Molly Martin > Quotes

“Wabi-Sabi is ... beauty in imperfection and impermanence. It calls on us to appreciate the ageing process: the crack in the vase or the wrinkle on the face are there to be accepted, even celebrated, rather than seen as flaws that need to be disguised or removed. Likewise, materials should be reclaimed and reused rather than discarded.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“They record the wear and tear of time and weather, manifested in rust stains, warping, shrinking and cracking. The chips, scars, dents, tears and other forms of attrition are testament to use and misuse. They carry stories. However fragile or desiccated they can still be rich in character and atmosphere.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“An investigation into the poor performance of the British army in [the Crimean] war, however, revealed that British soldiers were ill-equipped in almost every way, with no means of repairing their uniforms, which were often in tatters by the time they reached battle.
In the years afterwards, darning and mending became an integral part of a soldier's training and survival skills.
...'Hussifs' remained standard issue for soldiers right up until the Vietnam War.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“Sometimes you can read a garment like a book. Within the folds and faded cuffs lies information about the wearer. This boiler suit, worn at least three times a week, all year round, for the last ten years, bears the imprint of it's owner. Once dark blue indigo, it is faded, with a batik-like pattern throughout, indicating the movement of the body that usually fills it. The sleeves are rolled up everyday; the legs too are rolled up twice, yet still scuff the ground with every step. I could tell which elbow was most learned on, which leg most kneeled on. I could tell that this was an active person, who liked to move and walked quickly.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“Mottainai'... which loosely means 'not to waste'. Mottainai is the ultimate in sustainability - a gentle call to arms to prolong the life and use of something that might otherwise be discarded. A scrap of paper might become a label for a jar... There is something to take from this notion, that even the smallest scrap can have value.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“One of the oldest pairs of Levi's, dating back to 1890, are still intact today; textile specialists believe them to have been worn by three different owners. Within the inside pocket, you can find the two-horse trademark, which was introduced in 1886 to signify the strength of the fabric - not even two horses could pull them apart. In 1900 an extra pocket was added; these are the jeans that became the classic 501's, which have barely changed to this day.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“Through the act of mending, visibly and beautifully, Holly is teaching her children an important life lesson: that clothes are meant to be treasured, passed down between siblings, worn and loved.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“The Bayeux Tapestry is an example of how a piece of cloth, if carefully repaired, can continue to tell its story 900 years on.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“there is a beauty in this simple act of care. A neatly darned elbow in a cherished jumper is not a sign of poverty, but of love.”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair

“We have no real connection to the things we wear and the products we use. We don't know how anything works or how things are made in the first place. We don't see the need to repair them. Why should we, when everything is so readily available and so easily replaced?”
― Molly Martin, The Art of Repair