DARNING! Is it a craft, an art, or an act of resistance? Actually, it is all of the above. On Saturday, August 15, following a regular session of the wonderful “Stitch and Resist” gathering, Molly Peters led a “Visible Mending Workshop: Darning.” The description of the workshop said, “Visible mending is repairing our clothes, and it is so much more. It is care, slowing down, gratitude, creative expression, autonomy, fashion, sustainability, fun, intentional, relaxing, and hopeful. We will mend in community with one another and practice a timeless skill that honors the clothes we wear and the care we take of them.”

I attended the workshop with a dozen or so others. I think that I may have been the least skilled of the prospective darners. I spent quite a bit of time trying to thread my needle and then learning to use a needle threader (a valuable new skill). Overall, I had a wonderful time. I am particularly interested in keeping clothes out of the landfill and in not supporting fast fashion. To do this while stitching, schmoozing, laughing, and, sometimes bitching, was relaxing and rewarding. 

“Stitch and Resist” meets at Boston Workers Circle regularly every third Saturday from 11:00am to 1:00pm for crafting (fiber crafts include knitting, crocheting, sewing, doing embroidery, etc.) at every skill level, community building, and sharing. It is a drop-in gathering for which registration is requested. For more information, contact Jaclyn Friedman jaclyn.friedman@gmail.com and Julie Feinberg  jtfeinberg22@gmail.com.