I have a jacket that demands repairs like an old car. I bought it in New York just prior to covid, and I’ve practically reassembled it twice now.
It has got to be taken down, dressed, patched, reassembled, oiled, kissed.
Mostly it’s been put back together with sashiko stitching. I timed myself tonight and I can do about 1 square inch every fifteen minutes. That is if I’m working fast and kind of loose.
It has got to be taken down, dressed, patched, reassembled, oiled, kissed.
Mostly it’s been put back together with sashiko stitching. I timed myself tonight and I can do about 1 square inch every fifteen minutes. That is if I’m working fast and kind of loose.
By this time next year I have no doubt that this jacket will be more sashiko than original moleskin. I’m not sure how many square inches a 44” jacket takes up, but a few.
I like to repair clothes when I’m feeling anxious or sad. The repetition is enormously calming, and the thriftiness too, that’s calming. There’s a real contrast here. I buy some pretty expensive clothes and I wear them hard. To justify those purchases I’m inclined to repair blown crotches and knees, to extend life. The funny thing is, those repairs don’t just extend the life of the garment, they improve it. My favorite jeans all have repairs. They are my favorite because they are repaired, I have not repaired them because they are my favorite.