Last month I mentioned that I would be starting a new series titled ‘The Lost Art Of…..’
This month we start with something very practical.
The Lost Art of Mending
There was a time when a missing button, a torn hem or a small hole in a sock did not mean the end of an item’s useful life. It simply meant the sewing tin came out. Inside were spare buttons, needles, thread, safety pins, elastic, patches and sometimes a thimble that had seen many years of faithful service.
Mending was once part of everyday life. Clothes were repaired, altered, handed down and made to last. A neat row of stitches could give a favourite shirt many more years of wear, and a patched pair of trousers often told a story of work, play and practicality.
Recently, I had a conversation with a few colleagues about this very thing. When asked whether they knew how to sew on a button, take up a hem or mend a small tear, most admitted they would not really know where to start. One said they would probably “just Google it”, while another laughed and said they would look it up on YouTube or TikTok and hope for the best. It was a funny reminder of how much has changed. The skills once passed from parent to child around the kitchen table are now often learnt through short videos on a phone.
But perhaps mending is making a quiet comeback. Younger generations are becoming more interested in sustainability, reducing waste and learning old-fashioned skills in modern ways. While the tools may have changed, from sewing tins to online tutorials, the idea remains the same: caring for what we already have.
For many residents, mending may bring back memories of school sewing lessons, wartime thrift, making do, or watching a mother, grandmother or neighbour repair clothing with calm and capable hands. It was not just about saving money; it was about patience, resourcefulness and pride in looking after things properly.
Perhaps the lost art of mending is not really lost after all. Maybe it is just waiting to be picked up again, one button, one stitch and one shared story at a time.
Do you have a mending memory to share? Was there a sewing tin in your family home, filled with spare buttons, cotton reels, pins and little treasures? Did someone teach you how to sew on a button, patch a pair of trousers or turn up a hem? We would love to hear your stories — whether they are funny, practical or full of nostalgia — about the clever ways people repaired, reused and made things last.
See you next month.
(Zoe Stringer, Alumuna Community Manager)
