Mending and sewing clothing means prioritizing expression, efficiency, and longevity in clothing. To mend or even creatively modify your current fabric goods, each person can opt out of fast fashion, fabric waste, and landfill fodder. Additionally; adding pockets, belt loops, hoods, cuffs, and reinforced patches to one’s fabric possessions make it more accustomed to your own style and needs! Visible Mending opens a world for each and every fabric item you own to be so much more efficient and personally accessible.
The purpose of this course is very heavy on repairing existing possessions. This includes just about anything made with fabric: coats, tops, sweaters, pants, bags, backpacks, blankets, socks, and whatever might need some lovin’. This doesn’t exclude items you just want to decorate or modify- there is a great variety of applications for these skills!
In this course you will learn basic visible mending stitches, patching, darning, mini weaves, sashiko techniqes, and more! Creative instruction is also included in these courses: together, we can determine how to best mend and modify through multiple methods over the curriculum. You’ll leave with new and efficient ways to immortalize your own items! Its much cheaper overall if we may add.
Skill Level:
Having any experience with hand sewing will be very important to this curriculum. If you’re a very determined beginner, that is also a great start that we can accommodate. Must have hand strength for sewing.
Dates and Times:
This class runs over three Fridays – May 22nd, 29th, and June 5th, 2026 from 5:30pm – 7pm.
Supplies to bring (those with an * are optional):
- Project Surface: what you will be mending
- Embroidery Hoop
- Trusty Scissors– for thread, fabrics, and trimming
- Ruler
- Needles – Large quilting needles and some medium/small sewing needles
- Chalk/Fabric marking utensil
- Embroidery Thread of best material and color match for your item (or contrasting for a pop of color!)
- Scrap Fabric (for patches) cotton/denim/felt
- Darning Looms*
- Daring Egg* or any hard and round item for repairing sock heels, etc.
- Needle threader*
- Wool Yarn* for gentle-texture daring
- Water soluble embroidery paper* recommened for darning/sashiko beginners
- Beeswax* improves strength and shape in sashiko
Instructor Bio:
Viva is a student in product design with a focus on sustainability and mobile accesibility. Also a fine arts student, Viva has found it best to decorate the world around them with bold colors and enjoyment wherever possible- through visual and conversationalist expression. Since moving to Germantown less than a year ago, Viva has been exploring Philly and SEPTA to its full extent to find their people and fuel their interests. Currently, Viva has been working in childcare and fiber arts, as well as frequenting Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books.
