Meet Our Resident Repairers
Beth came to our first ever Stitch & Switch back in January. She focusses on visible mending, and gives a jazzy new lease of life to every rip brought in to her at our Stitch & Switch events. ♻️
🪡 What got you into repairing/mending clothes?
I had been into sustainable crochet for a year, selling products made from secondhand materials and providing a sustainable alternative to big brands. I wanted to be even more circular by mending things people already had. My first was a crochet rug and I then saw a course on visible mending on @domestika by the incredible @ofeliayantelmo and I was hooked! I practiced on my own clothes first and now am repairing all sorts of peoples rips!
🧶 What do you day-to-day?
My week is split into studying for a music therapy masters and working in an SEN school. I fit in reclaimed craft in the evenings and weekends!
👖What is your go to fave outfit, and why?
My favorite outfit is an oversized checkered orange and navy jumper from a charity shop, with my first mended piece of clothing, my jeans with a black corduroy hat handmade by @palaceflophouse and black and white wooden hoops by @musee.roo
It’s my favorite outfit because I really feel like myself in it. As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, my style plays a huge part of how I want to be seen. This outfit makes me feel less confined to a typical gender and allows me to feel like me! It also includes my first visible mend repair which included scrap fabrics that my grandma gave me from the 60s that she made a dress out of! So my family heritage is woven into my clothes and identity.
♻️ Can you share a quick mending tip for our followers?
I have 2! If you’re looking by to get into mending, don’t buy things new - it’s very easy to buy things like bulk embroidery thread, embroidery hoops and needle sets second hand on eBay! It is in no way an expensive hobby!
Instead of buying a darning mushroom, I use a lemon to separate my sock fabrics. You can also easily use small plastic pots that are always sitting in the recycling!
Next up… Meret!
Meret is our newest resident repairer, she joined the repair team in April - but was previously an ambassador so always an SFW friend ✨ She also leads the @streetstitchers.bristol , keep an eye out for the next street stitch happening in the city this September. 🧵
♻️ What got you into repairing/mending clothes?
My mother always fixed our clothes growing up. I started sewing when I was 13 years old, taught by her and later myself. I guess when you make your own clothes, you automatically mend and alter them, when they start falling apart. Currently I'm exploring visible mending techniques. I love how it makes your mend a statement, no need to hide it away!
✏️ What do you day-to-day? (Work/study)
I'm currently finishing my MA in Social Entreperneurship with a focus on sustainable fashion, and I work part-time in a zero-waste shop in Bedminster.
👗 What is your go to fave outfit, and why? (description of it and why it means something to you)
That's a tricky one, I don't think I have a favourite outfit! I like making up new combinations with what I have. But the one statement piece, that can pull every outfit together, is my jeans jacket. It's got lots of patches and pins on it, some handmade by me or from friends and family, all reminding me of different parts of my life, making it very personal and special.
✂️ Can you share a quick mending tip for our followers?
Keep your fabric scraps! They come in handy to underlay mends and can make a real statement piece out of your mended item.
And last but not least…. Maria ✨
This woman is a super-heroine. How she fits everything in with a smile on her face all the time we just don’t know! Her clothing rental business, repair and alteration business @wearmywardrobeout has been featured in Marie Claires Sustainability awards, The Guardian and Vogue. Her new website has just launched today so make sure to have a quick look 🙌🏽
🧵 What got you into repairing/mending clothes?
I started seeing the imperfections in damaged clothes as unique and an opportunity to make them more wearable and to customise them. The more damaged they are, the more excited I get about refashioning them.
♻️ What do you day-to-day? (Work/study)
I work part of the week at WearMyWardrobeOut creating, repairing and customising fashion items at my Bedminster Studio so that as many items as possible don’t end up in landfill or the bin! The rest of the week, I do my day job which is Accounting and Finance work for another company. Juggling Fashion with Finance.
👗 What is your go to fave outfit, and why? (description of it and why it means something to you)
A leopard print wool dress that I’ve had and been wearing for about 15 years! I sometimes I double it up as a top and wear it under a skirt. It’s comfortable and still fits perfectly… wool stretches lucky for me. It’s been part of lots of amazing memories. It’s not fancy and it wasn’t expensive but it makes me feel 1000000 dollars every time I wear it.
✂️ Can you share a quick mending tip for our followers?
Don’t wait for something to brake before you mend it. When your fav item starts showing signs of wear and tear, that’s the time to start mending it. Things like reinforcing the seams or stitching a small hole immediately when it appears can prevent minor repairs turning into major ones and save your fav garment.