Repairathon

We are celebrating International Women’s Day by learning skills to renew and rejuvenate damaged clothing, and helping Mother Earth in the process. Every year 10.5 million tonnes of textiles end up in North American landfills. Let’s creatively reduce, reuse and recycle instead.

Want to fix that article of clothing that you cannot bear to part with? Bring it to MAWA, and we will help you make it better and more beautiful than ever. Techniques available to learn and try include patching, darning, embroidery and more. There will even be a sewing machine and someone to show you how to use it.

Maggie Cox teaches in the fashion design and technology program at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate and is passionate about sharing stitching knowledge and know-how. She is a self-taught sewer and has been making clothes and costumes most of her life. She has considerable sewing machine and serger knowledge, and loves to help others.

Theresa Shaw uses a mix of new, vintage and repurposed textiles to create unique art pieces. Stitching embellishes, repairs and transforms these everyday materials. Shaw has sewed all her life, and turned to quilting in 2012 as a means of storytelling and healing, giving voice to feelings of loss, renewal, the search for home and belonging.

Yvonne Remple’s expertise spans sewing, tailoring, pattern-making and design. She is currently exploring the world of fibre art, focusing on silk painting. Her creativity draws inspiration from her professional background in dance and theatre, and from personal experiences.