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Mend March: A Circular Philadelphia Benefit
Mend March: Community Mending Session
Bring garments that need some love and learn helpful repair techniques while supporting Circular Philadelphia.
Mend March is a casual, self-directed mending and repair session hosted in STITCH AND DESTROY’s upcycling studio, with demonstrations and guidance from textile artists Shari Hersh, Linda Ruggiero, and Emily Hermann.
Instructors will demonstrate techniques for repairing:
- Small and large holes
- Crotch and underarm wear
- Darning knit fabrics
The most sustainable clothing is what is already in your closet. Bring garments with holes, stains, or general wear and learn how to extend their life through repair.
What to Bring
- 1–2 garments in need of repair
- Clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, or hemp is recommended
- Garments containing 10% or less synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex) are ideal since high-stretch fabrics can be harder to repair
Fabric scraps, hand sewing needles, and thread will be available, but participants are welcome to bring their own materials.
What We Will Be Doing
This session will focus primarily on hand sewing techniques. Participants should have basic familiarity with threading a needle and sewing a straight stitch.
One sewing machine will also be available for shared use.
If you are new to hand sewing, you may find these quick tutorials helpful before attending:
About Mend March
Mend March is inspired by textile artist Kate Sekules, whose work in visible mending and personalized clothing repair has helped spark a global movement around repair culture.
These textile artists are generously offering their time, skills, workspace, and materials to benefit Circular Philadelphia as part of the Textile Working Group.
The Textile Working Group focuses on advancing circularity across the fashion and textile industry, including:
- Design and manufacturing practices
- Pre-consumer and post-consumer collection for reuse and recycling
- Sorting, recycling, and downcycling systems
- Technology and tracking systems that support circular textile infrastructure