Menders from across Melbourne gathered around trestle tables at Federation Square on Saturday (September 12th) to form a Mending Circle as part of the Zero Waste Festival (run by Zero Waste Victoria). Menders heralded from St Kilda Repair Café, Kensington Repair Hub, Glen Eira Repair Café and several other community repair organisations. Some of the menders contributing were from a local Merri-bek group: the Merri Menders.
The Merri Menders are passionate about reducing textile waste through mending and making do! Their vision is to foster clothes mending so it becomes a common everyday thing in Merri-bek and beyond. Thus their energetic participation at the Zero Waste Festival.
Items mended on the day included bedsheets, soft toys, a backpack or two, handbags, woollen jumpers and cardigans, synthetic tops and pants and socks of all kinds. Some the patrons had no previous experience of sewing and took away a new perspective on their “wardrobe”: most things can be mended! More experienced sewers felt supported to “keep it up” and to take on challenging mends such as underarm holes and “crotch patching”!
Basic kits of needle, threads and patches were shared freely and so were the smiles of satisfaction of jobs well done! Knowing mending these clothes and other items reduces textile waste energised the tired menders as we packed up at the end of the day and headed for home! Some getting a little of their own mending done on the tram!
The next Merri Menders’ event will be Friday September 24th 6pm-7.30pm at Coburg Library Makers’ Space. The focus will be “Learn how to mend (basics)”. You can follow the Merri Menders on Instagram.
By Liz Morrigan