Mend!

A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto

By: Kate Sekules

Narrated by: Kate Sekules

A hands-on manual and a history and celebration of clothes tending--and it's remarkable resurgence as art form, political statement, and path to healing the planet.

For thousands of years, mending was a deep craft that has for too long been a secret history. But now it's back, bigger and better than ever. In this audiobook Kate Sekules introduces the art of visible mending as part of an important movement to give fashion back its soul. Part manifesto, part how-to, MEND! calls for bold new ways of keeping clothes and refreshing your style. Crammed with tips, fun facts, and tutorials, MEND! tells you exactly how to rescue and renew your wardrobe with flair and aplomb--and save money along the way.

Whether you've never owned a needle or are an aspiring professional, MEND! gives you clear instruction and witty advice, with over thirty techniques, from classic darning and patching to cheeky new methods invented by Sekules, to help you turn every garment into a unique fashion statement. Including interviews with menders, shameful fashion industry facts, a ten-step closet mend, cheat sheets, stitch guides, moth elimination, museum conservator and vintage dealer tricks, and more, this is an audiobook to inspire, delight, and galvanize. Sharp, funny, and incredibly timely, MEND! leads the slow fashion revolution into its next phase, where getting dressed is a joyful, creative experience for all.

*This audiobook includes a PDF of images from the book.

Critic reviews

Praise for MEND!

"Sekules brings a refreshingly fierce voice to an assemblage of topics…A prim sewing guide this is not, and I am here for it. If you want sewing basics, Sekules does offer them, but along the way she will school you on where fashion has been and where it’s going (to the grave?)." —BookPage (starred)

"As someone who does not know how to sew at all, I tend to shy away from any mending projects (hence the seamstress to whom I deliver damaged items for repair). But Sekules' book does a remarkable job at making me think I actually could do this myself – and even want to try. A needle is less daunting than a sewing machine, and the diagrams in the book are so clear and simple that I am inspired to tackle my next holey t-shirt." —Treehugger.com

"Both practical and political, with a directory of menders whose work Sekules reveres, Mend! is a slow-fashion manifesto, a DIY manual and an argument for adding a little flair to any old garment--either by necessity or just because." —Shelf Awareness

Worth the Listen

I enjoyed this one a lot. I listened to it while unpacking my house from a move and got lots of ideas on how to mend all the clothes I was planning to throw away! The history of mending and cloth is also very interesting. The author narrated and her voice is fun to listen to. I recommend it if you like clothes and DIY/subversive culture.