#ifitsbrokefixit

[styletongueblog]

Mended shirt with vintage fabric. Done by StyleTongue.

https://www.styletongue.com/mending/

[wornwear]

Tested to the Max in the Tropics. Tom Enderlin. Costa Rica.

Dear Patagonia,

If clothing could talk, my baggies would certainly have a tale to tell. Living in tropical Costa Rica means I am in shorts most days, and more often then not I sport these functional and comfortable shorts. I am a fly fishing guide, and through constant rain, harsh sun, forest walks, and frequent slimming when cradling and releasing the big jungle tarpon we encounter they have prevailed. I even ripped my left front pocket wide open on a submerged branch when jumping into the water for such a release. The shorts are also a great gardening garb, and from hard work on my little organic finca they now have many banana stains (yes the liquid inside a banana tree does a number on clothing) and small rips. While not as exciting, the right front pocket was ripped on a knob in my kitchen while cooking. Luckily, iron-on internal patches have helped to make the pockets almost like new, and I now no longer lose my keys. Through all the use, they are still one of the first items I throw into my gear bag when packing for a trip, and I often pull them on as a mojo lifter during a particularly tough period of tarpon lock-jaw. Thanks for making such a great and simple piece of clothing. Hopefully they get many more years of outside time.

-Tom

[prorokspace]

My friend's dad's roto tiller wouldn't #start. A plastic part in the starter was worn and needed to be replaced, but he was unable to #findthepart anywhere. The design was #simpleenough to model and took no time (less than 2 hours 😉 ) to print. I had no idea when I was modeling this what it did (turns out, it catches the motor when the starter cord is pulled and spins the motor to start the roto tiller) but understanding how the part worked isn't always necessary if you can #duplicate the design pretty closely. I'm proud to say the replacement part works perfectly! I recently had the thought that family #heirlooms made of plastic will probably not be seen on antiques roadshow because plastic gas such a short life span, AND because many things made of plastic are mass produced, making their uniqueness value practically zero. Imagine a world where instead of replacing an entire machine when a 10 cent piece of plastic in it fails, you kept the machine and replaced the part that broke. #makeityourself #gardenseason #miy #3dprinting #theprintedsolution #oneplanet #rototiller #CAD #smartchoices #sentimentalvalue #peoplehelpingpeople #findyourniche #savemoneylivebetter #ifitsbrokefixit (at Arlington Heights, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN05gd8j_nu/?igshid=t4ek6q14na9m

[sashily]

If it’s broke - then fix it. Do not be another brick in the wall Be brave, confront it Sing to it Dance in the shadows of the moon Show it all the colors it could be Create a positive change And if that doesn’t work help tear it down. . . #blm #poet #poetry #theresawall #seethecolors #ifitsbrokefixit (at Tamarac, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBrOsqNjqp9/?igshid=198bsminnbism

[brokenisntbad]

The Bride, The Groom, and the Broken Leg

As I peered out the window on the morning of July 22, 2006, I saw dark skies and raindrops. In the living room, I looked outside and saw rain pinging off the ground. Every woman fears this moment, rain on her wedding day. Hair appointments, makeup and dressing, we needed rain boots and umbrellas, not flip flops and headbands.  During our appointment, the rain subsided, thank heavens; the sky was overcast, better than the dankness earlier in the morning.

We chose Niagara Falls as our venue, as we had several out of town guests. Upon the limousine’s arrival at the cathedral, the rain began again; the limo driver held an umbrella for me as I entered the church. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Barry Lillis, a former weatherman on a local news channel. Bridal party photos were taken inside the church, then family photos. The bridal party went outside; one bridesmaid asked the groomsmen, whom were from Tennessee, what do you do after the ceremony at a southern wedding?” One replied, “We have a Hoedown.”

Let the fun begin. It was overcast when we walked out of the church, perfect for bridal party pictures at Niagara Falls. The champagne bottle popped and the beer cans gave their sputter. Soon, the adult beverages started to flow. The photographer wrapped up early, so we proceeded to the Seneca Niagara Casino, wedding attire and all. We dispersed to play our favorite games. My destination, the Craps table. Wedding dress in a casino? Hell yes, more champagne!  

Oh boy, a little too much bubbly. The limo arrived at the reception venue, thankfully, we had some time before we were due in the ballroom, I needed some time to sober up. I drank water throughout dinner, as I didn’t want to be a sloppy mess in front of my guests. Dinner far behind, table visits - done, let the good times roll. I changed into a pair of flip-flops and the traditional dances commenced. Afterward, the dancing continued fast dances, slow dances, and everything in between. My mom was of Hungarian descent. Traditionally, the bride engages in the Bridal Dance, where guests pay to dance with the bride. A gentleman named Ray thought it would be fun to drop quarters in my dress because we went to the casino, and then Andy could “hit the jackpot” when we went up to the room. My husband’s family is from Tennessee, at some point, the DJ played Rocky Top. A Rockette’s style line dance broke out. As I was lowering my right leg, my flip flop slid out from under my foot and my leg twisted and buckled, I fell immediately. My friend shouted out “hey, look, there’s a hoedown!” My husband came to help me stand up. I couldn’t get up, I said: “It’s broken!” He lifted my dress and shouted “someone call 911!” The EMTs arrived. They were the most incompetent duo I ever encountered. It took them over half an hour to splint my leg. Then, they wanted to take me to a dinky hospital in Lewiston; I said “no,” we’re going to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), the trauma hospital in the area. As the ambulance rolled over the South Grand Island Bridge, it stalled and died; good thing I wasn’t having a heart attack! A new ambulance arrived and we were back on our journey. 

I was taken back right away, the perk of arriving in an ambulance. The nurse came to my gurney with a pair of scissors. I asked what they were for and she said to cut your dress. I panicked, I was wearing my mother’s wedding dress. I begged and pleaded, and she finally agreed to help Andy do the honor. As they removed the dress, a flock of quarters fall out and landed all over the bed and floor. We had some explaining to do. Once in my hospital gown, I was wheeled to X-Ray. I looked, OH MY GOD...the break looked worse than bad; it was terrible - tib-fib fracture - the possibility of major surgery. Once back in my section, two orthopedic residents were debating set vs. surgery. They decided to set it; it wouldn’t hurt to be set, even if I needed surgery. They were wrong, it did hurt, it hurt me. I remember the scream, the next thing I remember was waking up with my leg in a cast from toes to hip. Dr. Ritter, the orthopedic surgeon, arrived to see me in the early morning. He explained that I had two options: (1) stay in the cast, non-weight bearing, for eight weeks and take the risk of surgery afterward, or (2) have surgery, use a walking boot for support, and be non-weight bearing for eight weeks. I jokingly asked “which option will allow me to go on my honeymoon?” He said “neither.” He didn’t know me very well and underestimated my determination and persistence. He finally said “surgery.” I chose option two.  

I became the urban legend of the Sandals Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.   

“The bride who broke her leg on her wedding day. And there’s the story of “The Bride, the Groom, and the Broken Leg.”

[marriedtotheairforce]

Sorry I've been MIA lately

My airman and I have been working through some tough, heavy stuff. We’re ok so no worries!

[lifeisthewayblog-blog]

If it’s broke, fix it 👖⛑😊 . . . #reducereuserecycle #minimisewaste #ifitsbrokefixit #dontbethatguy #sustainablefashion #buylessclothes (at Hamlyn Heights)

[sierrareading]

Thank you @handcraftstudioschool for hosting an amazing event to repair our clothes! It was great seeing people's connections to old clothing & the inspiration to make old clothes new again- here's a student mending her Levi's. Also a huge thanks to @beaumontclaire & @franzybaby for the ongoing inspiration - #ifitsbrokefixit 🙌🏼 (at Handcraft Studio School)

[theresanicassio]

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can #changetheworld; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~ #margaretmead @theresanicassio #wisdomquotes #wuvip #wisdomquote #bethechangeyouwant #keephope #keephopealive #mindfulliving #makepeacepopular #grassrootsmovement #greenboat #sustainablelife #votewithyourdollar #votewithyourdollars #votewithyourlifestyle #votewithyourfork #kindnesscounts #ifitsbrokefixit #maketheworldbetter #nevergiveuphope #nevergiveuponyou #togetherwecanmakeadifference #ecowarrior #everyonematters #TheresaNicassio #changemakers #changemaker (at Vancouver, British Columbia)

[wornwear]

A Stitch In Time—Don’t Procrastinate. Paul Adkins. Eugene, Oregon. Dear Patagonia, My gear takes care of me and I take care of my gear. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t hold punches by not jumping in the river or shimmying down the tree, but I do respect my gear for what it is… a tool to help me along the way. Now that I’m a parent of four young adventurers I’m always looking for moments, however fleeting, that allow me to instill in my kids the idea that procrastination can be dangerous. And more importantly, that getting things done in the moment is incredibly rewarding and satisfying. We were hellbiking the length of the Alaska Range and early on in the trip my rain pants had gotten torn on the brush as we carried our bikes through some of the alder and devil’s club that Alaska is famous for. I instinctively knew that if I didn’t get this fixed pronto I would end up with rain pants that wouldn’t help me at all. I I was going to need these rain pants for the next 40 days on this trip (and the next 20 years afterward). So at the next break for fuel, I got into my pack and grabbed my needle and thread and went to work. Shortly my pants were good as new. Had I not fixed them they would have been in shreds - as we continued to push on through more bad brush. The act of seeing a need and jumping in, to get it handled, is both simple and potent. My kids are learning this on our adventures in the Pacific Northwest. -Paul Adkins

[thesaucydish-blog]

“Mommy, can we just go buy another wind-chime?” “No! Why? This one still works perfectly fine. Just need to put a few support pieces on and restring it.” #reuse #recycle #ifitsbrokefixit #glueandducttape #popsiclesticks https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUx2H4nS84/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=40ui0ezyej7u

[rayuhikeprep]

Zo ziet mijn wandelstok eruit. Dat is niet omdat ie ooit gebroken is geweest... Op je hike is het handig om ducttape mee te nemen om dingen ter plekke -al dan niet tijdelijk- te fiksen. Een hele rol meenemen zou zowel onhandig als overdreven zijn, en een flink stuk om je wandelstok wikkelen zorgt er ook voor dat je altijd snel iets bij de hand hebt. #hikehacks #hike #hiking #trektocht #beprepared #wandelstokken #trekkingpoles #ducttape #ifitsbrokefixit #tape #voettochtvoorbereiding https://www.instagram.com/p/CCvmGRfDCbx/?igshid=1wq8guoxi9cc7

[wornwear]

My Stand Up Obsession. Bryan Webster. Illinois.

Dear Patagonia,

I cannot bring myself to ever throw away any Patagonia gear. I am not sure of the exact date of purchase or from where, but suffice it to say that it was early 70′s.  I started climbing the peaks of Illinois after a friend came back from NOLS training.  We made many trips to Devils Lake in Wisconsin, but daily climbs were limited to my brick, three story house, our castle like high school and all the buildings in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Stand up shorts and pants were my go to climbing uniform and they have lasted to this day.  The stand ups still fit thanks to semi-clean living, ongoing marathon training, and a whole lot of mending. Here is a photo from a trip into the Wind River Range back in 1977.

-Bryan

[mattahlmann-blog]

Dancing to Aldean + Chesney all night & laughing at how clumsy my girl @mmmkelly is. 😍 #alwaysgotherback 🎶💃🏽🏃🏽🎶 📹 Cred: @ozcue thanks for being our third party 😂😘 #ifitsbrokefixit (at Kenny Chesney Jason Aldean Concert)