On Mending: Stories of damage and repair

by Celia Pym

A fascinating insight intothe work of a pre-eminent craftsperson, On Mending was inspired by Pym's experience of hearing intimate stories from people's lives, of loss and love as a result of mending the holes in their clothes.Not a ‘how- to’ book, this is rather an in-depth look into the damage that we do, as manifested by our outer layers, our clothes.

Working with garments that belong to individuals as well as items in museum archives, Celia Pym has broad experience with stories of damage, from moth holes to accidents with fire. She is interested in exploring the varied evidence of damage, and how repair draws attention to the places where garments and cloth wear down and grow thin.

These personal tales document the intimate damage caused to clothing by everyday use and the parallels with the consequent wear and tear on the body. Mending work builds on what is left behind. It’s not replacing, or remaking, or cutting apart and putting back together, instead it is slow work that makes things better. It conjures an unhurried recovery or change. In textiles, the act of mending wear-and-tear, thinning cloth or accidental damage builds on what already exists, anchoring threads and yarn into the robust healthy fabric and filling in the holes or reinforcing the areas that are weak.

"Darning is small acts of care," she says, "and paying close attention."

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Crafts

96 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2026

Reviews

[Caroline Cox Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Read for my textile themed book club, just sweet human stories about them and their clothes. Cool visuals!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful ❤️

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book elicited an emotional reaction of a bursting happy heart when reading the short descriptions of people and their attachments to garments. It’s a very human and caring book, documenting and recording beautiful barter of conversations, art and mended textiles.

There are many things to think about in this book like craft and art and where they crossover, and what “use” is and how it is shown.

Absolutely stellar read and wonderful photographs. The colors are all lovely and lively.

[Yellowoasis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet book, stories of individual garments and what they meant/mean before, during and after being repaired. The repairs become part of the ongoing story of the garment. It makes you look at clothes differently, and to value them more highly, especially in our throwaway culture.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an inspiring read. It has made me rethink my relationship with my clothes and encouraged me to be brave and mend things visibly.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely charming and fascinating. Surprisingly intellectually stimulating!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting philosophy about mending clothing.

[Jodell Larimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with the book as I did not expect it to be a sharing of her brief life philosophy through minimal descriptions of 10 items before and after mending