Shashiko & Visible Mending Workshop with Rashaad Holley

Join Rashaad Holley for a beginner Shashiko & Visible mending workshop using your own garment, or provided fabrics! Sashiko & Visible Mending: An Introduction Workshop Summary This three-hour introductory workshop explores the history, practice, and contemporary application of sashiko, a traditional Japanese textile practice that developed as a method of reinforcing and extending the life of cloth through hand stitching.Participants will learn about the origins and evolution of sashiko and how the practice has become connected to contemporary visible mending and sustainable approaches to garment care. The workshop will then move into hands-on instruction, where participants will learn foundational stitching techniques and create their own samples using fabric, thread, and simple geometric patterns.Participants are welcome to bring a garment they would like to mend, such as a pair of jeans with a hole or a torn cotton garment. Those who do not have a garment to repair will have the option to work with provided fabric scraps to practice techniques and create a textile sample.The workshop is designed for beginners and no previous sewing experience is required. Workshop Objectives Participants will: • Learn about the history and cultural context of sashiko • Understand the relationship between sashiko, repair, and textile preservation • Learn foundational hand stitching techniques • Practice creating consistent decorative and reinforcing stitches • Explore the use of pattern, repetition, and contrast in visible mending • Apply techniques to a personal garment or create a finished textile sample • Leave with a basic understanding of how visible mending can be incorporated into everyday garment care Workshop Format 1. Introduction to Sashiko A brief presentation and conversation covering the history of sashiko, its development as a practical textile technique, and its relationship to repair, reinforcement, and resourcefulness. 2. Demonstration Participants will be introduced to the materials and tools used for sashiko and visible mending, followed by demonstrations of foundational stitching techniques and approaches to working with damaged fabric. 3. Hands-On Practice Participants will create practice samples using provided fabric and thread. Instruction will focus on stitch consistency, spacing, pattern, and reinforcement. 4. Garment Application Participants who bring a garment may begin applying the techniques they have learned to their own piece. Those without garments can continue developing their samples or create a small textile piece using the provided materials. 5. Reflection & Share Out The workshop will conclude with an opportunity for participants to share their work, discuss their experience, and consider how mending can become part of their own approach to clothing care and sustainability. ** Please Note: It is recommended to attend the full workshop in order to follow our leading artist's instruction and be able to leave with a finished product. We ask that you please only register for the course if you know you are able to make the date and time of the workshop, as we have limited seats available based on the amount of provided materials we can offer. Thank you!