"I beg you to take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster."
Catherine the Great
Mend the Gap
With a hole in the bottom and a ripped handle, this gorgeous hand-embroidered 1970s wool purse was one step away from the landfill!
​
Someone, probably a woman in Central or South America, had spent many hours on this beauty.
​
When I found it at the Portland, Oregon Goodwill outlet, I had to take it home and give it some love.
​
12 patches later, it's in good wearable condition and ready to find its forever home.
​
Let me know if it's calling your name...
"How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults or resolution enough to mend them."
Benjamin Franklin
Elaine wanted to take her favorite jeans on holiday...
Happy neighbors!
...but there was a problem!
​
A 3 1/2" hole (and two others on the way...)
​
When she met me at the yarn meetup at the local library, she was thinking of throwing them away! But when I explained my mending approach and showed her a sample, she immediately jumped on board the patch train!
​
When she came to my home studio to pick out threads for custom patches, instead she found three pre-made patches she loved. Two days later, her jeans were back in business! What a fun project, and we saved another beloved garment from the landfill!
​
Hint: to make stretch jeans last longer, hang them to dry!
Why I do what I do...
My ethos is this: I don't buy anything new.
​
Not the items I rescue...
not the the yarn I crochet or knit with...
not the thread I use to sew my patches...
not even the needles I sew with!
​
Because our world is already full of beautiful things, just waiting to be assembled into a new work of art.
​
Don't throw away your favorite jeans just because they've got a hole. Patch them instead! (Or send them to me, and I'll do it.)
​
My art builds on three pillars:
Vibrant color creates a sense of abundance
Decorating possessions bring artistic energy into the everyday
Geometric shapes signal excitement and expectation
​
Decorative art designed to be hung on a wall, fragile, purely aesthetic is only a few thousand years old, a thin layer in the grand scheme of human existence, like the skin of an apple.
Before that, art was almost always practical…and portable.
Humans wore art on their bodies, used decorated items to hunt or cook, covered themselves in helpful colors, patterns, and symbols, aesthetically pleasing and spiritually or energetically protective.
In modern Western society, almost everyone wears clothes in solid shades of black, gray, brown, and denim blue.
We've lost the idea that we thrive when we wear and use art. But we still have our original human nervous system that is strengthened by artistic energy.
Have you ever thought about the fact that, aside from the circle, the hexagon is one of the few regular geometric shapes found in nature?
Found primarily in beehives and crystals, hexagons are both familiar and exciting. Combined with the floral motifs that signal a diverse ecosystem with abundant food sources, my crochet motifs ping the human nervous system to elicit happiness and interest.
Using a rich range of vintage crochet and embroidery threads, often manufactured with a sheen and richness not found in modern materials, I repair discarded items to create practical works of art for everyday use, allowing us to saturate our lives with artistic energy as in the earliest years of our existence.
And if you think I planned this all beforehand, nothing could be further from the truth. I found myself drawn to (obsessed by?) mending with these colorful hexagons, and it's taken a lot of research and a multi-year nomadic journey to figure out why.
​
My work combines the cutting edge of neuroscience with tried and true practices that have helped our bodies thrive on this planet for thousands of years.
Now, I understand my art as one small step in crafting an approach that will allow us to thrive here for thousands more.
"Forgiveness is the needle that knows how to mend."
Jewel
Darn it all!
Ever find a fast-fashion tee that's so cool you can't pass it up...even though you know it's not designed to last?
​
That's what happened to my husband with his beloved Spidey shirt. A few years of wear, and it had five holes!
​
Specially designed spider web patches to the rescue! Can mending be a superpower?
​
Not for sale since it's a hubby fan favorite!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take?
It comes out to about an hour per patch, including designing, crocheting, blocking, and sewing the patch on.
​
Can I commission you to mend my item?
Maybe...if you like my style, and the repair is in my skillset, I might be able to give it a go. Email me with pictures...
Are your mended items for sale?
Sometimes. Contact me if you see something you like here or on my Instagram @SpiritsaidStyle or my Etsy shop: Spiritsaid Style.
Can anyone learn to mend?
Absolutely! Even if you just use a commercial iron-on patch, you'll have significantly increased the life of your item.
Are your patches for sale?
Yes, I typically have pre-made patches available in a variety of sizes and weights to match different fabrics.
​If you don't see any in my Etsy shop, please contact me directly.
​
Do you do custom orders?
Yes. If you send me photos, I can create patches to match your project. I can sew them on for you, but they're easy to sew on yourself!
Me with the Pearlies near the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London - talk about some fantastic fiber artists!
How did I get here?
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
One day in the early 1980s, in the sleepy surfing town of Santa Cruz, California, 80-year-old Mable Alcorn announced that she would teach the best behaved kids at the daycare I attended how to crochet. At 10 years old, you bet I was at the front of the line!
Crochet, and later knitting, got me through an awkward childhood, years of educational anxiety, an armed conflict, and two knee surgeries -- all before I turned 21! Later, they were my constant companions navigating the stresses of corporate America and running my own varied businesses.
Then, in 2022, the Methodist Thrift Store in Grant's Pass, Oregon taught me that charity shops are rife with vintage crochet thread in a rainbow of gorgeous colors. With these donated materials, I discovered I could create beautiful works of art out of things that would otherwise be thrown away. This creative work soothed my spirit. I realized that rescuing items was actually rescuing me as well!
​
Since then, I've met people all over the world and worked on purses, sweaters, blankets, scarves, pillows, even a vintage 1980s nightgown.
​
It seems I've become a bit of a mending maven! (Or maybe that should be monster...maestro...mistress?)
My Mending Manifesto
In a culture that fetishizes youth and productivity, the urge to mend, to repair, to restore, to resurrect provides an essential counter. Old things are important. Taking time to value them matters. We need to learn from our elders. We must sustain key traditions threatened by modernity. And honestly, we are all going to need a soft landing sometime. We'll need people who treat us gently, to help revive us, to value what we still have to give even if we're not as pristine as we were in our prime.
The patina of age has its own value, both for people and for the things we create.
When I revive something that others have thrown away, in my own mind, I'm taking a stand for all of us who want to be valued no matter what our condition.
People, items, ideas - we all deserve the care we need to thrive.
