March Mending

March was an even busier month for mending. I started with a full inventory of my reenacting closet, removing everything from the hangers and drawers, and sorting through it.

How it started.

Garments that were whole and ready to wear went back up in the closet immediately. This was mostly my cloaks, mantles, and shawls. Items that needed only minor repair went onto the mending basket; this included the bulk of my 1850s clothing, which is fair since it sees the most wear. My third category, items that likely need some major re-fitting or alteration, went back up in the closet, in a segregated area (and marked with yarn tied to the hangers as a reminder.) Things I can't or won't wear again went into one of two boxes: if I like the material and think there's enough of it to recycle, it'll be picked apart and remade. The other box is items to sell at the upcoming reenactor swap meet.

I managed to get through my main garments, underthings, and shoes, though I still have to sort through my bonnets, stockings, and accessories, which live in the smaller totes.

How it continued.

My first round of mending included my corded and quilted petticoats (replacing seams below the plackets), fastening down escaped pleats on my 1870s print skirt and my 1860s sage wool skirt (and some darning on the latter), restraining an escaped bone on my 1820s long stays, and many small repairs to my blue wrapper (sleeve seam, neck binding, and a small section of gauging on the skirt).

My knitting apron, following an adverse tea incident, got the silk ribbons removed so that it could the hand-washed. The ribbons also received a badly-needed pressing before being sewn back on. I was worried about how to iron the apron itself, with its extensive gathers and decorative ruching, but after air-drying it, it actually looks as good as new.

Before (R) and after (L) ironing the ribbons.

I then started to pick apart some of the garments that will need more extensive remodelling, starting with the canary-yellow sheer. Most of these are still in the to-do basket.

Later in the month, I re-seamed the legs on a pair of drawers, and also patched 4 modern pairs of jeans (which all conveniently decided to wear through at the same time).