Stitching sustainability into the everyday

This workshop is ideal for community venues, libraries, wellbeing retreats, adult education programmes, or any gathering that supports reflection, creativity and sustainable living. It’s designed for small to medium-sized groups, offering a relaxed atmosphere where participants can reconnect with their belongings, explore mindful repair, and share gentle conversation. Suitable for all experience levels, it works particularly well for those interested in wellbeing, slow living, or circular economy themes.

Thread by thread

The workshop centres on the conscious theme of mending as care — for ourselves, for others and for the world around us. Each session begins with a short, guided reflection on the meaning of wear and repair in everyday life and some creative journaling. As participants begin working with fabric and thread, these reflections carry through the activity, offering space to shift perspectives on damage, attention and value. The sessions close with optional sharing.

Needle, fabric, story

Participants are invited to bring a worn or damaged item of clothing or fabric accessory to work on — something that could be repaired, refreshed, or made useful again. Spare items are available for those who don’t bring their own. Using visible mending techniques such as running stitch, blanket stitch and simple embroidery, participants are supported to creatively respond to small marks, holes, stains, or other signs of use. Fabric scraps, threads, and embellishments are available to encourage thoughtful reuse and upcycling. No sewing experience is needed — this is not a class, but a process that welcomes experimentation and individual style.

Wear it out (again)

At the end of the session, each participant will have a renewed piece of clothing or textile — visibly repaired, embellished, or creatively repurposed. Beyond the practical outcome, the workshop often offers something more lasting: a new way of seeing what we usually discard, a sense of satisfaction in making something wearable again, and an appreciation for repair as a quiet, creative act. With its gentle pace and low barrier to entry, Torn Treasures is an engaging way to bring circular economy thinking into local spaces in a human, hands-on way.

book a workshop