Needlework: Stitching the gap between Jane Austen and now

Photo by Benigno Hoyuela on Unsplash

The Jane Austen Gift Shop has just launched two new cross stitch kits -- one, a lovely Jane Austen's Life Sampler Kit and the other, to commemorate Jane Austen's 250th Birthday. With fast fashion taking all of the hard graft out of our hands, needlework skills are in decline. In 2017, the British Heart Foundation published research that revealed almost two-thirds of Brits have little or no sewing knowledge at all.

I have to admit that I, myself, couldn't confidently sew a button into exactly the right spot, and that my attempts to stitch up holes in my own clothes are scattershot - not what my Home Economics teacher would hope to hear, for sure. We've come a long way since Jane Austen's time, when the ability to sew, mend, darn and embroider our own clothes was considered a vital skill for young ladies of all classes. Nowadays, the cheapness of clothing means that when we tear a top, or wear through our socks, we don't endeavour to repair, we just throw it away - this is terrible news for our climate! Here are several paths you can take to improve your sewing skills and take up a new hobby. 

Make do and mend

"Fast fashion" is a term that describes the way that most clothes we buy on the high street are made today - quickly, cheaply and in less-than-ideal conditions. Constant demand for new products and new trends, as well as the short shelf life of the items themselves, means that retailers are creating mountains of new clothes all the time, even if they don't sell and end up in landfill. The fast fashion industry accounts for 10% of all global carbon emissions, so this is a pretty big deal for the future of our planet. We should all be endeavouring to reduce our impact, and learning to repair our own clothes could be an important part of that.  

In Georgian Britain, there was no Zara or H&M. A well-to-do member of the gentry might have a handful of dresses for different occasions, with maids constantly cleaning and repairing them to keep them in good nick. For members of the working classes, it might be necessary to make do with less, so being able to mend your clothes when they tore was key. Buying a sewing machine might be out of your budget, but there are plenty of things you can learn to do by hand, such as darn a sock, or hem a dress 

Retrim your bonnet 

Flowers are very much worn, and fruit is still more the thing. Elizabeth has a bunch of strawberries, and I have seen grapes, cherries, plums, and apricots. There are likewise almonds and raisins, French plums, and tamarinds at the grocers', but I have never seen any of them in hats... Elizabeth has given me a hat, and it is not only a pretty hat, but a pretty style of hat too. It is something like Eliza's, only, instead of being all straw, half of it is narrow purple ribbon. I flatter myself, however, that you can understand very little of it from this description. Heaven forbid that I should ever offer such encouragement to explanations as to give a clear one on any occasion myself! But I must write no more of this. . .

Jane Austen to Cassandra Queen's Square, Bath June 2, 1799

During Jane Austen's lifetime, bonnets would often be trimmed with ribbons, flowers and other adornments. Instead of buying a new bonnet every time the fashion changed, ladies would often retrim them, picking out new ribbons from the haberdasher to save on the expense of buying a whole new bonnet. Whilst we don't wear bonnets these days (in general - you do you!), there are definitely smaller ways to jazz up pieces we already own, such as buying new laces for your shoes, or sewing new buttons onto an old cardigan.

Something that brought me such delight when I first heard of it was visible mending. Visible mending is the practice of fixing small holes in your clothing with mismatched threads and fabrics, announcing to the world that the piece of clothing you are wearing is not brand new, and so what? This is a really interesting hobby to pick up if you're into knitting in particular and are keen to make a statement with your outfits. 

Practice Mindfulness

Picture the Regency lady at her sewing; doesn't she look serene? With many of us trying to pull away from frittering away all of our time on screens, learning to sew or embroider could be the perfect way to spend some time offline. Whether you buy one of our kits, or simply buy some thread to practice with, once you're going, you can lose yourself in the repetitive task. Plus, if you get good at it, embroidering handkerchiefs or t-shirts can be a great way to make a personalised gift for a friend. 

Build a community 

Many local community centres will run sewing classes at a small cost for locals to come together and learn a new skill, or maybe you can get together with some friends to work on your sewing together. Just like a book club, a sewing group, or slightly less politely, a "stitch and b*tch" can be a nice way to get your friends together on an evening or weekend, in a setting that is a bit more chill than going out to a bar. You could also join an online community for visible menders or people who make their own clothes and make friends all over the world. 

Can you sew? Do you mend your own clothes? Let us know in the comments! 

Ellen White is editor of the Jane Austen Centre blog. She would love to hear from you! Check out our Submission Guidelines and get in touch.