I'm teaming up with Fabscrap, a commercial textile recycler in Brooklyn, NY, for a creative mending challenge. The idea behind this challenge is to twofold. We are promoting more sustainable options that help reduce textile waste, and inspiring you to pick up a mending project. I’ll be sharing lots of tips, ideas & how-to projects to expand your skills & inspire during the challenge.
The challenge doesn't start until May 15th, but we wanted to give you some time to gather your materials and fabric from Fabscrap. You probably have many of the materials need on hand now, but you can also take some time to decide what project you'd like to tackle. We will share the full rules for entry on May 15th.
Prep for the challenge:
- Some tools & materials you will need:
- sewing thread
- sewing pins
- needles: sewing & sashiko
- mark making tools
- sashiko thread
- my sashiko mending kit includes sashiko needles, sashiko thread & a mark making tool
- Fabric from Fabscrap can be purchased online or in-store. If you’re in the NY area visit Fabscrap to volunteer and you get 5 lbs of fabric for free! Please mention 'mending challenge' at checkout.
- Something to mend. Fabscrap is also offering free mutilated garments for you to work on. This is for in-store pickup only at Fabscrap's Brooklyn Army Terminal location. A mutilated garment is a clothing sample that has been damaged in some way to make sure it is not resold, like the examples below & the shirt I patched above. If you'd like to work on one of these garments, please mention "mending challenge" when you visit. Feel free to work on any personal item, whether it's clothing or a home textile, you'd like as well.
We have some awesome prizes & a very special guest judge Elizabeth L. Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion & the upcoming, The Conscious Closet. I’ll be sharing some of the prizes over the next few days, as well as some inspiration for you guys to get excited about this mending challenge!
Can't wait to share the full details on May 15th & hope you guys are as excited as I am for this mending challenge!
