Learn about artists working with repair and develop skills in woven and fake ‘knitted’ darning.

This workshop led by Celia Pym, will explore textile repair and specifically visible mending techniques. Participants will learn how and why you might visibly repair an item, large or small and consider also the tenderness and care involved in mending.

The aim of the workshop is to practice mending techniques on knitwear. Participants will also learn about artists working with repair, develop skills in woven and fake ‘knitted’ darning most useful for knitted garments. There will also be an opportunity to work on repairing your own well-loved garments.

Please bring along any damaged knitted items that you would like to discuss repair options for.
Darning materials will be provided.
No previous darning, knitting, needle based experience is necessary

The Artist Images

The Artist

Celia Pym has been exploring mending since 2007. With extensive experience in smaller everyday projects including mending heels, elbows, in pockets as well as working on more dramatic damage, from water damage, animal nesting and moths issues. Celia’s interests are centered around the evidence of damage – through repair you look closely at where garments and cloth have got worn down and thin. In clothing, this wearing is often to do with use and how the body moves. Celia says she ‘likes that darning is often small acts of care and paying attention to where things fray and wear out.’

Selected exhibitions include, Perfection: a question of repair co-curated Celia Pym and Kathryn Gremley, Penland Gallery, North Carolina, (2025); Tradition und Moderne, Galeri Handwerk, Munich, Germany (2025); Deep Color, Halsey McKay, New York, USA (2025); Tipping Point, Frauenmuseum, Hittisau, Austria (2025); SOCKS: the art of care and repair, NOW gallery, London (solo) (2024); Bags, Hweg, Cornwall (solo) (2024); Cheongju Craft Biennale, Cheongju, Korea (2023); Connect. Reveal. Conceal. Make Hauser & Wirth, London, UK (2023); Threads: Breathing stories into materials, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2023); Say Less, Herald St, London, UK (2022); and Keep Being Amazing, Firstsite, Colchester, Essex, UK (2022).

Pym is an Associate Lecturer in Textiles at the Royal College of Art and is the author of two books On Mending: stories of damage and repair and SOCKS imaginative mending, both published by Quickthorn. Her work is held in the permanent collections of Crafts Council, UK; Museum fur Gestaltung, Zurich, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco and National Museum, Norway.