Visible Mending (Mar. 2, 2025, 12-3 p.m.)

Sunday Mar. 2, 2024, 12-3 p.m. @ Anthology Studio, 77 Suffolk St. W., Guelph

Learn the basics of visible hand mending for woven fabrics in this 3-hour afternoon class - supplies included!

Meet me at the intersection of creative expression and sustainability as we learn and practice the fundamentals of visible mending by hand including external patches, internal patches, sashiko-inspired stitching, and less visible inner thigh/crotch repairs. In addition to the basics, we'll discuss which techniques to use when, the best tools and supplies to use (and where to find them), common issues and challenges, and inspiration to begin or grow your own visible mending practice.

What to bring:

Bring your own woven garments or textiles that need mending, or practice on the sample fabrics provided. These techniques are perfect for mending or embellishing denim/jeans (with or without stretch), khakis or other woven pants, linen, cotton, or silk garments, button-up shirts, or household textiles including tablecloths, pillowcases, quilts, etc. In this class, we will NOT be focusing on techniques for mending knit (or stretchy) garments such as sweaters, t-shirts, leggings, sweatshirts, etc. (although some techniques are certainly transferable to knits). A separate Darning Workshop (Feb. 24) will focus on knitted garments.

Supplies provided for use during the workshop include: 

• a handmade mending kit to take home with you, including:
  • cotton sashiko thread
  • hand stitching needles
  • needle threader
  • straight and basting pins
• a variety of thimbles to try
• scissors/snips
• fabric marking tools
• rulers
• denim and a variety of woven fabrics for patches
• scrap fabric for practicing techniques
• cuttings mats, rotary cutters, rulers, irons, ironing boards, etc.

Maximum 8 participants

Instructor: Becky Swainson (@gather.and.make)

Becky is a sought-after instructor who is known for her warm and inclusive approach to teaching fibre arts, with a focus on sustainable sewing and slow fashion. In addition to her own ongoing creative mending practice, she has trained with acclaimed fibre artist and mending pioneer Katrina Rodabaugh. She is a founder of the Stitch Together Community Mending Project and has taught sewing and mending at Triangle Sewing Centre, Make 1, the Guelph Tool Library, the City of Waterloo, the University of Guelph, and privately through her own studio, gather + make.