Mending is a wonderful way to transform your favorite torn or distressed garments, homewares, and other textiles. In this workshop you will explore visible mending with cotton thread and patching, developing your own stitch patterns. Essentially you will be fusing fabrics together with stitch, so they become a new cloth. You will practice boro, sashiko, darning, & quilting techniques on a sampler first then moving onto the item you brought to repair. Each student will receive an individual consultation on how best to mend one garment considering fabric, fiber, thread, color, lines, techniques, and more. Students will leave the workshop with a stitching sampler, mended garment (in-progress), various resources. Basic sewing and stitching skills are required.

If you don’t have a garment to mend but want to explore visible mending to create an abstract art piece you are welcome. I often make practice samplers to explore different shapes and color stories that then get turned into pillows or wall hangings.

Please bring your own woven fabric garment or textile for mending. Cotton, linens, & lighter weight denims are good starter fabrics, silk is fine too. Patching fabric should match the weight and fiber of the garment being mended. Don’t worry if you don’t have fabric, there will fabric available in class too. If fixing a pair of jeans with stretch using t-shirt fabric works well or other denim with stretch. Garments should be clean and ironed or mostly wrinkle free.

Materials Requirements: Please bring a mending project, 1-3 skeins if using different colors(half skeins are fine) of embroidery, sashiko, or pearl cotton thread & an embroidery hoop that is a suitable size to fit the project. Sashiko needles will be provided during class but if you have Sashiko or embroidery needles please bring them. Judith & Lily’s shop has needles and threads available for purchase if you need to purchase materials.

Materials provided: Fabric for the sampler, scissors, chalk pencils, rulers, fabric glue sticks, a lot of embroidery & pearl cotton for trying out and playing with, extra fabric for patches. Using cloth that has already softened and settled through wear and washing, for instance, pillowcases, tea towels, well-worn shirts, as well as some fresh new shirting fabrics make great patches.

Sashiko needles will be provided during class & available for purchase. There will be some embroidery hoops available for use during class only.