@CiaraNi Amazingly well stated and exemplified!

@geonz No, she's really alive. And smart, and careful. And very traumatised. But alive. And that is something to be happy about, if only to honor her perseverance. @c_merriweather

@guayabito She got back online later and told me more. I am like you - I really don't know what to say to her that won't sound stupid and trite, so I just keep telling her that I'm listening.

@johnrohde they sure are. He must be very distraught

@zoeking thank you. It’s illogical I know, but I feel it helps somehow

@AnnieBuddy me too

I want to tell you a little bit about my friend in Tehran. She's a psychoanalyst. We met studying Lacan in a reading group online.

I know one thing for sure - she doesn't generalise about people, ever. She understands that no matter what nation we come from, we're all unique individuals who have our own points of view and feelings.

So, please don't worry - she doesn't think ALL Americans are awful. She knows exactly who is answerable for her pain. On her own side, and in America.

@ahumanbeinz She's a very intelligent and insightful person who is not in the habit of generalising, so I already know that she knows this. However, I will pass on your message the moment I get back in touch with her.

@c_merriweather

Hey, no crying. She's alive and that is what matters.

I just got a WhatsApp message from my friend in Tehran.

I don't want to speak for her, so I will just pass on her words:

I can't believe I'm alive
We had massive explosions in my neighbourhood
So close
So terrifying
Broke the windows
Shaked the building
I feel numb
The city is not the same
Neither people
Neither life

Then our connection dropped.
#Iran

@pascaline Yes! @tompearce49

@tompearce49 Me too. That's wonderful. I must admit, I have seen that on a very high-end cardigan. Along with a couple of replacement buttons.

@spacehobo Yes!!!

@spacehobo That's so sad!

@pg1958 I'm just hoping other sewists will dream up their own personal ways for passing on a garment that can be mended.

I remember watching a very wizened old tailor in Ho Chi Minh City sew an extra piece of the woven fabric of a suit into the inside jacket pocket.

Invisible mending techniques used to be very, very common in Asia, and you need a generous piece of the same fabric to weave it into place to cover a hole or tear.

I am sure he's passed on now, but that little act lives on in me.

I always think that the idea of adding a little something that will help the wearer extend the life and use of a garment is an act of affection, to the future owner, and to the planet.

I always loved what I call 'courtesy' tailoring: the spare buttons on the inside, the easily unpicked and resewn hem, the bra-strap tie on an evening gown, etc.

The courtesy tailoring on a #kimono is the 'tomo eri' - the collar's friend. It's a piece half the length of the main collar which covers it and takes the wear and tear and can be removed or replaced. I add a little extra something - the fold of spare fabric hidden in the collar, that stiffens it, and also is there for repair. #sewing

@jonassmith I refuse to use self-checkout. I want to interact with a person. I want that person to be paid fairly.

I cannot think of many other garments that are so respectful and economical with woven fabric. Perhaps the sleeves might seem a little opulent, but hey, they double as very large pockets.

I have indulged in flights of fantasy of conversations between kimono tailors and silk weavers:

Weaver: "what's with those fucking enormous sleeves."

Tailor: *shrug*

#Kimono #kosode #rethinking #sewing