Creative Stitch and Mend Workshop

A three hour mending workshop with Royal College of Art trained Lisa Vaughan at Black Swans Studio.Transform repairs into beautiful meaningful features in this creative mending and repair workshop. This class explores hand stitch techniques that celebrate wear, extend the life of your clothing and reframe repair as an act of care and creativity.You’ll learn a range of hand stitch methods suitable for repairing holes, tears and thinning fabric, while discovering the sustainable value of mending. Bring along a favourite item in need of repair, from knitwear to woven fabrics and learn how to strengthen, restore and creatively rework it through stitch.During the workshop you’ll be guided through three core mending techniques:Creative PatchworkLearn how to repair holes and tears using patches reinforced with decorative stitching. Experiment with patterned fabrics and stencils to create appliqué shapes that turn repairs into design features.DarningExplore traditional and contemporary darning techniques using natural yarns and darning wools. You’ll learn basket stitch to build a woven structure over worn areas, using colour and pattern to create bold checks, stripes and graphic designs in knitwear.Visible MendingDiscover running stitch and sashiko inspired techniques to reinforce thinning or fragile fabric. These stitches can be worked alone or combined with darning to create strong, stable and visually striking repairs.This workshop is suitable for beginners and those with some stitching experience, and focuses on slow making, sustainability and creative confidence.This workshop takes place in Black Swans studio, formally the cow shed on Culverton farm, near the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire. This workshop includesGuided instruction in creative patching, darning and visible mending.Access to a selection of fabrics, yarns and threads.Use of mending and embroidery tools during the workshop.Tea, coffee and homemade cake.By the end of the session, you’ll leave with a repaired and reimagined garment, along with the skills to continue mending creatively at home. Read more details