In an effort to promote sustainable lifestyles, Grand Valley State University’s Art Museum and University Archives hosted a mending event on Jan. 15. The event, “Mending the Archives,” took place at the Seidman House, and taught students how to repair clothes.
Participants had complete creative freedom regarding which sewing patterns they worked with, and what thread they utilized. Scraps of fabric in a variety of colors and designs were also available for students to choose from. To make stitching more straightforward to follow, attendees also had access to gridded pieces of paper. The tool, which relies on rows of boxes, stuck to the attendee’s clothing and served as a guide for needle placement.
The Art Museum’s Learning and Outreach Manager, Jessica Sundstrom, emphasized that she was inspired to organize the event by the museum’s current exhibit, “Climate Matters: Our Changing and Resilient Planet.”
“The Art Museum’s message for that exhibition is how can we make actionable choices to help the environment and climate,” Sundstrom said. “I do a lot of personal textile work, so sustainable mending was one of the very first things that came to mind.”
Sundstrom intended to create an event that would be practical for students in order to truly make progress toward sustainability.
“I know that (many) students on campus are interested in thrifting,” Sundstrom said. “They might find clothes that have a hole or they might rip a favorite shirt, so (learning how to mend) would be a really nice opportunity.”
With this in mind, Sundstrom invited Christina Threloff, a sustainable business owner and mending expert, to the event. Threloff’s business, My Lovely Muse, has spent over six years selling beeswax food wraps and bags which serve as an alternative to saran wrap and plastic bags. When she’s not busy selling environmentally friendly products, Threloff teaches people how to be more sustainable by providing the tools to begin their journey. She offers various classes, including private sewing and group mending sessions. Threloff has previously worked with the University’s Office of Sustainability Practices to teach students how to repair clothes.
“It might seem intimidating, especially if you’ve never picked it up before, but I think it’s (mending) easy,” Threloff said. “I also think it’s very meditative and soothing.”
At the event, Threloff explained and demonstrated how to create a “running stitch,” as it is deemed a basic aspect of mending. For those who picked the art up quickly, she offered more complex stitching demonstrations.
“With beginners, often the hardest part is threading the needle, but the more you thread a needle, the easier it is,” Threloff said.
Sundstrom added that mending is a very accessible skill to learn. While mentioning the importance of hand dexterity, she said there are tools and various types of needles that can make sewing easier.
“There (are) different things (tools) to help all sorts of people with different facilities, (such as) needle threading tools,” Sundstrom said.
Sundstrom voiced that the University will continue to host sustainability-themed events and those of a similar nature.
