A Stitch in Time: “Textiles tell a story”

I recently took a mending class with Miki Landis, owner of The Enchanted Rose Emporium. My stitchery skills are remedial at best. I can darn a sock and mend a small tear, but the results are serviceable rather than, if you’ll pardon my pun, seamless. Landis said that makes me an ideal student. She loves teaching beginners because even learning a few basic skills will enable people to get more use out of their garments.

Landis asked me to bring my own clothing to repair. I brought two sentimental items that are too damaged to wear but that I can’t stand to throw out: the sweatshirt I wore to the hospital the day my daughter was born and the dress that was my going-away outfit on my wedding day. Both have been worn and washed so many times that the material was disintegrating. I couldn’t see how to proceed without ruining them even more but Landis was unperturbed.

“My philosophy is kind of like a doctor,” Landis said. “First, do no harm. What can we do to support this in place to prevent further damage?”

The light cotton dress had holes in the delicate fabric of the sleeve. Instead of just closing the holes, which would leave a visible line of stitching and change the drape of the sleeve, Landis suggested supporting it with an additional layer of fabric underneath. The holes in the sleeve could then be stitched or embroidered onto the underlying fabric, making it sturdier and less likely to rip in the future. I chose a spring green cotton that complimented the garment’s rose-and-leaf pattern, leaving a half-inch of cotton poking out beyond the sleeve. It changed the look of the dress slightly, but I loved it.

“When you mend something, you either fix what’s wrong with it or you look at how to embellish, change or add to it that will support the fix,” Landis explained. “Another thing is repairing something special with something else special, to tie memories together.”