Japanese Sashiko Stitching / Visible Mending Workshop

Karen Giroud is running a Japanese Sashiko Stitching / Visible Mending Workshop at Sketchy Beats Cafe on Sunday 25 October, from 7pm to 9pm. It's a two-hour session that introduces traditional Japanese mending embroidery, specifically sashiko and boro stitching, as a creative and mindful way to keep clothes out of the bin.

Sashiko is a running stitch that started as a functional way to reinforce worn fabric, and boro is the practice of patching and layering to extend a garment's life. Together they turn mending into something visible and decorative rather than something you try to hide. It's a slow, repetitive process, so it works as much as a relaxing evening as it does a practical one. The workshop is open to beginners and experienced sewers alike, and materials are provided on the night, though you're more than welcome to bring your own clothes to work on if you've got something specific that needs a bit of love.

Giroud comes to this with a long background in textiles. She's spent over 20 years teaching art, design and textiles in schools and workshops, and has designed and made costumes for film, television and theatre. She describes her work as being driven by a passion for creativity and sustainability in textiles, which is exactly what this workshop is about: learning a skill that lets you keep your clothes going longer.

It runs from 7pm to 9pm at Sketchy Beats Cafe, 208 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh EH6 5LW. Tickets are a mixture of £10 and donation-based options until funding is renewed, and every ticket includes a free hot drink or you can bring your own bottle.