Today I am excited to share Kristin Roach’s new book, Mend It Better, from Storey Publishing. I received a review copy from Storey when I returned from Craftcation, and fell in love with it as soon as I held it in my hands.
The cover of the book itself is different than any other craft book on my shelf (and I have quite a number). It’s a hardback with an almost soft, puffy, children’s book quality to it–not to demean it in any way–I actually love it, it’s a book that’s meant to be used and will stand up to life in our busy household. But enough of my bibliophile obsessions, how about what’s on the inside?
The book’s design is eye-candy enough to attract any crafter, with touches of whimsy, color, and nostalgia for the days when mending was a must. And that nostalgia is the driving theme behind Kristin’s collection of how-tos and project ideas throughout the book. But it’s not just a boring collection of mending instructions, it’s an exploration of “mending as devotion” as contributor Sherri Lynn Wood aptly describes in her unique take on clothing repair.
Kristin’s hope, in her own words, “is that through your mending successes, you will feel emboldened to express your creativity through your clothing.” And she has given us just the tools and inspiration to do so. She empowers readers of all experience levels (even if that experience is zero) through a glimpse into the history behind sewing traditions, a refresher on basic sewing skills, projects from a host of well-known craft mavens like Cal Patch and Diane Gilleland, and 10 additional chapters covering every mending need imagineable.
And for those of us who may feel overwhelmed by the task of mending piles of clothing (I do have four kids who tear through their clothing rather quickly), Kristin is all about keeping things simple and fun at the same time.
One of my favorite projects featured in the book is Francesca Mueller‘s cardigan alteration. After having a baby, her favorite cardigan needed a makeover. She tuned up the now-too-large cardi by simply adding some decorative clasps and floral trim to give it a more feminine look and shape. I love that this book focuses on finding the good in our clothing until the very last thread!
Some other fun ideas included in the book are colorful patches to cover up stains on children’s clothes, taking pockets from an old item to add onto another, unique and colorful patches, and an entire section on darning, including this cute crochet darning project for holey socks.
Overall this book gets an A+ from me–I love that Kristin has reinvigorated the task of mending while sharing the importance of not living in a throw-away world.
So, are you ready to win yourself a copy, courtesy of Storey Publishing? Here’s how to enter:
- All contestants must be at least 18 years old or older and residents of the United States.
- Contest ends at 9 p.m. CST on Friday, April 13. The winner will be selected randomly and will have 48 hours after email notification to send me their address (or else I might have to find a new winner!).
- The value of the prize (1 copy of Mend It Better) is approximately $18.95. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries. No purchase necessary to enter.
- And lastly, I cannot be held responsible for prizes not received. I will, of course, follow up with the publisher on your prize, and do not anticipate any problems (they’re a wonderful company!).
And just to disclose again, I did receive a courtesy copy from Storey for the purpose of reviewing the book, but did not receive any monetary compensation for either the review or hosting the giveaway.
Good luck to everyone, and I hope you’re inspired to pick up your mending baskets!
I don't sew often, but would like to learn more! Vanessa
I love to sew, but I mostly sew quilts. My goal for this year is to be better at mending and upcycling clothes so I can reuse what I have instead of buying new!
I recently picked up a pair of Gymboree pants from a secondhand store for my three year old. They are great pants, but have a rather large hole in bottom. I patched them with a jean patch, but am waiting to do something kinda cute–after all, they are for a three year old! I would enjoy a book that could give me some new mending ideas.
Oh, dear. I am very bad in the mending department. I do believe this book will inspire me to mend more creatively… because donating or tossing a piece of clothing in the trash instead of mending it is not terribly ecogroovy or thrifty. (As I hang my head in shame writing this comment!) Keeping my fingers crossed! (Thank you, Amy!)
I have 4 boys and I constantly have to mend and patch up pants and shirts. I will be the first to admit that I could do a much better job! Thanks for this giveaway!
I already follow you on GFC as Show,Tell,Share.
I've not mended much other than rips or small holes. I'd love a copy of this though, for future reference!
I'm not much of a mender. I even make Tommy sew his own buttons on if they come off. I've tried to patch a few holey knees and have a pair of pants unworn, awaiting a hem.
i follow you on google friend connect
I've only really sewed buttons back on.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
I patch holes in my little boys knees, and I re-sew buttons. I don't mend much more than that. I would love to have this book! It looks wonderful!
I hate, hate, hate throwing away clothes that still have life in them because of a rip or a stain. I do my best to fix things, but if I can't figure out how to fix something, or it's beyond repair, I like to try to find a way to upcycle it into something new.
I have a whole pile of items that are waiting to be mended, I just need to know what to do! I don't want to end up ironing on adhesive for lack of sewing know-how!
Oh, this looks like a gold mine. I come from a "toss it and buy new" home, but I can't bear to toss anything until I've squeezed every bit of use out of it. I was so excited to see the cute stocking re-do, I've been trying to find someone to teach me how to darn socks for 20 years! Fingers crossed, but this ones definitely going on the wish list either way!
I've got all sorts of things to mend, but I think I would love some more ideas on sweaters 🙂
My experience with mending? What mending? I mean, I can sew a straight line, but when it comes to mending things, I chicken out, because I am afraid I'm going to mess it up. So it just stays un-mended forever, which I guess according to me, is better. 🙂 So I could really use this book! There are plenty of things around here to which I could give a little life extension.
Tweeted! whitneycanales 🙂
And I'm following you, of course. 😀