Stitch It, Don't Ditch It Simple Hand-sewn Repairs to Help You Love Your Clothes For Longer

Mary Morton @edinburghstreetstitchers @mvm13 is a climate concerned grandma who has been a sewing volunteer with SHRUB Coop, a zero-waste charity in Edinburgh, for the last five years. The sewing volunteers run drop-in garment repair sessions twice a week. Inspired by the global street stitching movement, started by Suzi Warren, which raises awareness of the climate and environmental reasons for reducing consumption of textiles, she set up Edinburgh Street Stitchers, a group who take their camping chairs and ‘Stitch it Don’t Ditch It’ banners out to streets and parks around the city to share their sewing skills and enable people to repair what they wear.
 
Jeanna Wigger @thepeoplesmending is a life-long upcycler, textile enthusiast and educator. Clothing repair exists at the centre of these interests and has been part of her daily life for the past 12 years. Four years ago, she started a personal seasonal project called Winter of Care and Repair (#winterofcareandrepair), during which she mends, tends, or otherwise maintains something in her home (usually clothing) every day between the winter solstice and spring equinox. She currently co-organises a local hand sewing creative group that aims to teach others how to sew and promotes mending through community events at local farmers markets.