Mending My Ways

I have to confess I get a lot of satisfaction out of mending.  I have a hate-hate relationship with machines (I hate them and they seem to hate me, because they consistently break down when I use them).  So I don't like to sew new things with the sewing machine.  But I do like to do needlework.  And that includes mending and hemming, along with craftwork, such as cross-stitching.  Yesterday I decided to take care of a little project that's been nagging at me for a while.  The curtain by the patio door needed hemming.  A certain little kitty had apparently noticed a stray thread and decided to remove it for me, and the whole hem came along with it.  My mother taught me how to do a blind hem when I was a child, and it has come in handy.  The sewing machine, of course, has a blind hem stitch on it, but my hand stitch is better, I believe.

This is one of the other panels, viewing from the front side.  You can clearly see the factory hem stitches.

This is the panel I just hemmed, viewing from the front side.  The stitches are not so easily seen.  My mom taught me well.  :)

This is how I do it.  I put in a piece of white thread so you could see it against the dark background. I just barely catch a few threads on the panel and then again on the hem, using a single thread.  It goes fairly quickly, and I think the finished results are worth the effort.

Mending is becoming a lost art, I think.  But I look at it as a form of recycling.  I've found a lot of items at the thrift shop that just need a little TLC with a needle and thread and they're as good as new.  Not only that, but it makes them original :)  

If you're not comfortable with stitching and mending, I found this cute and fun book with tons of ideas.  It's eye candy for someone like me who loves to stitch!

Marie