Ripped a hole in a shirt? Got a busted crotch? Worn through a pair of pants? This workshop is about reinforcing and repairing those rips and tears. Bring along a piece of clothing (cushions or furnishings welcome too!) to fix, and we'll go through a simple patching technique to repair it.

Keep in mind these techniques are best suited to woven (not stretchy) garments. If you're not sure if something is right for this workshop, feel free to bring a few items. You don't need any sewing experience to participate in this class, and we will share nifty sewing tricks to help you feel like a repair pro when you walk out the door.

This workshop will be facilitated by Julia English, a current PhD candidate at RMIT University in Melbourne/Naarm. Her research focuses on local reuse practices, with her PhD examining remanufacturing and upcycling collaborations amongst SMEs. Trained as a fashion designer, she has exhibited her design work internationally, including as a finalist for the international design award Redress in 2019, and participated in design challenges with companies including VF Asia, Circular Fashion and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. She has also been sharing her clothing repairs and alterations via social media (_julia.english_), and currently contributes to RMIT’s repair café and runs repair workshops with local councils to help everyone start mending their clothes.

If you have a tricky repair, or your clothing is made up of material that is a little different (like something very lightweight or unusual colour or print), you can email juliajayneenglish@gmail.com with a photo so she can make sure to bring appropriate materials to fix your particular item.

*This workshop is open to Brimbank City Council residents

Contact the host of Clothing Repair Workshop