Simone's Stripy PJs with a hole in the butt
On the Mends with a top thrifting find
This week features a mend from my very talented sister-in-law Simone (tip: before the winter cold sets in pick up some of her magic healing salve for chapped skin).
Where did you get them from?
“I found them while thrifting in Margaretville with Angie. She spotted them and said, "These are for you," and I immediately agreed—into the bag they went! We kept sifting through more treasures, totally in our thrifting groove. But when we got home and started sorting through our finds, we realized… there was a HUGE hole on the butt! Like, hilariously huge. But I loved the bright colors and how soft the fabric was, so I felt compelled to try fixing them. Angie and I both agreed it was worth the effort.”
How’d they get ripped?
“Honestly, no clue. It's a total mystery! It doesn’t look like a rip at all—it’s like someone just decided to cut a whole chunk out for fun.”
How’d you end up repairing them?
“Well, there were a few puzzle pieces to figure out. Like I mentioned, it didn’t look like a normal rip, so I couldn’t just stitch it back together. The fabric is also super soft and stretchy, and the hole is on the butt—prime real estate for something fun! You actually suggested the patch idea, which was brilliant, and I thought, “What do I want on my butt? A juicy pink heart, of course!” The tricky part was finding fabric that was both soft and stretchy, so it’d look good and hold up when you're walking, sitting, or stretching out in bed. I dug through my stash and found an old pink t-shirt of my dad's from the 80s, made from the perfect material.
To make the patch, I laid the pants out, slipped a piece of paper inside to trace the shape of the hole, then drew a heart around it. I used that as a stencil to cut the patch from the pink fabric, pinned it onto the pants, and stitched it up with matching pink thread using a whip stitch.”
How do they feel to rock after you’ve fixed them?
“They feel amazing! Honestly, this project was inspired by watching Rita’s [Simone’s niece!/my toddler daughter’s] bedtime routine. She’s so into her pajamas, and it made me realize how fun that part of the day could be, rather than just throwing on whatever before crashing into bed. Now, these pajamas are super comfortable, fun to walk around in, and they actually make me excited to get into bed. It’s giving both big kid and big adult energy, and I’m here for it.”
Thank you so much Simone! Loved watching these PJs evolve. We will be back next with an interview with cobbler expert and upcycle sneaker extraordinaire, Sung of cobbler bushwick.
It seems like there’s a lot going on in coming weeks mending events wise, so I thought I’d list out some of what’s going on. I’ll be at a few of these! Let me know if you’re around. Let me know if there’s more I should add?
Online Events
Mending on Knit (October 9th)
Mending Denim with Sashiko (October 16th)
Mending Socks (October 23rd)
Mending Narrative (November 6th)
Mending on Jersey (November 13th) — feat. previous On the Mends expert interviewee Sam Bennett!
New York
3 Talks with Artists on Mending at Index (First one October 15th)
Clothing Repair Lab at Brooklyn Public Library in Borough Park (October 17th)
Bushwick Repair Fest (October 19th)
Visible Mending Workshop at The Craft Studio Salon (November 10th)
Darn It Mending Club at Textile Arts Center (First Sunday of every month)
Mending Circle at Knitty City (Every Friday)
Super cute Simone!