#StitchItDontDitchIt 2023

We took to the streets of Tamworth once more for our fourth #StitchItDontDitchIt event last weekend (15th April '23). This time numbers were increased by our Mending Circle members - which incidentally celebrates it's first birthday this month as well! We gathered outside the Town Hall where there is regular footfall including shoppers and visitors to Tamworth Castle and Grounds.

Despite our increased number, there was still a lack of interest from passers by although we can take heart from the fact that our efforts attracted their attention. So, although people may not have engaged directly with us, it is hoped that they understood why we were there, what we were doing and maybe thought about how they can make a difference themselves.

This year saw the addition of our two youngest members of the Mending Circle, Eden aged three and Erwan aged only two months! It is vitally important that we introduce our children to both the reasons behind caring for our clothes and the skills associated with this. The Mending Circle welcomes all people of all ages and is a place to learn and share skills that we can in turn pass on.

The street stitchers amongst us this year made a wide range of repairs during our demonstration. Helen virtually put back together a 1960s dress, Heide was darning handmade socks, Thomas worked on a leather bag restoration and Lucie patched up a hole whilst I was adding visible mends to a vintage dress. Eden meanwhile made sure we all kept working and had a go at some cross stitch and Erwan was head of marketing, drawing in plenty of admiring comments!

There will be another #StitchItDontDitchIt event later this year where we will once again sit outside Primark on the busy local retail park. Our message is not to criticise passers by for their shopping habits but to encourage the care and repair of existing garments. Whether your wardrobe is full of high street brands or you're a vintage and charity shop hoarder, all clothes deserve to last as long as possible. If we buy better and buy less, prolonging the life of our treasured garments, this will go a long way to reducing the environmental damage causedd by the clothing industry as a whole.

I'm currently in the process of setting up a dedicated website for The Mending Circle so watch this space for news of when it will go live. I will continue to share information about our meetings on the Missfit Creations website as well.