We live in such a consumerist society nowadays.
Instead of fixing an old sewing machine or camera, we immediately toss it and upgrade.
In the past, my parents during the war, kept everything. Waste not, want not was the motto.
My mom recently broke the part on her old Pfaff sewing machine.
She has had it for longer than I have been alive, and it is like an extension of her arm.
She used it to sew our baby clothes, curtains for the home and to repair chair cushion covers.
So when she broke the machine, she started making calls to sewing machine repair shops. They all came back with a “No sorry.. it’s too old to fix. You’ll have to go straight to the manufacturer.”
Flummoxed, my mom called me in a panic, begging me to Google names of Pfaff repair shops, and lo and behold, I managed to locate a local mom & pop shop run by a guy who very clearly and intensely loves old sewing machines.
All in all, it was an extra 4-5 days of work, calling everyone in town, calling me, my Googling for another list of names and numbers to call for sewing machine service shops specializing in old Pfaff machines.
And all for what?
She could have just as easily tossed the whole thing out into the bin, went to her nearest sewing & fabrics store and ordered the top-of-the-line electronic version, which is definitely the more expensive option, but certainly the easiest.
However, my mom had different ideas.
It was a sewing machine she was very comfortable with.
It was perfectly made in pre-obsolescence style with all metal, moving parts (nothing electronic here), and it held a bevy of memories of when she was sewing and repairing things for the entire family.
To her, that sewing machine is a part of her and part of the home as a fixture.
And she couldn’t just have tossed it so heartlessly – she was sick with the possibility of having to do so.
She has also paid it forward by bringing a renewed life into my single, pair of jeans that I have been brought to her, year after year, to repair with more and more patches, squeezing every ounce of life out of them.
I just cannot bear to let them go yet. (They’re MY sewing machine.)
Maybe what we’re missing today as a society, is the pride in “waste not, want not”.
When we fix items instead of tossing them:
- We stop a new addition to landfills which reduces the Earth’s clutter
- We purchase only what we need to repair what we own
- We save money (in most cases)
- We keep what has helped us create many happy memories
Our society is so focused on obsolescence, it’s difficult to justify repairs sometimes.
And if we tell someone we’re going to fix it instead of rushing out to buy the newest, hottest thing on the market, we fear that we will be met with disdain.
Especially if it costs more than just simply purchasing a new item.
But sometimes you cannot put a price on these things.
Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord
on Nov 12th, 2009
@ 9:18 am:
My friend was talking to me about this after an Eco-fest he put on last Spring. He said that manufacturers purposefully make things cheaper – disposable, even – so that as a society we’ll keep replacing, rather than keeping/fixing.
Egads!
Good for you for bringing our attention to this matter.
Megan “JoyGirl!” Bord´s last blog ..The Ultimate Unknown
Tweets that mention Why we should fix items more often | The Everyday Minimalist -- Topsy.com
on Nov 12th, 2009
@ 9:19 am:
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Patty @ Why Not Start Now?
on Nov 12th, 2009
@ 6:20 pm:
I think you’ve touched on something very important. And this “throw away” attitude affects more than just the landfills, I also think it affects how we view life in general: relationships, finances, work, etc. Plus when we don’t allow things to be repaired, we’ve lost an art form of sorts, because those people who can do these kinds of repairs are real crafts people. The other reason I love this post is because the photo of the old singer sewing machine looks to be the same one my grandmother had! I actually learned to sew on it years ago. Alas, I no longer have it, but my 30 year old Kenmore is still going strong. And I don’t think I need one of the new fancy models.
Patty @ Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..False Evidence Appearing Real: The Movie
Non Consumer Girl
on Nov 12th, 2009
@ 9:16 pm:
I loved the sewing machine story. When I wa 14 years old, I loved sewing, and my Dad bought me an electric sewing machine. It lasted 30 years, as I ended up passing it on to a friend when I updated last year.
If you take care of your belongings, they tend to last longer.
Trouble is, we have so many belongings to take care of!
Non Consumer Girl´s last blog ..Take a look at the clutter I removed from my house today!
Christine Simiriglia
on Nov 14th, 2009
@ 12:31 pm:
That machine looks very much like my grandmom’s . The had one of the first electric Singer machines. It had a knee treadle. I learned to sew on it. It folded down into a beautiful cherry and wrought iron stand. The stand was a work of art in itself. I don’t know whatever happened to that machine but I know that I’d rather work on that than my new high tech machine. Thanks for brining back the memory!
Christine Simiriglia´s last blog ..56 Things You Can Toss Out Now
everydayminimalist
on Nov 14th, 2009
@ 12:45 pm:
You’re welcome!
everydayminimalist
on Nov 14th, 2009
@ 12:46 pm:
My mom absolutely adores her sewing machine. But it’s definitely a disposable culture that we all live in.