A good read? 'Visible Mending'

I thought I'd do some book reviews, specifically of craft books as they're often expensive to buy, being full of colour illustrations and usually unlikely to trouble the bestseller lists or turn up on supermarket shelves at cut prices.  So having a feel for whether you want to spend your hard earned money on a book is needed, and I always appreciate an honest review.  

I've quite a collection of craft books, some bought second hand but many new.  Treats for myself or ones I've been given as presents.  But I'll start with one that's borrowed from the library.  It's 'Visible Mending' by Arounna Khounnoraj.  It's subtitled 'Repair, reuse, renew the clothes you love' which gives you a pretty good idea of where this book's going.  

The book's divided into sections on what sewing tools to use, how to do basic mending techniques using applique, sashiko, darning, dyeing, printing... and more.  Also, a decent sized section on projects, with things you can mend or make from scratch.  

But firstly, why?  Why should you bother mending things when it's easy and cheap to chuck something out - especially clothing - and simply replace it?  Here's an explanation that stuck with me.  In a quoted study by academics, about urban consumption, 

' ... it was suggested that reducing our clothing purchases to eight new items a year would cut supply chain waste by 50% and achieve climate change goals in the textile industry by the year 2050.  And if you're up for a real challenge and you reduce your purchases to three new items per year, that would cut supply chain waste by 75%.'  

That's quite something, huh?  It got me thinking about the last time I bought brand new clothes, and what I purchased.  Though the vast majority of my clothing comes from charity (thrift) shops, I do buy new when it comes to leggings, undies, socks and camisole style tee shirts.  How many of those were cheap-as-chips, won't last that long, Primark style products?  Worn until they get tatty, then binned?

We all need to buy less brand new stuff.  Buy better quality.  And mend!  Re-introduce ourselves to skills our grandmas or great grandmas took for granted.  So this book's a practical guide, and a good looking book too, with lots of clear illustrations, photographs and several templates to copy.  

Okay, let's go through the book in more detail.  After a brief look at the basic tools you'll need - nothing too fancy or pricey - there are examples of the stitches you'll be using.  Simple drawings and straightforward instructions are given for topstitching, tacking, backstitch, whipstitch, slipstitch and blanket stitch.  You're shown how to sew on a button and make a double hem.  Then it's on to essential mending techniques.  Among other skills, you'll learn darning weave with seed stitches, also the basics of needle felting and patching.  Small sections follow on dyeing and block printing before the book moves on to the mending projects.  

Featured are: extensive repairs to a pair of blue denim jeans; pretty appliqued butterflies on a moth eaten top; visible woven darning on a cardie that'd also been the victim of those pesky moths.  There're repairs to the heels of socks and knitted mittens, also a patched up tweedy jacket and a men's shirt.  A beret repaired with needlefelting; some very cute embroidery-on-felt patches; embroidered flowers on a dress and mittens; a block printed sweatshirt.  

There are also projects where you upcycle fabric to make 'new' items.  A practical and pretty sashiko sewing booklet, for storing your needles, scissors and threads.  A loop scarf and a patch cushion, a patchwork envelope pouch, also a useful and sturdy looking bucket bag.  There's an appliqued cushion and an indigo dyed quilt, and finally some 'wearable art' with stitched fabric necklaces.  

You can see from that list there's lots in this book, and you're bound to find something you want to sew.  Personally I plan on making the sewing booklet and the bucket bag, and have at least one pure wool jumper that's in need of darning because elbows or cuffs have got threadbare.  

I've already placed an order for this book from an online supplier as it's a keeper.  A great mix of practical techniques and ideas to inspire you.  Some craft books are so slight, you get to the end of them and think 'is that it?'.  The book goes on a shelf and barely gets opened again, or else it finds its way to the charity shop.  But 'Visible Mending' is heavy on content, and what's included is good quality, well presented and, I think, worth the purchase price.  

Well, that's my first book review, imperfect as my prose is.  I'm hoping to get into the habit of producing a review every Wednesday, regular as clockwork.  Let's see how that works out, shall we?