Mending Workshop at Cascade Female Factory, Hobart - my biggest yet
Image: Cascade Female Factory event space - I love teaching in a circle because it invites everyone to contribute equally - a practice I always encourage, since each person brings something interesting to share.
The amazing team at Cascade Female Factory asked me to be involved in Women’s History Month, which happens in March each year. They had a packed program of workshops and events at their South Hobart World Heritage Site.
Together, we created a workshop that suited their theme for Women’s History Month, which was about connecting the past with the future - visible mending fits so well because humans have been mending for as long as they have been making clothes, and the future needs us to remember how to mend en masse, and visible mending is accessble and fun way to do that.
Rebels attract rebels
There’s a real rebellious spirit at the Casade Female Factory. There are many stories of convict women standing up for themselves and risking their well-being to do so. This connected with how I like to think of visible mending - as a rebellious stand against consumerism and the devastating impact of fast fashion on the planet and on human rights.
How it all unfolded
The workshop was very popular with 15 people attending (the biggest workshop I’ve ever held!), and it was a whirlwind!
We had just 2 hours to get stuck into the nitty-gritty of visible mending, we passed around a bunch of examples, and had time to do a hands-on activity where everyone learned how to do a visible darn on hessian - a great idea, especially for beginners, from Bec at Cascade Female Factory.
“Brilliant workshop. Loved all the information, the setting, and Nat’s teaching style. Thank you for hosting it.”
— Mending Student
A huge thank you
Thanks so much to the Cascade Female Factory staff who helped me make this workshop a reality. Especially Bec for helping me pull it all together, and Shelley for stepping in near the start to tell some stories about the women at the Female Factory in the 1800s who were forced to make, mend, and clean free-settlers’ clothing and bedding in appalling conditions.
You can find all the information about Cascade Female Factory here, I highly recommend a visit and a tour, their storytelling is phenomenal.
Want to learn with me?
If you’d like to create a workshop with me, just like the team at the Female Factory did, you can check out more information about custom workshops right here. I’d love to hear from you.
Thanks so much to Lady Jo for darting about and taking these great pics while I was distracted.
