MENDING

Here’s the reality: I spend a lot of time repairing and otherwise rejuvenating garments to prepare them for sale. Lucky for me, Liberty prints are engagingly beautiful to look at, as well as feeling nice and ironing comparatively easily. All reasons I chose to work with them and don’t tire of the process (most of the time). Generously speaking, even when I select carefully, 50% of the garments I collect need attention beyond a wash and iron or steam. I think it's worth mentioning some of the key adjustments.

Buttons and buttonholes
If I’m lucky a button that needs replacing can be done with an existing spare or by a match I have in my button drawers, though this can easily spiral to needing to replace all the buttons. Buttonholes can also be quick to unravel and in need of attention. That's where buttonhole stitch comes in, though a light touch is required to blend into with the other entact, machined holes.

Hems and seams
Hems of skirts and dresses often need addressing in sections where they’ve come loose. Seams weaken and need reinforcing. for shirts, this is often around the armholes.

Cuffs and collars
The edges of cuffs are sneaky places of wear that can fray well in advance of other areas of the garment requiring attention. These I unpick or cut open and then tuck in, seaming carefully as close to the edge as possible, so only 5mm or less is lost, removing and replacing the button in order to get access. I’ve been known to turn collars, where the construction allows. More modern garments aren’t necessarily made with these allowances for longevity built in. 

Stains
Part of the beautiful nature of printed garments is that they hide stains well. Since I avoid collecting anything with obvious stains, I sometimes only find them during the painstaking attention the garment receives while I’m ironing or steaming it. I’m getting better at stain removal all the time, but there are stubborn ones that won’t budge and it takes utmost care to not fade the whole garment, or as I’ve learned the hard way, bleach out sections, even when not using bleach. 

Beyond repair? What happens next?
It happens. Occasionally a garment enters my collection that turns out to be beyond redemption for selling. If it fits, I might wear it myself. However, the beauty of Liberty print is that the fabric has the potential for many other uses, namely patchwork, patching other garments and other joyous projects. I deconstruct these garments to salvage the fabric and buttons for future use. Seams and sections beyond repurposing are at least biodegradable, since my focus is on natural fibres.

Bigger issues
And then there are the garments that have rips and holes that require attention beyond their own fabric. The most popular place for an undisclosed tear is a hole behind a button, most often the very first or last one on the front. Interestingly, the button at the centre of the chest can also be prone. I like to attribute these to an ample bosom that longs to break free or removing clothes Superman-style, rather than the risky behaviour of not undoing buttons to take a shirt off. Slits are also a place that likes to rip. These are the issues that call for what I like to call ‘Repairing Liberty’. I toyed with idea of calling my shop that, but I have no desire to impinge upon copyright or make claims that I am rectifying greater injustices than a torn shirt. Anyway, these repairs entail getting creative and going a step beyond to keep a garment in use while at the same time elevating it with some extra attention.

A Special Collection
Perhaps my favourite garments I sell are those that required not just an invisible, minor mend that goes unmentioned, but a more active patch that requires some song and dance. I do this with Liberty print on Liberty print. These repairs get special attention combining years of visual and hands-on skills. It’s a creative process. They take time. I enjoy doing them. These visible mends form a very special, occasional collection. Rest assured you won’t receive these time-rich mends unannounced as they are meant to be celebrated and desired – a conscious and conscientious choice. They are markers of keeping a garment going, an appreciation of print and mending skills, and a way for me to add my personal touch. 

Can I help you?
If you have a beloved Liberty garment you’d like to extend the wearable life of with some artful repairs that are beyond your personal stitching-capacity, do get in contact with images of the areas needing attention. I match patches to the pattern with a simpatico Liberty print from my collection and sew them in by hand, without the use of adhesives. Liberty on Liberty, visible mending (with some invisible elements too).

Nope, I don’t
I don't do run-of-the-mill alterations: shortening hems and sleeves, sewing buttons back on, reinforcing seams, adding or removing darts, etc. unless part of an extensive revamp. Same goes for turning collars and cuffs, eventhough these are getting a bit more specialist. I will consider doing them only as part of a larger project. If these tasks are beyond you, I suggest they get taken to a local repair shop or work out a swapsies with a buddy in possession of the appropriate skills and accoutrements. Ideally, acquire those skills life-skills yourself. 

Let’s talk economics
I’d like to be upfront here and address the fact that enlisting me to mend something for you won't be a cheap solution to keeping yourself clothed. While my rates are low in comparison to other specialist, hands-on maintenance and repair professionals, such as surgeons, plumbers, piano tuners and all man(ner) of other technicians and engineers with similar years of experience, this won’t be a minimum-wage affair. My guess is you will come to me with a sentimentally-charged garment you would like to preserve and you appreciate the ecological and ethical nature of repair. I can help give an heirloom or your favourite dress a wearable future and add another layer to its memories.

Why am I mentioning all of this?
I figure it is interesting to know what goes into Reflowering as a whole project, but also so that you can feel reassured that when you buy from me online (in response to a pretty picture), it will arrive with you in fabulous vintage condition. Yes, it’s secondhand, it has been worn before (to a lesser or greater degree), but it has been very well looked after and passed my fastidious high standards, receiving expert attention if needed. Ready for a new adventure.