Brokenness: The Craft of Garment Repair + Alteration
Session 1 | June 8–20
Milk on the Tongue by Amy Meissner, 2022. Vintage crocheted potholders, embroideries, and abandoned crazy quilts, glass, craft beads, and Swarovski crystals: machine-pieced soft sculpture, hand-sewn assembly, hand embroidery, and beadwork. 84” x 56” | 63 pieces, each approximately 6” x 6” x 4”. Photo by Brian Adams.
While no two repairs are alike, similar skills can be applied to various garment and fabric types. Plan to bring a suitcase filled with clothing and textiles in need of care and learn to assess and execute the hand- or machine-based repair techniques that will keep woven and knitted garments in circulation. This workshop will cover repair, fit, and alterations—reclaiming clothing we love despite a fashion industry that often doesn’t love us back. A basic understanding of sewing machine use will be helpful. All levels welcome.
Amy Meissner’s (she/her) studio practice explores themes of invisible household labor and regards repair as an act of accompaniment to vulnerable objects in transition. Her first career was as a Technical Designer in the fashion industry. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage and an MA in Critical Craft Studies from Warren Wilson College. Her work is in permanent collections, including at the Anchorage Museum, the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, and the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, NE.