Funny how a domestic occupation, a crucial one at that for most of the history of civilization, can so quickly and completely become irrelevant. Cleaning, cooking, and some kind of child-care arrangement will be difficult for technology to entirely flush, but sewing ability has gone the way of sitting room poetry recitals and musical presentations. Technology has made entertainment ubiquitous and clothing too cheap to mend.

One of my grandmothers sewed all of her clothes. Fancy stuff, too. Evening gowns and lined suits, all hemmed by hand in a leafy stitch. She tried to get me interested as a kid, but after having to tear out my basted hem three – four times, I realized and choked on the meaning of the word “discipline.” Or was it “desire?”

Nevertheless, I did learn to sew from necessity. No, wait, there was a home economics class back in the seventh grade. I learned to use a sewing machine and made a lilac terry cloth jumpsuit. (No one told me that terry cloth wasn’t exactly suited for anything but bathrobes and towels. You can guess what the item looked like after a few minutes of sitting.) Home economics still exists in the middle schools around these parts, for both of my sons have taken it, but they only teach cooking. Buttons and seams apparently never come loose.

Come to think of it, it is unusual for my boys to ask me to mend something of theirs. Must be that the item wears out before it breaks. Or does it break therefore it’s worn out? I don’t know, and maybe I’m not paying very close attention, but a book did come in a little bit ago that seemed like a good idea for kids, and even grownups who’ve resisted the passion of mending.


The title Hand Mending Made Easy: Save Time and Money Repairing Your Own Clothes (by Nan L. Ides; Palmer/Pletsch Publication; 978-0-935278-74-3) implies that some of you are sending your broken items out to a tailor (instead of throwing them away). It’s quite explicit that no tools are necessary beyond scissors, needles, thread — in other words, stuff you can pick up in a grocery store. It’s a great reference, well-illustrated and covering everything from ripped crotch seams to snags and patches. Send one of these off to your children away from home. I plan to hand a copy to my teenaged sons the next time they ask for a mend. Beats me doing it while explaining and them nodding, trying to look interested, uhuh Mom, uhuh.

Some other sewing books I liked are


Closely Knit: Handmade Gifts For the Ones You Love by Hannah Fettig (North Light Books, 978-1-60061-018-9). A terrific selection of projects for the experienced knitter who likes to watch tv. What I mean is that they’re not too difficult, but they’re not scarves either. Pillows, sweaters, baby clothes, caps – good stuff for gifts or just for fun. Nicely illustrated and well organized instructions.


You know those ugly dolls the New York Times says are great for boys? Aranzi Aronzo, manga king, has a book called Cute Dolls (Vertical, 978-1-932234-78-7) that shows you how to make your own. Okay, they’re “cute” rather than “ugly,” but if it’s ugly you want, then turn the mouth upside down. Anyway, there’s plenty of weird as well as cute and the instructions remind me of the old Ed Emberly drawing books. Make a tadpole, a kidnapper, a penguin, a monkey. Yes, you’ll want them all. Instructions include full-size patterns for tracing.