And there we go. Knitted patch sewn down atop the stabilized bit of the sleeve. This elbow will outlast the whole rest of the sweater (admittedly not hard, as the sweater is made of fluff and spite and bad intentions).

I am, as usual, pleased with the mend, and quite displeased with the absolutely abysmal quality of the garment Madewell sold under the guise of being ‘better for the planet.’ Wander back through the previous mending posts for more on that.

This has turned into a combination art project and bullheaded display of stubbornness. I’m kinda outraged that I’ve spent somewhere between ten and fifteen hours mending this (there are a few other mends you haven’t seen yet). Again, after less than one season of wear.

The only reason I can justify putting that much of my time into it is that I use it as content for my job (hi, that’s what you’re reading right now). If I couldn’t turn that time into something at least work adjacent, that would be a heck of a big investment of time (and skill…and materials) into repairing a garment that should have lasted much longer. Especially since, despite all this time and effort, the garment won’t last more than maybe one more season before it just gets too thin to repair.

I’m generally quite happy to put time into maintaining my clothes. But well made garments don’t wear out this quickly. And I’ll do my best to make this one last as long as I can, despite its failings. But wow oh wow am I gonna tell you all about it, because I’m feeling kinda salty.