can't bear to part with, but need a fresher look? Then this book is for you. With fast fixes and complete makeovers, Mend It, Wear It, Love It! has everything you need to mend and care for your clothes, and stitch your way to a more sustainable wardrobe. Detailed step-by-step illustrations and clear instructions explain how to mend, customize, and care for your clothes in a range of materials. Enjoy your clothes for longer, express your creativity, and live more sustainably. "Have you ever thrown good clothes away simply because you didn't know how to mend them? Have you got clothes that you can't bear to part with, but need a fresher look? Then this book is for you. With fast fixes and complete makeovers, Mend It, Wear It, Love It! has everything you need to mend and care for your clothes, and stitch your way to a more sustainable wardrobe"-- Provided by publisher