Sewing Needles
These are some of the items in Winnie's sewing bag, saved in case we may need them. There was a time, some of us remember, when clothing wasn't quite the commodity it is today. I recall seeing my grandfather and great grandfather for that matter, wearing old, worn sunday clothes as work clothes, out in the garden. Shoes that would no longer shine, shirts that had already been mended many times before, often became work attire, before being relegated to rags.
I think the clothing was meant to wear a long time, and meant to be mended, Cobblers repaired boots and a family member would have a basket of sewing to do during "down" time.
I will confess that my sewing skills are quite limited, and it is not a chore I relish, but it is something I think about, living in a world where it is "cheaper" to make the shirt that is so poorly made to begin with that it cannot be mended, and is simply replaced again and again. The truth is, I'd rather be reading a book, or riding my bike than fixing a torn hem, but I can't help wondering, is it really cheaper to have our clothing made half way around the world, of poor quality, shipped to us on a freighter, to only last for a brief time before being added to a land fill, or sent back to the contry from which it was produced, by freighter, as rags?
Might it be cheaper, in the long run, to pay more for a durable garment, and keep a needle handy when a seam needs repair? I wonder?
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