Darning Techniques

About this course

Participants learn ways to repair worn or damaged textiles, including standard and reversed patches, strengthening stitches, standard darning, knitwear darning, Swiss darning and simple pattern weaving. Demonstrations introduce the techniques, alongside a presentation on artists who use repair creatively. The work can remain discreet and functional or become a decorative textile piece, with learners producing samples, repaired objects or an expressive textile artwork.

What you'll learn

• Apply standard and reversed patches to textile surfaces
• Use strengthening stitches to reinforce damaged fabric
• Practise standard darning, knitwear darning and Swiss darning
• Experiment with simple pattern weaving as a repair technique
• Explore functional and decorative approaches to textile repair

Is this course right for you?

The workshop is suitable for all abilities and is intended for people interested in learning basic textile repair for practical or artistic purposes. Participation involves demonstrations followed by experimentation with repair techniques.

• Suitable for learners at any level of ability
• Approaches repair as both functional mending and textile art

Before you go

• Bring a small garment or household textile that needs mending, or fabric for practice.
• Bring hand needles, including a darning or tapestry needle, darning or soft embroidery thread, fabric and thread scissors, and firm patching fabric, ideally in a bold contrasting colour.