Patching

My grandparents had a sewing machine.  It was a treadle machine, which was solely foot-powered: through pedaling your feet back and forth to keep it running.  It was so vintage that it could probably sit in a museum now.  They had a few pattern booklets, not only for making shirts and pants, but also for panties and bras.  Both of them knew how to tailor, but my grandpa on the sewing machine only.  My grandma additionally could sew by hand, knit sweaters, hats, scarves.  She knitted my sweaters, but all I ever wanted was a puffer jacket.

Times have changed.  Now one can buy every piece of clothing in Vietnam, even quality disposable panties.  The country has returned to its heritage, making textiles of silks, jacquards, and brocades.  As a manufacturing hub for the ready-made garment industry, including fast fashion, the benefits to locals are measurable, not only with job placements, but also the luxury of overnight custom tailoring.  Every fashion shop can take your measurements on the spot and deliver the next day, in your size, whatever displayed on their mannequins.  The business model has also gone online, where measurements are sent and goods are shipped at lightning speed.

Even as ready-made clothing had become affordable, my grandpa continued to sew and patch his own.  Some of his shirts were so well patched that he looked as if wearing a quilt.  He would lament that it was a perfectly good shirt.  We thought he was only being frugal, understandable given that he lived through many hard times. Though I sensed that it was much easier to throw away a thing purchased and worn a few times than that which had been given the personal touch.  Once you’ve sewn a patch on a thing, you become emotionally attached to it.

I never learned how to properly sew or to knit.  I never needed to.  I picked up only 3 stitching patterns – the running stitch, the back stitch, and the whip stitch – which was adequate for simple mending.  But lately, I find that I’m turning into my grandpa.  I have a beloved merino wool cardigan with few holes in the back that I can’t bear to let go.  And since I can’t knit, patching appears to be ideal.

Any fabric can be kept for patching, but my favorites are old scarves.  They are bright, colorful, patterned, and soft, which makes sewing them onto other fabrics easy.  They are also great for adding pockets to jackets.  I can take advantage of the already sewn in edges to reduce the amount of sewing required.  To prevent fraying of cut edges, use pinking shears, whip stitches to hem, or fabric glues if necessary.  Tailoring is a time-consuming activity, only worthwhile for your beloved items.  Otherwise there’s always fast fashion.