Our first USA stop for the Mending Migration was with Lara Fredrick in Massachusetts. Her stop happened in – this will reveal how far behind I am with these blogs – July, so we get the pleasure of re-living some wonderful summer blooms from Lara's garden. Seems we missed Calliope, though (see below) - but with luck we might get to witness some other antimender familiars and assistants (cats, dogs, and other beloveds) as we continue on this world tour!!
About Lara: "I live in MA, a New Englander down to my bones. I live in a small house with my husband and my cat, Calliope. I’m a vegetarian who loves to cook and bake, and I love gardening and houseplants and herbalism and sewing and embroidery and crochet and block printing….and just about everything arty (except pottery. Not my thing!). I’m a former early childhood teacher turned content marketer, and if I’m not at home, chances are you’ll find me at the library."
With the travelling Swift Darning Loom, Lara colourfully mended her cardigan with a darned patch! She changed the colour of her weft thread every few passes to create these whimsical stripes.
Lara says, "I’ve always been a maker and a crafter, and I’m trying to prioritize those things in my life. I have ADHD, and one of the few times I can really calm down my mind and focus is when I’m working on a craft. Mending is one of the best things for this because it requires attention and focus, but you can also lose yourself in the process!"
Lara also used the Swift Darning Loom to RE- mend a trusty pair of socks!
She leaves us with a bit of a meditation on the positive impact that repair has in her life, and your new favourite mending mantra:
"[Mending] feels like every mend is a tiny rebellion against a world that is always advertising to me, a world that is always telling me to buy more... I find mending a small way to repair when everything seems so broken. One of my mottos is “Less Despair, More Repair,” and mending and making is a way I bring that into my daily life."
Thanks so much for being a wonderful first USA host, Lara! We're so excited to see where the loom ends up next. Check in next week for another Mending Migration story!
à bientôt!
-elysha
ps:
Calliope did pop in for a rest on top of the reusable mail bag that everything in the Migration gets shipped around in - I'll make sure to talk more about that design soon :)
2 comments
Hello Lara,
I like your mending mantra. It reminds of a daily diary of proverbs in embroidery fashion or mending styles. Great way to express feelings of the day. A mending diary of expressions.
Far out! Great idea! 💐