Mending Our Ways -
The Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective (SWFAC) in collaboration with the Future Forge Makerspace, is starting an outreach program to help community members have clothes mended and learn how to mend clothes. This free program will be held at the Future Forge located at 307 East College Ave on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10 am to 12 noon.
The program was inspired by a group in Scotland called Street Stitchers who help mend clothes in response to the amount of clothing thrown away because people don't know how to mend their clothes. On the 28th, community members can bring one item that needs a simple repair like replacing a button or a tear in a shirt or pants.
According to theroundup.org, the US generates more than 17 million tons of textile waste per year. That equals about 112 pounds per person! In the US, 66% of all unwanted clothes and textiles are landfilled and less than 15% are recycled. The rest,19% are burned.
Mending clothes is one of the methods we can all do to keep good clothing out of our landfill. SWFAC members will be on hand to mend the items, and community members who learn how to mend with the SWFAC members, will receive a small sewing kit.
SWFAC is pleased to collaborate with the Future Forge on this program. The Future Forge Makerspace is a place for Making and Learning! Makerspaces are part of what's called the Maker's Movement, which emphasizes hands-on discovery in an increasingly automated world. The textiles room has a modular design based in the reconfigurable space of co-working. There is a variety of tables and chairs, sewing machines, computer assisted embroidery, silk-screening. A large variety of tools, fabrics and resources are available for member use.
To learn more about The Future Forge Makerspace, and to become a member, please visit thefutureforge.org.
Members of SWFAC make many types of fiber art encompassing the manual manipulation of a variety of fibers by weaving, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, basket making, and paper making to name a few of the techniques.
SWFAC was founded in 2005 and is a local, all volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the economic development goal to stimulate and support successful cottage industry in the southwest. Both novice and skilled SWFAC artists enrich the community by nurturing and empowering one another fostering opportunities to gain new experience, expand talent and earn income from their art. Please visit SWFAC's website at www.fiberartscollective.org to learn more about the organization.
