Resources for Mending Clothes
We toss out over 80 pounds of textiles each year. These textiles are often made of plastic materials (polyester, nylon), made in unethical conditions, dyed with harsh dyes that often get put into the rivers, etc. Even a single cotton shirt releases carbon emissions and uses tons of water.
So the best thing to prevent the unsustainable growth of the fashion industry is to make sure that your clothing lasts as long as possible. To do so, mending clothing is a must. So here are some resources to help you learn how to do various things, such as sewing a button, to tailoring clothes, or even upcycling old clothing into new styles.
* How to sew on three different types of button
* How to hand sew on a patch on a torn pair of jeans
* How to sew up a hole in an old shirt
* How to sew a simple T-shirt
* How to upcycle old clothing into new clothing
* More upcycle and sewing techniques
* How to repair a damaged sock
* How to do an invisible stitch
* 3 different stitches to work with for different results
* How to make a T-shirt smaller so it fits you better
* How to make repairs to your shoes
These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to make sure that your clothing lasts for a long time. Nobody wants to keep buying new clothing, as it is expensive and wasteful.
So making alterations to your clothing, or fixing small holes hen you see them can be hugely beneficial to your wallet, to garment workers, and to the environment in the long term.
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If you like what I write, consider buying from:
My Etsy shop for upcycled bags, jewelry, and crafting supplies.
Or
My poshmark for reclaimed clothing.
Many people have asked questions, so I decided that I should answer them to the best of my ability! So let’s see what people are asking!
How to make small clothes bigger, or short clothes longer
This question was asked a lot, for instance, Celestriankle and Drachenstocther are at least two users who asked this, and this is a great question! Often you see how to make large clothing smaller, but not the other way around.
Here are some resources on that:
Shirts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isy2xwFYihQ
Jeans/pants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s4TnNcbgEU
Mostly this is done by just adding a wedge of extra fabric between the seams, and this can make youtr clothes last and fit you, even if you fluctuate in your weight.
Here is a resource about adding more butt to your pants:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG_QnEL9xYI
When it comes to repairing the crotch of jeans, which is what anyone with thick thighs know all too well the irritation of, there are a few ways that you can do that. For instance:
Patching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h90nYzbDFdE
Darning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMsm6wyjF8E
This question was asked by user CleanLinens and Bovel.
One person, OnYourGoat, asked about resources for people who cannot thread a needles, The good news with this, is that there are needles out there that you do not have to thread if you have vision issues. These are called Self Threading needles.
Also, there were a few tips by users on how to make your sewing more sustainable. User SaveATruckRideAnOptimus-Prime states that you can get blankets and table-cloths from the thrift shop (something I often do myself) in order to have fabric to make your own clothing.
This is even more sustainable if you are choosing cotton, wool, or linen fabrics.
The last thing to mention is that user AssassinationTipsForLadies says:
“there is a great sewing instructor on YouTube called Evelyn Wood who has a whole bunch of videos on mending and the construction of old clothes.“
Let me know if you have any more questions or tips!
If you don’t have a sewing machine and done want to buy one, do check with your local library as it’s becoming more and more common for libraries to rent out things like sewing machines and other expensive but useful items. If yours doesn’t, expressing interest in a “library of things” could well be the motivation your library needs to get one going.
Fabric stores sometimes rent out machines too so check if you have one near by.
And if you’ve got any sewing/knitting clubs or places like the WI that are popular with old women, you will absolutely be able to find someone who will gladly let you use their machine and teach you how.
If you have older family members ask them about sewing cause chances are they’d love to teach you
If you need supplies on the cheap, check out local estate sales. I will never have to buy new hand stitching needles thanks to someone’s sweet grandmother who loved to quilt.
Who tossed out 80lbs a year? Is that meant for the average household? That sounds like way too little for a country or something but too much for one person.
Yes, that is 80 pounds per person, per year. In the US, Canada, and the UK at least.
This isn’t related to sewing, but rather getting full use of clothing. Middle class culture in my country means the life cycle of our clothing looks like this -
good clothes to wear out
-> slightly worn out & comfortable to wear at home ; if not, stitch into cushion covers or curtains
-> then use as rags to clean up a mess
-> throw away when it can’t be used for anything else anymore
Clothes had multiple purposes before everything became synthetic and the usage of toxic dyes industrially, drastically limiting their reuse and repurposing
