Do you have an overflowing mending basket, like me? Does it make you a little nuts every time you look at it? My mother had one when I was a kid, and torn clothes went in and stayed in until we outgrew them. Some of them were still in it when she passed away. When I went off to college, like a good daughter, I started a mending basket of my own. The stuff in it never got mended. The items would get tossed every few years when clothing styles had changed or I no longer wanted to wear them.
Today I've been inspired by the FlyLady, to do something about it. Since laundry is the FlyLady's habit of the month, it's a great time to figure out how to tackle the mending. This morning, I realized that if I use the FlyLady's philosophy of doing things in small, 5-minute chunks, I can conquer my mountain of mending.
Here's the plan:
1. Make a list of the items that need to be mended.
2. Gather the materials that will be needed for mending them, like the right colors of thread, etc.
3. Put away the items to be mended. That's right. Put them where they belong, even if they're not mended.
4. Get a small basket to hold your mending supplies, list of items to be mended, and a pencil. It's great if the basket (or box, bag, tin, whatever) has a lid or can be closed, but don't stress on this.
5. Put the basket next to a comfy chair that you use every day--maybe for watching tv, reading, or taking a 5-minute sit-down break during the day.
6. Once a day, always at the same time, get out your mending list, and go get the first/next item to be mended. Sit down for 5 minutes with your little mending kit and get it done. Put the item, thread, etc. away, and cross it off the list.
7. If your list is empty, get in the habit of checking it once a day at the designated time, anyway. Otherwise, you'll start forgetting about it, and when there's actual mending to be done, it will slide into never-gets-done oblivion.
I figure that if I follow this plan, I'll be caught up on my mending by the end of the month. Then as items present themselves needing buttons, rip repair, hemming, etc., they'll go right on the list, and they'll be back in service quickly.
You can follow my mending progress in these posts:
Day 1: Celtic Bedspread
Day 2: Cherry Print Sweater
Day 3: Tarn Rug
Day 4: Nightgown Strap
Day 5: Flappy Facing
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