By Yuki Nakayama, Ecology Center Environmental Storyteller Rackham Fellow
If you have any interest in any hobby or activity, now is the time to get started and connect with your local community groups!
One of the major elements of practicing More Life, Less Stuff is extending the life of the objects you already have. This means repairing or mending things as necessary. When the pandemic came in full force in 2020, I decided that I would do my best to not purchase any new clothes until the pandemic was over. I did not want to add to the workload of essential workers like delivery drivers by ordering things online. I also wanted to cut the temptation for retail therapy because online shopping is so easy, but can have financial and environmental impacts. This solo “no-buy” challenge was easier to do during that time since I was not seeing anyone in-person and there wasn’t any pressure to look nice, but I have managed to continue it. (Read one of our past articles on No-Buy challenges)
What started as a no-buy challenge led to reaffirming the joy and excitement I experience when I engage in a craft like sewing or mending. I grew up with family members who have creative hobbies like quilting, knitting, and crocheting. Both of my grandmothers were well versed in Japanese and Western methods of sewing. The yukata (a summer Kimono) I still wear every summer was hand sewn by my grandmother. I also have sweaters that my great aunt knitted in the 90s that are lasting longer than the mass manufactured clothes I bought more recently and they always get complimented on how beautiful they are.
Growing up, I was always encouraged to pursue creative projects and classes. I started my first sewing class when I was 10 years old. Despite the fact that I grew up sewing and with a family with many creative hobbies, it fell to the sidelines as my life took on new interests and challenges. I currently do not own a sewing machine and need to sew by hand, so my sewing ideas and projects got filed under “when I have time and a sewing machine in the future.” I rarely got around to them.
While I had sewing experience, darning was new to me. I purchased my first darning needles to practice mending on some old socks with holes (pictured left). I bought my darning needles and yarn at a local shop called Spun in Kerrytown. The people that work there were helpful and friendly, and they told me about classes and community meetings that they host for people who like to knit and craft — a whole local community I wasn’t aware of before. A few days after I purchased my new tools, I stopped by the store during my weekly shopping trip in Kerrytown because I was eager to show someone how my first darning project turned out. They gave me the biggest smile and praise for what I accomplished, which made me so happy.
In most tutorials, they tell you to buy a darning mushroom, a wooden object that helps to stretch and secure the fabric so you can mend it. While Spun had the needles, they didn’t have the mushrooms in stock, so I used the cap of my Klean Kanteen water bottle as a makeshift darning mushroom (pictured right). It’s been a few years and I still don’t own a proper darning mushroom or a loom. I continue to use the same bottle cap or any other object that fits my mending needs. This isn’t to say don’t buy the mushroom, because I absolutely want one. It can feel like you need to buy all of the gadgets and tools when starting a new hobby, but it’s not always necessary — you can start with the bare minimum. I probably could have started without the darning needles since I already have other sewing needles.
What I discovered was not just a way to save my clothes from the trash or a new skill, but a community of people who are excited to welcome new people to experience mending and crafting together. The mending and crafting community at large has provided a safe and positive environment for me. The interest alone was enough to gain access and many were eager to help out beginners and share the joy.
When the Ecology Center asked me for story ideas for the More Life, Less Stuff series, I had to mention mending. It encapsulates the “More Life, Less Stuff” philosophy so much to care for your clothes and to enjoy them in the various stages of their life. I have mending projects that I am too embarrassed to include in this article, but the quality does not matter, especially as a beginner. You can always start small on clothes you only wear at home. It is such a good lesson in giving yourself grace, not forcing perfectionism on yourself, and being a witness to your own journey. Improvement is not required — it may or may not happen, but that’s okay. It’s all about taking a moment to think about the objects you own and incorporating a practice of not throwing something away without considering a way to repair, mend, or to reuse creatively.
Mending also saves money. I want to be honest and realistic about how this is a major motivation for my mending practice. The individual and collective financial reasons and impacts should not be ignored. If being mindful of environmental health also helps ensure my financial health, it is a big win. Centering your life is about thinking about how you spend your money and time in ways that reduce harm and increase well-being. As we see product prices rise, mending can help our wallets while making an environmental impact for our collective health.
If you have any interest in any hobby or activity, now is the time to get started and connect with your local community groups!
Sewing Classing & Machines at Ann Arbor District Library
As I was researching local resources for mending, sewing, and other forms of crafting for this article, I remembered that the Ann Arbor District Library always has wonderful classes and workshops (AADL Events). I took this opportunity to attend one of them called Sewing Lab at the Downtown Branch. I ripped a pair of pajama pants almost a year ago (in the most ridiculous way possible) and wanted to turn them into shorts, but had not yet gotten to it. This was the perfect opportunity for me to finally get this project off my long to-do list while fulfilling my duties for the Ecology Center. I hadn’t used a sewing machine in 10 years, so it was nice to get a refresher and be able to ask questions to an expert. I had such a wonderful time, I will definitely be back for the next sewing lab!
Sewing Lab is one of many FREE workshop series that the AADL organizes. This lab meets every two weeks at the Downtown Library’s Secret Lab (in the basement) and is open to Grades 6 to Adult (young children must be accompanied by an adult). You do not need to sign up for the class, pay any fees, bring any tools, or even have a library card. They provide all of the tools so you just show up with an interest in sewing. This is possibly the best deal I have ever seen on learning the basics of sewing. While each workshop has a specific theme that the instructor will do a demonstration of, the Sewing Lab is just a day where people can come to use the sewing machines available at the library, to get some advice from an expert, and/or to just be in community with people.
You’re welcome to bring any type of project you are working on, and people of all levels are welcomed. You can use a sewing machine for the first time, work on your personal projects, or simply be present. You are not required to use a machine or have a project. You can simply observe if that feels the safest way for you to enter this space and activity. You can come alone or with friends. The instructor and the staff will show you how to use a sewing machine even if you’ve never used one before.
"The Sewing Lab [at the AADL] is open to everyone!” -Rae Hoekstra and AADL
Rae Hoekstra, one of the sewing instructors along with Amber Adams-Fall, said that she wants more people to know that the Sewing Lab is open to everyone at any point in their sewing journey (Rae also offers free patterns and tools on her website). The library staff I talked to also noted that the Sewing Lab is just one of many Arts & Crafts events that the library offers every month across their branches and welcomes people to look on their website or to pick up the free monthly schedule available at the library. The Next Sewing Lab session is on April 28th from 6pm to 7:30pm with Amber. She will be demonstrating rolled hems.
The sewing machines can be found on the second floor of the AADL (at the downtown branch) in waterproof hard cases with wheels.
I was not able to finish both legs of the pajama pants during the Sewing Lab time, so I checked out a sewing machine to take home. The AADL has many types of tools that can be checked by library card holders. The sewing machines come with everything you need inside a weather proof container. During the week I had the sewing machine, I finished my pajama pants and did other sewing projects I had previously put off because I didn’t want to hand sew. I regretted not borrowing a sewing machine from the library sooner!
Local mending and crafting groups:
Here are different ways to start your mending, sewing, and crafting journey while connecting with the local arts & crafts community.
- Ann Arbor District Library Events page
- Spun (a yarn store in Kerrytown) offers affordable classes, crafting related events, and free drop-in groups. They also have a “craft for cause” project with national charity organizations if you want to donate your crafted items.
- Argus Farm Stop’s Packard Cafe has a weekly sewing club every Monday from 6 PM to 7:30 PM that is FREE and open to the public. You can learn to repair, repurpose, and restyle your clothes.
- Ann Arbor sewing center offers affordable quilting classes and clubs. They also offer free quilting patterns on their website.
- SCRAP Creative Reuse Center is a great place to donate your unused supplies and to shop for materials in a more sustainable way. They also offer many events and workshops.
- Leabu Sewing Center has many classes, events, and sewing machine repair services. They also have a Stitch with SnL live on Youtube and Facebook (every Wednesday 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM)
- Maker Works has crafting classes and crafting tools available for use in their shop. They also have a regular repair lab called Fix it Fridays if you have anything that requires repair.
- There is a Google map list of fabric shops around the world focusing on small businesses to source your materials from.
There will be articles soon on repair beyond mending clothes so be on the lookout for upcoming installments of the More Life, Less Stuff Series!!