Visible Mending 101 With Expert Lucie of @WeMadeTogether

by Carley Lake | Last Updated:   May 29, 2020

Lucie Chaptal of @wemadetogether uses her skills, time, and love for mending clothes to help others take care of their items and rethink the value of their clothing. Read more about Lucie and scroll down for her hand-drawn steps so you can learn how to fix holes in your shirts, sweaters, jeans, and even leggings with visible mending.

So, who are you? 🙂

I became a creative reconnector, mender, and activist in the first generation of the master program Fashion Held in Common at Artez in the Netherlands. I host and facilitate events to share curiosity, playfulness, understanding, and creative self-expression. In this multi crisis time, I wish people could inspire each other more, be supportive and inclusive, and be led by love and not by fear. 

I am also a rebel at Extinction Rebellion Fashion Action in the Netherlands. We focus on the fashion industry, which is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. I particularly help on the Guerrilla making once a month in which we reclaim the public space for showing de consumption. 

How did you get into visible mending/repair? Why is it important to you?

I fell into repairing before mending 4 years ago when I did my Bachelor graduation fashion collection ‘Sweatshop’ where 50% of broken clothes were deconstructed into new outfits which showed the harmful effects of the fast fashion industry.

Sadly, the frenzy of trends has taken over fashion in the whole world. The industrialization of it has damaged crafts, cultures, and traditions. I am angry about the self-destructive system where it’s still cheaper to buy new goods than to recycle and repair. When I mend clothes, I repeat a gesture that used to be done with preciousness. Torn parts of clothing tell stories about habits, accidents, moments—they make us unique and diverse. 

How can others get into repairing and visible mendings? What is your advice for starting?

Mend yourself, make it a beautiful moment and share it with friends or family. Dare to do it in public space like in a public transportation station, a big queue, a waiting room, or organize a Guerrilla making! Last year, my friend Dani Danyang and I created a cocoon evening where people mended their clothes and read natives’ stories, articles, and books to each other. 

Ask your grandma, grand auntie, or friends to teach you visible mending. They probably know traditional and unique techniques. For example, my mother showed me 2 weeks ago some needle hand lace stitches I can use to mend. These stitches are close to the Scottish darning. I love mixing techniques.

Make visible according to your styles and feelings. The weakness is an opportunity for learning, caring, and shifting. My favorite textiles are the ones that look like patchwork.  

Buy materials from the charity shops, vintage shops, flea markets, or local shops (or borrow the material from your grandma). Always carry a needle, a thread, and safety pins with you. Then a freshly torn textile can instantly be fixed. Sometimes I mend a piece of clothing directly on the owner.

Always remember, every textile and clothing item can be mended.