Mending Life

November 18, 2019
Sonya and Nina Montenegro, twins and cofounders of the Portland, Ore., art studio the Far Woods, debut with a whimsically illustrated and millennial-friendly guide to mending clothing and household linens. They do a fine job of explaining the techniques required to mend a variety of items, from sweaters and socks to jacket cuffs and pant seats. The Montenegros include information on both “Essential” and “Specialty” supplies for sewing, on distinguishing between different fabrics, and on mastering the Japanese technique of “Sashiko Stitching,” which is shown to great effect in the authors’ charming drawings. The authors suggest approaching mending with a “spirit of play” and incorporating it into daily life—a section entitled “Mending on the Go,” for instance, portrays mending as “sweet, portable work” instead of a buckle-down, desperate task. They also share reasons, tailored to a younger audience, for taking it up—as an environmentally responsible practice, a way of meeting people pursuing the same hobby, and a hobby that’s easy on the wallet. If there is any book capable of convincing millennials to pick up a darning needle rather than a smartphone, it will be this alluring primer. Agent: Kate Woodrow, Present Perfect Dept.

April 3, 2020

Nina and Sonya Montenegro's lovely book simultaneously serves as a carefully illustrated, pragmatic guide for would-be menders and a beautiful study in what it means to let go of notions about what is and isn't disposable. They weave detailed advice about how to repair clothing--beginning with a list of supplies and moving through techniques used to fix everything from socks to down jackets--with anecdotes of when and how they learned about fixing things in life. The meditations on what is irreparable and when we can take what has been split ripped or unraveled and return it to a new state of wholeness are grounded in personal experiences. VERDICT A book to use long after the first reading. Like the garments the authors so carefully tend to, these pages are sure to take on the stains of well-worn, well-loved readings.--Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2020
In their first book, makers, designers, illustrators, and sisters Nina and Sonya Montenegro share their love and skill for repairing the garments we so rely on. An introduction covers the very basics, including what supplies to gather (with an emphasis on secondhand items), how to thread a needle, and a few essential stitches. Chapters then cover darning, patching, and other mending projects (like fixing snags, replacing buttons, repairing zippers). Each clearly laid out project (sewing or needle-felting a patch, darning a hole) includes numbered written instructions alongside step-by-step drawn illustrations of the stitchwork. Interspersed with the tutorials are essays and sweet illustrations that share the authors' journeys as makers and add to their overall message of mending's role in mindful, sustainable living. For the few projects where crochet or knitting skills are necessary, the authors recommend quick lessons or YouTube tutorials before digging in. With a guiding mantra that "There's nothing broken that can't be fixed," this very accessible guide will encourage readers to look with hopeful possibility at their well-worn, well-loved clothes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)