Mending a Worn-out Coin Purse
The Mending Movement has grown a great deal in the past few years. With the environmental impact of fast fashion becoming better known, people are reevaluating their relationship with clothes, the people who make them, and the earth to which they will ultimately return. Return they will, but not without a cost to the world they inhabited for a short while.
Some people have always been menders. They buy carefully, judiciously and they maintain their belongings with care so that they may last a long time while being in good condition.
Some people become menders.
And while there are a wide variety of things to mend and maintain, mending clothing or upcycling is undeniably trending. From adding embroidery to cover a stain to reweaving an area that has frayed, there are many skills, choices, and levels of commitment.
There are plenty of online communities for mending. The one that stood out to me is an event called #MendMarch held on Instagram. Each year there is a list of prompts for each day of March. Beginners and professionals alike participate and there is a lot of knowledge passed along. I've learned a lot from participating. My Instagram feed shows some of the items I mended in that month.
This brings me to this coin purse. It was my mother's. She loved it to pieces, literally. The fabric had practically melted away and the stuffing tried to escape. She intended on throwing it away, but I asked if I could mend it. Though it was started in March, I just picked it back up this week and finished it up.
Here are a couple of shots of the coin purse as it was before I worked on it.
First I selected several fabrics which I thought would work well together.
I pinned one piece of fabric to each side, turning the edges under as I did so. Then each piece was sewn down using an invisible stitch. Once front and back were in place, a contrasting fabric was chosen for the strip on the bottom of the bag. Again, this piece was carefully applied to the bottom section, turning the edges under in the appropriate places. Then it was stitched down with the same invisible stitch. I was delighted with the result.
Until I opened the purse and saw the fabrics used there. They were appropriate for the former pattern, but would not do.
With the leftover fabric from the fronts and sides, a small drawstring bag was made. It fits easily in one of the pockets and adds some whimsy to the look.
I didn't want to line the inside of the coin purse. Adding a drawstring bag means I can add items that I want to keep together or add it to the pocket flat folded to add some connection between the outside and the lining.
Sometimes things go in our coin purses that aren't coins. Rather than lose a ring or earring when out and about, popping it into this little drawstring bag and securing it in my coin purse is a great way to make sure you do not misplace such items.
Last, but not least, is this beautiful charm created by Madeleine Ooka. It is the perfect finishing touch. You can find Madeleine on Instagram at @chasingtheroserabbit .
If you enjoyed seeing this transformation some of my other mends can be found on my Facebook page or my Instagram. If you would like to see more detailed posts like this one leave a comment below.
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