San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn

San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn | Grist

grist.org 16 Oct '12, 11am

San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn

Daniel Gorrell The Luggage Store lets Swaine keep his cart inside, so he only has to roll it out into the alley every month. Once a month for the past 11 years, Michael Swaine has mended clothing for free on the San Francisco streets. At first, he did a five-mile route through the city, from dusk to dawn, with a sewing machine covered by an umbrella on wheelbarrow wheels. He loved the route, but it was exhausting and often folks didn’t have their torn clothes with them when he rolled by. He eventually settled at the Luggage Store , a nonprofit artist collective in the Tenderloin District, a tougher part of town. He’s so committed to the project, the Free Mending Library, that he’s only missed three months out of more than 130. Swaine is an artist, an active member of Futurefarmers (a loose collective of artists, designers, farmers, and computer programmers), and a ceramics...

Full article: http://grist.org/people/san-francisco-artist-mends-clothe...

Tweets

@BradleyMClark » 26 Oct '12, 6pm
[link] want a super awesome feel good story to read today, of course you do. enjoy!
@wimp_pop » 26 Oct '12, 4am
RT @VPL: Artist mends clothes and builds community at the Mending Library. @grist [link]
@VPL » 26 Oct '12, 3am
Artist mends clothes and builds community at the Mending Library. @grist [link]
@MarieFrank2 » 24 Oct '12, 5pm
"...we think we want to do this big thing & have this huge implication. A lot of people burn out — or never start." [link]
@catcoffin » 24 Oct '12, 4pm
@odysseusbostick "Use it up, Wear it Out, Make it do...or Do without." #green #eco #sustainability [link]
@cassbarron_cb » 23 Oct '12, 7pm
RT @grow_roots: Every-now and again I come across someone doing something great [link] @cassbaron_cb how about a Free Mending Library?
@newdream » 23 Oct '12, 5pm
Why does this man fix clothes for free on the San Francisco streets? Great interview: [link] via @grist
@the4Rlife » 23 Oct '12, 3pm
RT @stopwasteorg: Mending clothes, building community, preventing waste. How cool is this?! [link]
@stopwasteorg » 23 Oct '12, 2pm
Mending clothes, building community, preventing waste. How cool is this?! [link]
@KO_InsectWrtr » 23 Oct '12, 12pm
How amazing people are! [link] This guy really gives a darn and @kindnessishope
@grow_roots » 23 Oct '12, 11am
Every-now and again I come across someone doing something great [link] @cassbaron_cb how about a Free Mending Library?
@Aiglet » 22 Oct '12, 11pm
People are, sometimes, good: [link]
@Queenieandted » 21 Oct '12, 9pm
RT @REWARDROBE: A few months ago we blogged about The Mending Revolution. Today, I found this great article about clothes mending... [link]
@OxfamFashion » 21 Oct '12, 11am
RT @Dianakakkar: @OxfamFashion this made me think of #SMWLDNFASHION talks of recycling fashion [link]
@DianaKakkar » 21 Oct '12, 12am
@OxfamFashion this made me think of #SMWLDNFASHION talks of recycling fashion [link]
@MoonPurpose » 20 Oct '12, 11pm
I think it's #community he is mending [link]
@FedByThreads » 20 Oct '12, 7pm
RT @cassandradoes: Amazing story! About one man and his sewing machine building a mending community [link] via @Dothegreenthing @grist
@helenlp » 20 Oct '12, 5pm
RT @BPECfairplanet: Think global, act local: an inspiring artist who created a Free Mending Library and did his bit for sustainable... [link]
@hasuviti » 20 Oct '12, 4pm
San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn [link]
@robandrejewski » 20 Oct '12, 6am
Sewing never seemed like such a revolutionary act. [link] #copyleft
@Feed140_F3 » 19 Oct '12, 9pm
San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn - Daniel GorrellThe Luggage St... [link]
@EcoEvolution » 19 Oct '12, 8pm
Artist Gives By Mending Clothes For Others For Free [link]
@ajochim » 19 Oct '12, 8pm
Super inspiring SF artist Michael Swaine will mend your clothes for free. Awww! [link]
@sfsutcliffe » 19 Oct '12, 3pm
Free Mending Library - a tailor who builds community by mending clothing for free [link] [rt @mkshftmag]
@mkshftmag » 19 Oct '12, 3pm
Free Mending Library - a tailor who builds community by mending clothing for free [link]
@shutsumon » 19 Oct '12, 11am
Oh, this is a lovely thing [link]
@karibaskets » 19 Oct '12, 4am
San Francisco artist, David Swaine mends clothes + builds community [link] #helpingothers
@Skud » 18 Oct '12, 8pm
RT @thejaymo: .@accessjames @Mend_RS man mends clothes — for free — on San Francisco streets, while cultivating community :: [link] <3
@BPECfairplanet » 18 Oct '12, 8pm
As a great example of #sustainable living see how one San Francisco artist launched a Free Mending Library [link] via @grist
@thejaymo » 18 Oct '12, 7pm
.@accessjames @Mend_RS man mends clothes — for free — on San Francisco streets, while cultivating community :: [link] <3
@biov8tion » 18 Oct '12, 5pm
“@RedressRaleigh: Fascinating: Free Mending Library: via @Grist [link]” I love this #makedoandmend
@thoughtsamurai » 18 Oct '12, 3pm
Yes, ys, ys! "A lot of people never start. But something about a commitment of 1x/month makes things seem possible." [link]
@DominiqueOzelie » 18 Oct '12, 3pm
RT @StartupFashion: Amazing Story - San Francisco artist mends #clothes and builds #community — just by giving a darn. [link]
@StartupFashion » 18 Oct '12, 3pm
Amazing Story - San Francisco artist mends #clothes and builds #community — just by giving a darn. [link]
@carolyn_code » 18 Oct '12, 3pm
So great! Artist sets up free clothes mending street stand [link]
@LDGourmet » 18 Oct '12, 12pm
A good news story. #artists #community nice use of language to shift thinking, action. [link]
@Fiza_Salim » 18 Oct '12, 3am
RT @AskUmbra: A marvellous yarn about giving a darn! Read about one man's lending library [link]
@AskUmbra » 18 Oct '12, 3am
A marvellous yarn about giving a darn! Read about one man's lending library [link]
@earth_projects » 18 Oct '12, 1am
RT @practicallygrn: Read this @grist story on a SF artist who spends 1 day a month mending clothes.. For free! [link] Fix clothes, don't toss 'em.
@AnonLegionPt » 18 Oct '12, 1am
Q. What exactly is the Free Mending Library? A. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is welcome to bring something to... [link]
@rosasay » 18 Oct '12, 12am
What a great Ho‘okipa story: San Francisco artist mends clothes and builds community — just by giving a darn | Grist [link]
@Dothegreenthing » 17 Oct '12, 10pm
A wonderful story about about one man and his sewing machine building a mending community [link] via @Grist
@LaurieCook2012 » 17 Oct '12, 8pm
Great story about building community - and the various contexts 'mending' could take on within that... [link]
@practicallygrn » 17 Oct '12, 6pm
Read this @grist story on a SF artist who spends 1 day a month mending clothes.. For free! [link] Fix clothes, don't toss 'em.
@SimplyBeGreen » 17 Oct '12, 3pm
RT @Dothegreenthing: Mending clothes and building a community. What a lovely story [link] via @Grist
@Dothegreenthing » 17 Oct '12, 3pm
Mending clothes and building a community. What a lovely story [link] via @Grist
@RestartProject » 17 Oct '12, 2pm
RT @ckhlibraries: RT @wellworn: The Mending Library. What a beautiful thing. [link] <Yes, not unlike @RestartProject and @RepairCafe
@ckhlibraries » 17 Oct '12, 1pm
RT @wellworn: The Mending Library. What a beautiful thing. [link] <Yes, not unlike @RestartProject and @RepairCafe
@jackiebasham » 17 Oct '12, 1pm
Community can happen in the most wonderful ways [link] #inspiring
@nicaldo » 17 Oct '12, 1pm
Free Mending Library in SF: "I believe in creating a scenario where you let things unfold." [link]