Today Brigitte is bringing us north to Whitehorse, Yukon! It's out of character for this series to not start with mending, but Brigitte sent me this lovely sunset from the day she brought the Mending Migration kit home.
I looked up the weather history that day (we love easily-accessible and publicly-funded science and data!); Whitehorse had just crested their high of -17°C for the day, on their way back to a low around -28°C! It doesn't quite get that cold in Southern Ontario very often, but of course it's a way of life in the north.
Brigitte sent a very thoughtful blog for us as well, so I shan't ramble on about the weather any longer, and instead turn this over to our guest blogger.
Thank you Brigitte for sharing all your thoughtful reflections with us today; all first-person pronouns belong to Brigitte until further notice, woo hoo! Italics are Elysha's additions.
My mending journey as an act of resistance
I am deeply concerned about the impacts and harms that consumerism is causing to people, places, the more-than-human and the environment around the world. I like to think of my mending journey as an act of resistance.
I mend to participate and encourage a circular economy. I mend to care for and respect the things that I have brought into my life. I mend because I am frugal. I mend because it empowers me. I mend because handwork is like an active meditation. I mend because my work adds another chapter to the story of all the people who brought the garment to being. I mend for the huge satisfaction and pride I feel when I’ve completed a repair or embellishment and lengthened the life of a garment.
I joined the Mending Migration project because I wanted to be part of something greater than myself.
It is important for me to acknowledge the teachers who guided me onto this path.
It started with attending a few weaving and mending workshops offered by local artist Vanessa Aegirsdottir. Learning by doing with Vanessa opened up a whole new world for me. Then I took some online workshops with Erin Eggenburg. These workshops took away the mystery and intimidation of how clothing works and how to figure out appropriate repairs. Through social media, I stumbled onto Worth Mending. I was delighted with Elysha’s recycling philosophy and immediately got the Swift Darning Loom. It was a game changer! I went from crooked freestyle mending using a egg to the easy-to-use and confidence booster the Swift Darning Loom. While my mends are still a wee bit crooked, that’s on me. The loom is fantastic!
Perfection is the enemy of good, and experimenting is a great way to learn.
In the quieter winter months, I set myself up next to the wood stove and tackle some easy win repairs first so I can build momentum and get into the rhythm of my repairs. It takes me a while to complete my mending projects. I have to break it down into small steps and do my tasks little by little… Slow and steady. Consistency is key.
Below: Brigitte uses an erasable fabric marker to outline the area she will be darning. The blue rectangle is drawn on after the sock is in place over the Swift work surface. The marks help Brigitte keep the edges of her patch in line as she builds it up.
I enjoy the process and appreciate this easy to use tool to get my darning done.
About Brigitte, in her own words:
When not planning her garden, going through her seed packets, tending to her seedlings, feeding and watering her plants, harvesting, preserving and eating her garden, Brigitte keeps busy experimenting and fermenting things in kitchen and reading books about permaculture or cozy Japanese fiction, doing yoga, mending her family’s clothes and dreaming of creating art from textiles.
PS from Elysha;
I need to renew a promise to you, because Brigitte shared some feedback that reminded me of a thing I've been neglecting around here.
In her notes, Brigitte mentioned, "I tried to use the darning loom to weave a tapestry. I found it tricky to pull the threads through the teeth of the weft pick. I couldn’t figure out how to get the warp threads to hold a consistent tension. I did view the videos on YouTube but I just couldn’t figure it out."
Oops, so sorry Brigitte! (And anyone else in the same situation.)
This is absolutely a gaping hole in my content, and why? Sometimes I avoid tasks because they feel "too fun"...that is the only excuse I have for not providing more instructions nor examples of tapestry weaving! Self-employment sure is weird ainnit. I gotta get weaving!!! <3