Sashiko Patches - A Sustainable Spinster Workshop

Mend Your Closet - SASHIKO PATCHES

Available to regional community spaces at a sliding scale of $175-$250 for a two hour program. All materials provided.

We all have that favorite item in our closet that has gotten a bit too "holey" to wear out of the house. Come learn about the visible mending movement, and how to add artistic and visible patches to mend your own wardrobe with the Japanese practice of sashiko stitching! This is a beginner friendly course, we'll be using running stitch and blanket stitch to secure our patches and add a bit of mended beauty to each item. This program will be an introduction to sashiko stitching, and only exploring starter-level patterns.

Participants are invited to bring 1-2 clothing items from their own closet for repair. Recommended items are woven textiles with little to no stretch, and nothing knitted or crocheted for this style of repair. Items made from linen/cotton/denim with with holes, rips, or threadbare areas of under 5 inches would be a great fit for this project! Most novice sewists can complete at least one full repair during this program.

SPACE NEEDS: Chairs for all participants, table and outlet for at least one table-top ironing board and iron. This workshop is better suited for indoor spaces with decent lighting.

I use “Stick & Stitch” patterns from Soccoro Society, and supply sewing cord, large eye needles, straight pins, scissors, iron, ironing board, and various patches for each mend. I prioritize purchasing materials second hand, low waste, or from woman-owned businesses.

Visible Embroidery freehand upcycle by Zoë Van Nostrand. Stitches pictured: Vertical stitch, running stich, 8-point star, vine stitch.

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Accessibility Notes: Open to ages 14-114. Presented in English. ADA accessible room. Requires manual dexterity, and ability to sit for 1 1/2 hours.

Workshops led by Zoë Van Nostrand a.k.a. @sustainablespinster (Instagram). Zoë is an amateur, somewhat self taught, hand sewer and textile artivist from Mecklenburg NY.She has been mending her clothes (and her loved ones) for over 20 years. She considers mending a radical act against fast fashion and the global impacts of the textile industry, and a message of respect and reciprocity to the textile workers around the globe who make our clothes.

Sashiko patch freehand embellishment by Zoë Van Nostrand. Stitches pictured: running stitch. Fungi patch printed by Seeds not Bombs