A stitch in time for the circular economy

RemakerSpace recently hosted an innovative sewing workshop, which brought together students from across Cardiff University to learn a variety of sewing skills to assist and encourage them in repairing and extending the life of their clothes.

The event, organised and led by Dr Kersty Hobson (School of Geography and Planning), enabled students to actively participate in multiple interactive hand and domestic sewing machine sessions. It also provided an excellent networking opportunity for students from across the university to meet up and socialise in an informal and fun learning environment.

Funded by Cardiff University’s ‘Innovation for All Scheme’, the students joined Dr Ruth Potts (School of Geography and Planning), and Dr Andreia de Almeida (School of Medicine), who facilitated sessions on ‘visible’ mending techniques, machine-sewing repairs and basic hand-sewing mending.

Attendees enthusiastically engaged with this opportunity to learn new skills, with some students using the sessions to brush up on existing expertise, leaving the workshop with the confidence to continue to develop and work on individual clothes repair and sewing projects.

RemakerSpace, established through a Welsh Government Circular Economy Capital Fund award, with considerable contribution from Cardiff Business School, is dedicated to community engagement and education to promote and support product life-cycle extension and the circular economy. The sewing workshop is the first of a series planned over the summer, which will also include workshops focussing on basic electronics and 3D printing.

For more information on how RemakerSpace supports community groups, education providers and businesses, please contact Rebecca Travers, RemakerSpace Centre Manager.