I am excited to announce that we have dates and times set for our first mending circle, so pencil it into your calendar using the link below and keep an eye out for the RSVP link next week.
We will be giving our clothing and textile items new life using the art of visible mending—where creative stitchwork can be seen and celebrated. We will meet every two weeks on Mondays 1:30-3:00 p.m. at the loft in Cherrydale Library. We will start with four sessions led by me—Art on the Mend’s Founder and Lead Mend-tor—and hopefully continuing on as an ongoing group.
At each session, you will learn a new skill by hand:
- June 30 – Sashiko / kantha stitching using 3D-printed stencils and water-soluble transfers. Bring any item to strengthen thinned areas or join layers with stitching. Woven fabrics like denim, canvas, or dress shirt material are the easiest.
- July 14 – Patching and appliqué repairs. Bring any clothing item with a hole or tear. Non-stretchy is easiest.
- July 28 – Needle felting to repair and strengthen woolen knits. Bring any wool knits like a sweater, socks, gloves, mittens, or a scarf.
- August 11 – Darning (weaving) a flexible patch for knits by hand and/or with a speed weaver loom. Bring any knits like the above to mend thinned areas or holes. Any material is fine.
Make sure all clothing or other fabric items are clean. If you don’t have any textiles to mend, you can decorate existing textiles or you can practice on upcycled fabric squares and knits that we provide.
No experience or materials are needed. Ages 14+ recommended because we will be handling sharp needles and an iron.
If you attend all four sessions, you can become a community “Mend-tor” able to assist with other Art on the Mend programs and circles. Visit https://artonthemend.org for more information on this new volunteer initiative launching mending circles throughout our community.
RSVP recommended. It will be first come/first serve up to 15 people.
I will share an RSVP link next week.
Hope to see you there!
Alison
Art on the Mend 