The Art of Visible Mending

Creative Reuse 101 with WasteShed teaching artist Vahnaree Weiss

This workshop is part of Creative Reuse 101: A collaborative workshop series by The WasteShed & the Evanston Arts Center. Each workshop focuses on a different creative project inspired by The WasteShed's Evanston's creative reuse center and geared towards artists and makers who are looking to incorporate sustainability into their creative practice in new and interesting ways!

The Art of Visible Mending (3-Hour Workshop)

Turn worn clothing into something functional, beautiful, and entirely your own in this beginner-friendly visible mending workshop. Instead of hiding repairs, visible mending highlights them, celebrating care, creativity, and reuse while extending the life of your garments.

In this three-hour, hands-on class, participants will learn three foundational visible mending techniques and practice applying them to their own clothing or provided fabric samples. Students will be led by creative reuse specialist and teaching artist, Vahnaree Weiss, who will demonstrate the techniques and guide students through practicing it on their own!

Students will learn...

• The history and context of visible mending and how it differs from traditional “invisible” repair
• When to use what techniques
• When to choose functional vs. decorative mending approaches
• How to select appropriate materials for different types of wear and damage

Techniques Covered:

• Darning
• Patch Mending
• Sashiko-Style Stitching

This workshop is perfect for beginners—no prior sewing or mending experience needed. It’s also great for anyone interested in sustainability, slow fashion, or learning practical skills to repair and personalize clothing/home textiles. Visible mending is a fun art because it's right in the middle of functional craft and fine art form, making it a great way to bring your creative practice into the fold of daily life.

Quick note on Materials:

Basic tools and materials will be provided, including scrap fabric and sewing notions donated by The WasteShed Evanston. Students are encouraged to bring one or two clean garments with holes, thinning fabric, or worn areas they’d like to mend.

Documentation

Your participation in a WasteShed program constitutes implied consent to be photographed, and for those images to be utilized by The WasteShed for educational, fundraising, and marketing purposes. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let a staff member know and we’ll be happy to respect your wishes.

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Have questions?
Feel free to email programs@thewasteshed.com!