Hand Stitching to Repair and Embellish

Description

Instructor: Katie Cavacco

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Time: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm EST

Location: 80 Bassett Road, Shelburne MA 01370

Cost: sliding scale of $60 – $90 (Full and Partial Scholarships Available)

Materials Fee: $20 per mending kit if needed; you are welcome to bring your own materials if you have them on hand; if this additional cost presents a hardship for you, please reach out to us

# of Participants: 6

Age: Adults and children 10 and over when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Experience Level: All are welcome.

Katie Cavacco (she/her/hers) is a multidisciplinary maker, sewist and textile upcycler with a passion for creative reuse and repair. Raised in Franklin County, Mass., a lifelong love of sewing took her to Boston for a BFA in Fashion Design from MassArt; an interest in sustainability took her to London College of Fashion at UAL for MA Fashion Futures (sustainable fashion systems); and a love of place brought her back to western Massachusetts. She is excited to join Fabric of Life in reacquainting people with important practical skills.

Program Description

Mending by hand is an excellent way to extend the life of favorite garments and household textiles. These repairs can be made discreetly to hide the fix, or they can be done creatively to add character in a style called ‘visible mending’. Both approaches start with a working understanding of basic hand stitches and embroidery techniques. 

This workshop will aim to introduce students to a variety of simple utility stitches that can be used to repair knits and wovens. Students will complete a labeled stitch sampler to take home for reference, and the workshop will also include time to problem solve as a group on specific items you want to mend.

Materials List

– Scissors
– Needles: variety of sizes to accommodate different types of thread and yarn
– 8” Embroidery hoop
– General purpose sewing thread
– Embroidery floss
– Thin yarns
– 10″ x 10″ piece of cotton and/or linen fabric for: patching, sampler base, and repair sample

Please contact us with any questions at office@fabric-of-life.org.

Our sliding scale fee allows us to keep these programs accessible to a wide range of individuals. The ‘admirer’ option covers the cost of the instructor fee, program support, marketing, and administration. The ‘friend’ option covers all of this and allows for a small profit margin to be contributed towards sustaining Fabric of Life programming for next year. The ‘enthusiast’ option covers all of this and allows for us to begin to sustain Fabric of Life programming for generations to come.

FOL will refund 90% of your fee if you cancel more than 30 days before the beginning of the program. 10% will be retained for administrative services. Cancellation with less than 30 days notice will automatically be rolled over as a credit for another program of your choice within the next year from the date of the original program. FOL will maintain the funds and carry them forward once you determine what program you would like to utilize them for. If there is a balance after paying for the second program, it will not be refunded. If a program does not run due to circumstances beyond our control, participants will receive a full refund of the fees paid.