Bringing you a mindful moment with hands-on crafting at the @compactnetwork x @sephorauk event shot by @katietruemanphotos Sephora provided velvet makeup bags as the star of the show and we brought the glam: rivets, crystals and embroidery for guests to personalize theirs

Join us on the 19th of April for the sell-out Mindful Mending Club! Bring as many items as you want to repair or alter and save those clothes (and your money) from going to waste. We cater to all skill levels, from absolute beginners to confident sewers that just want some guidance here and there. The more that come, the more clothes are rescued ✨ Comment “Mending” for a direct link in your DM’s to book your place

How embarrassing that so many “higher ups” don’t believe in the power of mindful moments that come with crafting? The amount of times I’ve heard the reason being “it’s too niche” or “it’s mainly for girls” when I’ve tried to pitch mending, sewing etc to brands as a mindful activity, an alternative to just another cocktail party or another anonymous pop up where no one speaks to each other and you’re awkwardly wondering if you should even be there. I’ve been in this industry for a looong time now, attending events as a journalist, a creator but also, I’m a customer too and I know I’d want to have the chance to engage meaningfully with whatever product or brand I’m interested in! Moments like these are a chance to reset ourselves in the middle of a busy week. Why is that gendered or niche? Well, it’s a good thing we didn’t waste our time and instead, decided to show naysayers how everyone enjoys a creative session. We had a packed table and ran out of @sephorauk pouches before the day even wrapped! And yeah, plenty of “not girls” joined too 💅🏼 Thank you @zak.heath @compactnetwork and @sephorauk for believing in the Mindful Moment of a creative crafting session. My team from @thesewnassembly are the best!! @thweekendproject @minazhaopatterns

This March, we’ve launched a select few spaces to teach Londoners how to knit with our resident expert @a_garnier Alice. You’ll learn the fundamentals of how to get started, the basic stitches that make up most knitwear that you’ll see and don’t worry, we’ll also show you how to finish a piece. All practice yarn and a new set of circular needles are available for you to take home and enjoy!

A reversible and easy way to shorten your knitwear. This works well for cardigans and keeps it looking pretty inside. I imagine this would be better with snap closures for jumpers and you can use little lengths of elastic if you don’t know how to make a chain stitch! This is day 12 of 30 Days of Repair and I hope it provides some inspo for your future alteration and mending projects in the New Year 🫶🏼

Your sign to pick up basic knitting if you’ve ever wanted to shorten your jumpers! This is the first method I’ll share with you for how to do this and it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted and it does require knitting skills (although you could also use crochet). 1. Measure the length you want the knit to be 2. Pick up the stitches with a tapestry needle and thread - look for the right post of the V shape of the knit and thread through. 3. Unravel the knit until you hit the “lifeline” you created in step 2. 4. Save the yarn for later. You can use this to figure out the correct “gauge” to match the garment if you wanted it to look as invisible as possible. 5. Now use your knitting needle to replace the lifeline, picking up the same stitches. A much larger needle will make the bottom part looser, a much smaller needle will tighten it. You may need to adjust accordingly! 6. You can either create a ribbing or cast off at this point. This was day 11 of 30 Days of Repair and a much easier second option is coming your way soon!

Day 10 of 30 Days of Repair and there are just some stains that can’t be removed… so it’s time to show a bit of creative flair and inject our personal tastes into the item. When we think of patchwork it’s usually quite craftsy but it doesn’t need to be - that’s the aesthetic and not the technique. I used appliqué and hand stitching to cover up these marks and I think the sheerness of the silk organza really helps to make the white scrap fabric look intentional. Remember your creative mends aren’t meant to please other people, in fact, most of the time they’ll be confusing. We’re not used to seeing personal touches or imperfections. Unfamiliarity isn’t always popular. But visible mending is meant to make your clothes serve YOU, and for longer. It’s important that you and only you like the result because that’s the first step in dressing for yourself!

This Sunday is one of our last Mindful Mending Clubs of the year and we’re ready to get you started on your circular wardrobe journey! Meet likeminded fashion and craft friends in London and learn basic sewing skills that will teach you to make your clothes fit how you want them to. If you’ve missed the chance to come to this one and would like to join our first access list DM us with your email address for December.

Hands up who loves secondhand shopping 🙌🏼 but have you thought about how our kids may not have the same experience that we enjoy? Clothes these days are declining in quality to the point that they’re becoming harder (although not impossible) to fix and that mentality of investing money into an item designed to fail is becoming exhausting for us. Extended Producer Responsibility policy is going to relieve some of that pressure that’s been disproportionately placed on consumers. But what else can we do? Preserving the good quality clothes we have now is so important, but also understanding that secondhand doesn’t lose its value especially when it’s made from great materials that are harder to come by at present. This vest is available as part of the Reloved drop, a curated collection of natural fibre vintage items that have been restored and repaired. You can check it out on thesewnassembly.com

Clothes that deserve a second life, who have proven they could stand the test of time and are made from natural, quality fibres. The Reloved A/W drop is live on the website today.

What stories do our clothes have about us? Would they tell of careers who wore them lovingly and kept them well? This cashmere cardigan has survived since the 1950’s (dated by the person I sourced her from) and only had one moth hole. I used creative embroidery inspired by the Willow pattern - the perfect marriage between British culture and Chinese aesthetic - to disguise her “flaws” and make this blue more versatile to style. She definitely is one of, if not the longest restoration projects and whoever loves her next should know they have a real gem in their wardrobe! This vintage cashmere piece is coming to Reloved this Monday at 12pm on thesewnassembly.com Videography @alisejane_photo @thesewnassembly

Something to keep out the cold, coming soon. Repaired, Restored, Reloved drops on the 20th of October and features this shearling coat. Our first look mailing list will receive the lookbook on the weekend prior, so you can earmark which piece you love the most. Drop us your email address via DM to join the exclusive preview.