2020-09-14 - Sewing
-------------------

I recently found that some of my socks had very thin areas on them that
looked like they were going to turn into holes soon. Instead of waiting
for that to happen, I decided to get out my thread and needles and mend
them first, and while I was at it, I also decided to document the
process on my phlog. I also added some links to pictures I took to
accompany the post.

First, you need a sock with a hole or weak spot (obviously). I chose
the one you can see in [0]. This spot isn't too bad yet, but if I mend
it now, I don't have to mend it later when it's an actual hole. You
then need something to stretch the sock on. There are special tools to
use for that purpose, but an empty jam jar works as well, as you can
see in [1]. It's not as convenient as more professional tools, but I
didn't mind too much. Also remember to turn the sock inside out so the
ends of the thread aren't seen outside (although that really doesn't
matter too much, considering that it's just a sock).

Now you have to prepare the thread as usual when sewing - thread the
needle and make a small "knot" at the opposite end of the thread to
fasten it when you pull the thread through the sock. To make the knot,
first lick the end of the thread to make it slightly wet, wrap it once
around your index finger[2], and roll it between your index finger
and thumb, then roll it off and pull it towards the end of the thread
so you're left with a little knot[3]. This is just the basic stuff you
need for all sewing, and you can find much better instructions
elsewhere, but this was just meant to be a really quick introduction.

When you've done that, you can start sewing. Just start weaving the
needle back and forth over the weak area or hole[4]. When you've
covered everything in one direction, go over it again in the other
direction, weaving your way through the thread you sewed before. If
you're mending an actual hole, it's a bit more difficult because you
have to create the entire structure yourself, which is why I prefer to
just mend it while there's at least some of the original structure left.

When you've covered the whole area in both directions, you can finish
it off like any other stitch - poke the needle through a little piece
of thread that you sewed, then, instead of just pulling it through as
usual, pull it through the loop you created[5]. Repeat that once or
twice, pull the thread tight, and cut off the end (but leave a short
piece so it doesn't come undone as easily). Like the rest of the post,
this is only a short overview, so you probably won't know what to do
with these instructions unless you already know how to sew anyways,
but I hope it'll be useful for someone at least. The final result
should look something like [6]. This is a great activity to do while
watching a movie or documentary because it takes quite some time but
doesn't require much thinking. You just need to make sure to have good
lighting so you can still see what you're doing.

Now I have some of my more philosophical opinions on the matter. It
seems that most people nowadays don't really bother to mend clothes at
all. I think this is a great mistake. There are countless articles and
documentaries on the harms of fast fashion both on the people
manufacturing the clothes and the environment. Frankly, I'm disgusted
by the blind consumerism that drives people to buy new clothes
constantly and throw away their old ones that they barely wore. The
central problem here is that people care too much about the outward
appearance of everything. This is not limited to clothes - even though
there are many reasons why computers and other devices are constantly
thrown away (see my last post[7] for more details), fashion does play
a factor. No one wants old computers that don't look "cool" anymore.
This is even seen in software, which often gets bloated simply to make
it look "fancier". Fashion and the blind focus on outward appearance
is truly one of the central problems in our fight for justice and
environmental sustainability.

Now, to get back to the original point of the article, I think mending
clothes is a good step in the right direction. Every time you mend your
clothes instead of throwing them away, even if they're just socks, you
prevent those clothes from ending up in the trash and prevent the
resources for creating new clothes from being wasted. Most importantly,
if others notice you mending your clothes, they might start doing so
themselves, and maybe mending clothes will slowly turn into a normal
thing to do again. We have to reject the thought that mending clothes is
only for poor people and instead see it as a great skill to be proud of.

[0] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/00_damage.jpg
[1] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/01_jar.jpg
[2] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/02_knot1.jpg
[3] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/03_knot2.jpg
[4] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/04_weaving.jpg
[5] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/05_finishing.jpg
[6] gopher://lumidify.org/I/phlog/2020-09-14-sewing/06_done.jpg
[7] gopher://lumidify.org/0/phlog/2020-08-19-recycling-sustainability.txt