Mending is empowering.

It is an action (taking needle and thread to cloth) that you are in control of - and there is so much we cannot control in life.

It is a form of expression - you can make it the way you want to make it. So what you ripped your sweater? Make it fashion.

It is activism against consumerism - you can make those jeans last longer than the big box store thinks you can. You really can, I believe in you.

It is a way to show you love this green earth - make your things last longer and need fewer things in your lifetime. Textiles are not trash. When they are so worn out that you can’t repair them anymore, use them to stuff a pillow for your living room or turn that old t-shirt into yarn and make something with that!

It is a manifestation of your ability to care and hope - In repairing broken things, we learn compassion; we think about the repair that we all need in our lives. Something broken can be fixed and made beautiful, perhaps more beautiful, because of the time and attention we have devoted to it.

It is a record and memory of your time - you spend your time living in your clothes, wearing them out, taking care of them as they keep you warm or cool. You spend your time selecting threads and fabrics to mend with, you spend your time mending and reflecting on the comfort you get from your favorite textiles.

Mending is power.