Hi, I'm Sarah.
A few years ago I decided I was going to become a mend-maker supreme, repairing clothes and household textiles in incredibly intricate, creative ways like all the inspiring visible (and invisible) mend-makers I’d seen on Instagram. I wanted to reduce the amount of textile waste I created while using my hands to extend the life of my clothes in a beautiful way. (Practical AND creative: match made in heavs.)
I made a start, and got into it briefly, fixing things here and there when I had a moment. Alas, my then-baby, soon followed by my second then-baby, understandably had different ideas about how I should spend my time. Life became too busy, a couple of years passed, and here we are.
And so Making Mends, and more specifically Fix Club, was born out of the need to find a dedicated time and space for working through my repair pile while learning and improving my new skills. Add to the mix a group of lovely, interesting locals of various ages and backgrounds who might not otherwise meet, and you’ve got yourself a useful, enjoyable and inspiring way to spend an evening.
There are, of course, other benefits; meeting people face-to-face in our increasingly digital world is a balm for the soul, as is spending a few hours screen-free, using your hands, focusing on creating and pondering the magic that is making and maintaining our carefully crafted clothes.
Clothes swaps are an obvious companion to Fix Club, with the shared mission of reducing clothing waste and placing more value on what we already have. I’m currently focusing on kids’ clothing swaps, seeing the sheer amount of hand-me-downs we receive and pass on to friends and family; there’s so much out there and really very little need for new stuff. I'm sure many parents have a pristine pair of cute dungarees or tiny shoes lying around that never got used due to refusal or simply forgetting they were there because, life.
Making Mends allows our growing community to explore and develop creative, collective ways to reduce and prevent textile waste. I would love you to join us.
