Both reference and inspiration, Mend It Better is a must-have for sewers, crafters, and greener-living aspirants of every stripe. Get your autographed copy today!

If you think mending is a chore, think again. It's a trend! From New Your to Des Moines to San Francisco, people are learning to "upcycle" frayed favorites and thrift-store finds at websites like Sewing Rebellion and community events like Swap-O-Rama-Rama. Even Martha Stewart mends. After all, sewing is hot, and self-sufficiency, green living, and frugality are top-of-mind most everywhere.

A rip isn't the end, it's the beginning!

These trends and imperatives come together in the most practical, lighthearted way in Mend It Better, from popular craft blogger Kristin M. Roach. Bolstered by a fine arts degree in painting and a childhood spent exploring her Grandma Phyllis's crafting stash, Roach takes mending to a whole new level. Mending à la Roach is about the opportunity to give a garment a whole new life with a fresh look and artful embellishment.

How to mend with flair and skill

Unlike other books, Mend It Better covers mending's creative and technical aspects. Roach's personable, step-by-step instruction offers everything readers need to know to repair, upgrade, and also preserve clothes: basic hand-sewing skills, hemming, patching, darning, tricks for beadwork and other accents, decorative stitching, fabric care, and much more. 

Alongside are ideas and stories from other inspired crafters. The colorful reverse appliqué techniques of Panama's Kuna Indians makes a patch to be proud of. And the "What-a-Mess Dress" snapped up for a dollar -- thank goodness for tears and missing buttons! -- looks pretty fine post-repair with some heels and a vintage pin to adjust the fit.