Mending is a workshop that explores textile repair on knitted and wool textiles, how you do it and why you do it. It considers the tenderness and care of mending. The aim of the workshop is to practice a woven darn mending technique on knit. Darning materials will be provided. Patches to practice on will be provided. And/or please bring your own damaged clothes to mend or discuss mending options. No previous darning, knitting, needle based experience is necessary.  

Celia Pym has been exploring mending since 2007 with extensive experience of small everyday holes, at heels, elbows, in pockets as well as working on more dramatic damage, from water damage, animal nesting and moths issues. Celia’s interests are around the evidence of damage – through repair you look closely at where garments and cloth have got worn down and thin. In clothing this wearing is often to do with use and how the body moves. Celia says “she likes that darning is often small acts of care and paying attention to where things fray and wear out.” 

Bring your garment for repair, or use material provided. All welcome. 

About the Artist: Celia Pym is an artist living and working in London. She was awarded the NOW Gallery Fashion Commission 2024 and made SOCKS: the art of care and repair (2024-25) were she taught a whole primary school community to darn socks. Other exhibitions include Bags (2024) Hweg; Blankets (2024) Salgshallen Galleri; Cheongju Craft Biennale (2023) Cheongju, Korea; ‘Connect. Reveal. Conceal’. Make Hauser & Wirth, London, UK (2023) and  Threads: Breathing stories into materials, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2023). Pym is an Associate Lecturer in Textiles at the Royal College of Art and published her first book, ‘On Mending: Stories of Damage and Repair’ in 2023. 

www.celiapym.com 

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