Books To Inspire Your Creativity When Mending Clothes
I see mending clothes as a key element of slow fashion. Which in turn is sustainable fashion.
When we take the time to mend existing clothes, we are saying no to exploiting the planet and its finite resources, while also saying no to exploiting humans in the name of fashion.
If you would like to mend clothes in a sustainable and creative way, then this short guide is your friend.
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase at no further cost to you.
Sustainable Fashion AKA Mending My Clothes
I’m a big believer in sustainable fashion. Sometimes I do go off piste and make a spontaneous purchase that isn’t in the budget. Or I don’t take the time to look too deeply into the manufacturing country or the fibre content. But, when this does happen, it’s usually something I love, and take care of for many, many years.
Like the purple wool Oska coat that I bought back in 2005 in the sale at Selfridges of all places. I’ve worn it every winter, from November through to late February / early March, and it was well worth the ‘extortionate’ sale price of £280 — imagine what that would cost today, 20 years on!
Yet, that amounts to £14 per year, which is around £1.16 per month.
I think it is safe to say that the cost per wear for that one coat is down to the pennies now! Boom!
Not every purchase will last that long, and it is unrealistic to expect all clothes to do so, but some purchases can last decades longer. My fiancé’s leather jacket is a great example; his dad wore it in his younger days before handing it over to David, and though it needs a bit of love, he LOVES it… he’s just rubbish at mending clothes and needs me to find the time to do it for him!
So, why am I talking to you about these old clothing pieces today?
Mending Clothes
When it comes to slow fashion, we can make our own clothes, which will:
- Fit better
- Be more unique
- Ensure no human was exploited in the manufacture
Or we can reuse and repurpose what already exists, which is a bit more sustainable.
Today’s I’m going to share more on the books that I have used to help me create some wonderful unique ‘slow fashion’ pieces, by mending clothes by hand that already exist in my wardrobe, repurposing or redesigning my charity shop finds and even cutting up and recreating hand-me-down’s from friends and family.
This is one of my favourite things to do, and I thought that perhaps these books will inspire you to get creative with the clothes you need to mend?
Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh
Mending Matters is a book I bought back in 2018. I had been eyeing it up when it started popping up on my Instagram feed, and my favourite evening activity after buying it was to curl up in bed and work through the pages.
It inspired me hugely, making me think about interesting ways that I could mend my slightly worn items – including the above mentioned purple wool coat!
The Geometry Of Hand-Sewing by Natalie Chanin
Another favorite book of mine when it comes to slow sewing is this book from Natalie Chanin. It is a beauty of a book. I bought it back in April 2018, and it was only displaced from my evening routine back then by the arrival of the previous book, Mending Matters!
The Geometry of Hand Sewing is filled with different hand stitches – and guides at the back of the book – so will work well in conjunction with Mending Matters to help me be really creative with my mending.
The Art Of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff
The Art of Manipulating Fabric is currently the oldest book on my shelf – there have been others that came into my life, and then left, but this book is a firm favorite. I adore this book.
It is an encyclopaedia of fabric manipulation techniques, and was a key reference book during my fashion degree, helping me to really be creative with my designs. So much so that my final year tutor declared me to be a textile designer and not a fashion designer!
I often pop into charity shops or thrift stores, looking for old curtains and then apply a fabric manipulation technique to them to create something stunning on the large fabric piece which I will then make into something stunning!
The book is rarely opened now as having practised so many of the techniques over the years, they now feel like second nature to me, but I keep it with me, as it is an old friend.
Layered Cloth
Layered Cloth is a book that was added to my collection in January of 2018 as it reminded me of the final outfit I created for my Foundation in Art & Design at Wimbledon College of Art.
I had created a somewhat tailored jacket using repurposed fabrics, which I layered upon each other and then slashed for a textured effect. It was a very unique design, and I am sad that I no longer have photos of it.
This same method is shown in this book, but I applied to a fashion garment, for a very creative and unique look. This book is great when looking for inspiration on adding layers to your existing clothes, to give them another lease of life and creating something a little more creative.
Stitch and Structure
Stitch and Structure is a purely inspirational book for me, which is why it is last on my list. It was a Christmas gift from one of my brothers, and I rarely pick it up, because the cover is velvet (which I abhor the feel of).
The photos in this book are stunning and if you are experienced at sewing, and appreciate more abstract art, that you may love this book with its inspiring 2D and 3D constructed samples – they are quite phenomenal!
As I said, this post is not a tutorial on mending clothes, but my hope is that the books I’ve shared with you will inspire you with different ideas for mending and extending the life of your existing clothing, or even making new, creative clothes from charity and thrift store finds.
I would love to know if you have any of these books and what you thought of them? But better yet, are there any that I’ve missed that you would recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below!
A nice selection and a good way to think about mending. Thank you.
I bought the Layered Cloth book at a sewing show where Ann Small was showing her wonderful work. Unfortunately I didn’t see her this year but anyone who might see her name in an exhibitor’s list should definitely try to get there.
For those who might like a peek inside before buying The Art of Manipulating Cloth or Stitch and Structure, both can be accessed on Issuu.
Hi Jacky! Thanks so much for the Issuu info – I’m sure my readers will enjoy checking those out! 🙂
Eve, I was just flipping through Wolff’s “Art of Manipulating Fabric” earlier today.
In a similar vein, Jennie Rayment’s “Creative Tucks and Textures” takes the shaped tuck and turns it into some gorgeous art.
These are joined by a handful of “flower fabric folding” titles by various authors.
I don’t own any mending books specifically (except for chapters in a few old sewing books) … mostly because my fabulous local library carries many of the titles and I can check out to my heart’s content. There is something extremely satisfying about reading through a mending title!
Hi Kira! I haven’t seen the Jennie Rayment’s one – will have to see if I can dig out a copy at the Forum here in Grun! Thank you for the suggestion! 🙂