Mending in March...and May... and MO-vember?

Saw the hashtag #marchisformending on the Instagram playground, and determined that I wanted to play along.  The mending pile is really no fun, but not having things hemmed and such means that I can't wear them.  So there:  the push-pull between sewing the shiny, exciting things and fixing the forlorn and cast-aside got a bit of a shove this past spring.

I'm right proud of all that got done.  Did I make it to my goal of

mending ten items?

Read on...

Jumper hem: best selfie I've ever taken

1, 2, 3, 4.  Hemming
The most odious of tasks in the mending pile.  However, I managed to hem two pairs of track pants (one was determined to fight my sewing machine, but I vanquished it with walking foot and parchment paper for stabilizer), a jumper whose hem had actually been stapled up at one point, and the sleeves on an eyelet blouse (turning it from matronly to chic).


5, 6.  Elastic
Replaced sagging elastic in one pair of gym shorts and a silk broomstick-pleated skirt.  So happy that I have a stash of various elastics!


7.  Monofilament invisible topstitching
Attended an Earth Day-related sewing event with trained tailors and clothes alterations people on hand to help you #menditdontendit (I blame my children for any hashtags that enter my speech patterns).  One of them helped me use monofilament to invisibly topstitch an unruly facing in a vintage men's shirt.  Ooh, you should feel this polyester!  They just don't make them like this anymore.

8, 9, 10, 11.  Serger for the win
Bought myself a new serger for my birthday, but hadn't taken it out until May.  What was I waiting for?!?!
     Magical serging put new sleeves on a hoodie (original sleeves were too tight, so I carefully replaced them with ones from a long-sleeved T-shirt that I had cut up to use in a T-shirt quilt.    Have worn this several times already--so comfy.
     Technical serging put a lining into a wrap-front t-shirt (where the skimpy manufacturers had only used one layer of fabric), and added some clear elastic along the side seams for a ruched look.
     Rolled hem serging finally finished a summer party-dress.  Too much trouble to hem that bias-cut polyester crepe any other way (I had tried; and cried).
     And finally, serged rolled hems onto the remaining altar cloths for the campus chapel--just in time for the Class of 2018 to have their Baccalaureate service.

I did it!  Wish I could say that this completes all the mending, but alas.  The mending pile is still bursting and threatening to fall over. 

I will just pause here a moment to tell myself, "Well done!"