Annie mending at one of our Repair Cafés
“I’ve been sewing basically forever. My dad taught me how to hand-stitch and I’ve picked up things from sharing tips with other sewers and watching YouTube videos. I like being able to rely on my own two hands. In highschool I used to make a lot of costumes, whereas last weekend I spent a couple of hours putting pockets into my pajamas. Sewing opens your eyes to how the world works – I mean, why are there no pockets? Where are you supposed to put things? You notice quality more, and you can appreciate it. Last year I resolved not to buy new clothes, and when I needed something I went shopping at second hand stores. For my office Christmas party I bought a dress for 7 dollars, that was probably actually worth 250. I made a few alterations and it was perfect to wear for that event. This is my third time volunteering as a fixer at a Repair Café. I like coming here because everyone is so passionate about what they are doing. There are so many things that can be fixed, instead of being thrown out. Mostly people ask me to repair zippers – they want to keep an item but the zipper is broken. And when you can fix something up for someone, they are super happy. It’s a good feeling!”