Visible Mending with Sashiko, Boro, and Decorative Stitching
Ages 12+

You’ve probably heard the phrase “mend and make do”, but why should you make do when you can make beautiful? Embrace the rips, tears, holes, and worn areas that show how much you’ve loved your clothing with visible mending! In this class, you’ll learn how to use fabric scraps and different types of stitching to give your old favorites new life.

We’ll take a look at a variety of mending options, including homemade patches, sashiko and boro techniques, and decorative stitching, and use them to make eye-catching repairs to your clothing.

Supplies:

· Clothing to be mended (jeans, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, shorts, etc.)

· Fabric scraps

· Sewing needle

· Sewing thread

· Sashiko needle

· Sashiko thread

Fabric scissors and straight pins (available for use at The Sewing Room)

Ann Connolly - A product manager for a software company by day, Ann fills pretty much every other hour of her time with crafting – mostly knitting and sewing, but also the occasional beading or embroidery project. Ann was encouraged from an early age -- family gatherings inevitably included (and still do) yarn, thread, needles, fabric, craft books, and very busy hands. She was further inspired by a humanities-focused education (majors in Philosophy and German and a Master’s in General Studies in Humanities), where she developed a deeper appreciation for the art in craft – not just the aesthetics and skill but also the context in which the works exist. Her current projects include a vintage ballgown and a Victorian cycling costume, but she mostly keeps her hands busy with small scrappy projects – coasters, bookmarks, bowls, needle books, knitted socks, etc. Fascinated by the confluence of line, shape, color, texture, and contrast, Ann enjoys the process of watching a new work take shape in unexpected ways.