A little piece of history I revived for #MendMarchHistorical... I (again) forgot to take any before pics, but there were a couple of holey places along the hem/cuff of this vintage robe where the batting was poking out. I found some shimmery fabric in my stash, patched it up, and recreated the quilting pattern on the newly-repaired areas. Good as new!

#MendMarch #mendmarch2024 #visiblemending #repairdontreplace #vintagefashion #loungewear #quiltclothing #quiltcoats

Today’s mending mail: these incredible little patches from my swap partner Erin @wrenbirdmends 🙂 I’m super excited to decide where to sew them! This was my first time participating in #MendAndMakeFriends (the second photo is the patch I made for the swap) and it was such a fun experience all around. Many thanks to @gatherwhatspills for creating and continuing to facilitate this event! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

#mendandmakefriends2024 #visiblemending #patchswap

I have not been organized enough lately to really participate in #MendMarch (although I’ve been having fun watching everybody else 👀 and yes, working through my own perpetual mending pile) — but I had to submit this for the PLAY prompt, even if it’s a little late!

I thrifted this vintage Sorry! game in great condition, the only thing wrong with it being that it was missing two pieces. When I was looking at it in the shop I hesitated a moment and almost put it back for someone else to find, but then I thought about how I could solve the problem! It would have been simpler to just replace the missing pieces with a couple of beads or something, but I got really excited about the challenge of making my own replacement pieces. So that’s what I did! I used a scrap of fabric, a bead, and a nickel (to weight the bottom) for each piece.

#mendmarchplay #mendmarch2024 #visiblesmending #boardgames #repairdontreplace

Here’s a little peek at a quilt I’ve been repairing — recreating the pattern while mending the damage is a fun little puzzle! The quilt is showing some wear in other areas as well so I’m sure this will be an ongoing project. I kind of think it will be cool to see the design continue to evolve as more and more of the original printed fabric becomes patched over. Special thanks to my studio assistant for holding that quilt down for me!

The Friends of the Library are hosting a big sale at Porter Memorial Library tomorrow (Saturday, June 10) from 9am-3pm and you’re invited! This is a multifaceted event: local art, used books, plants, and yard sale items to browse. This event is on rain or shine, so come check it out! 92 Court St, Machias, ME 🙂

Can’t get to this one? Catch me next time! You can see all my calendar events here or sign up for email updates!

I’m so excited to be getting more involved in my new community’s local arts scene! The Machias Arts Council has organized a series of First Friday Art Walk events all summer long. You can find updates and download an event map at the MAC website here. Plan on coming out First Fridays June-September to meet a variety of artists and musicians and support local small businesses!

Can’t make it? Catch me next time — you can see all my upcoming events here or sign up for email updates!

Learning how to mend has felt really liberating! No longer do I feel like I have to reluctantly let go of items just because of a little damage. I think many mending techniques are also easier than one might expect. These skills are in danger of being lost, but they are just as relevant today as they’ve ever been!

This is one of the highest-reward mending jobs I can think of. These jeans sustained damage in the thigh area — a high-wear area for a lot of people — and as a result had become uncomfortable to wear. But with a little care and attention, jeans in this condition are easily saved. The repair isn’t totally invisible, but I think it’s pretty discreet — definitely one of my quieter mends. 

A little bit of a personal project I’ve been working on 🙂 🐍

I’m making party ribbons 😈
Really this is that twine again, not ribbon, but whatever! Continuing to build up my gift wrap stash. Next year I’d like to significantly decrease the number of things I have to wrap in paper.