Next month I will be tabling at the Machias Arts Council’s second annual Spring Art Show & Craft Fair, and I’m also returning to the Machias First Fridays Art Walk all summer long — you can find more details about both of these events right here! Be there or be square!
Wonderful news: #MendMarch, the annual month-long Instagram mending challenge spearheaded by the incredible Kate Sekules, is back on for 2025! Dr. Mend (as she is sometimes known) had previously announced that this year’s event would be the last, due to some changes Meta has been making to Instagram’s hashtag functionality. However, the creative workarounds she employed this year were successful enough that she’s changed her mind and decided to keep it running for the foreseeable future! You can read more about her decision here. I’m so glad this event will continue — not only is it kind of a kick in the pants to get my mending pile under control, but it’s always so cool to see everyone else’s different approaches and get new ideas/inspiration!
One reason I haven’t been quite as involved in (the final? 😭) #MendMarch as I would have liked is that I’ve been spending a great deal of time doing some much needed tidying and setting up practical systems to support my creative work. It’s hard to get very much done when you’ve misplaced critical supplies, or when bits and pieces of multiple projects have overtaken all of your work surfaces… Collecting all my arts & crafts books together in one location has been particularly rewarding, so for #MendMarchPractical, here is a glimpse of my studio library, full of working notebooks and creative reference materials (including, of course, a mending section!).
#MendMarchPractical #MendMarch #mendmarch2024 #personallibrary #antilibrary
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 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! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
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
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 🙂
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!
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.
