MENDING WORKSHOP

There is something that happens when a room full of people pick up a needle for the first time (or again).

Set in the heart of Derbyshire, these workshops are slow and unhurried, designed for anyone who has ever wanted to learn to mend and anyone who already mends. You do not need experience or to bring anything, just a willingness to have a go.

We begin with inspiration from sashiko the ancient Japanese art of decorative stitching that turns a repair into something beautiful. You will learn the running stitch, the foundation of sashiko mending and by the end of the session you will have worked your first real mend on a piece of fabric you can take home with you. Along the way we talk about the clothes we can’t let go of and what it means to slow down and mend and to use our hands in a world that is so fast paced. Everyone leaves with a new learned skill, a finished sample piece and more often than not the confidence to go away and mend something they’ve been meaning to for years.

Everything you need is provided, Japanese sashiko thread, needles, fabric and a pattern to work from. You are more than welcome to bring something you’d like to mend, if you’d like to.

Tea, coffee and something good to eat are always on the table. The atmosphere is warm, unhurried and genuinely welcoming, whether you’ve never held a needle or you’ve been stitching for years, you will feel at home.