Visible Mending

Once associated with poverty and concealed, mending can now be bold and obvious as a proud statement of sustainability. Patching and darning can also add aesthetic beauty to the textiles, as the repair becomes part of the narrative of the work.

On this course we will also consider the visual language of textiles, with holes and frayed surfaces representing broken systems and emotional trauma, with the act of repair being a metaphor for mental healing.

The workshop will cover basic repair skills, including: -

Standard and reverse patching

Strengthening stitches

Darning and basic needleweaving

A variety of repair methods suitable for knitwear

Plus an exploration of artists pushing the creative boundaries of repair

Experimentation is encouraged. You can either create a collection of samples exploring the different repair techniques and/or bring a garment to repair in class. The techniques can also be used to create a decorative or expressive piece of textile art.

The workshop is suitable for all abilities. The session is aimed at anyone with an interest in textiles wishing to learn the basics of repair for both practical and artistic purposes.

In the morning we will explore patching and strengthening stitches, while the afternoon will focus on darning and repair for knitwear. There will be demonstrations of the techniques, plus a PowerPoint presentation to inspire further exploration.

A small garment, such as a shirt, trousers, knitwear, socks or household items which need mending or some medium weight fabric to practice on

Needles, hand needles you feel comfortable using, plus a darning needle or blunt tapestry needle

Darning thread, or soft embroidery thread

Scissors, for both fabric and threads

Fabric for patching, ideally something firm in a bold, contrasting colour

Embroidery frame

A darning mushroom

Pins

Other creative textile courses at the Mary Ward centre.