Melissa Sarris
Co/mend
a new project that uses the language and practice of mending to consider the social, cultural, and historical reverberations of sustainability, and community engagement.
The project will have two components – workshops at UpStitch and workshops for children at the Albany Boys and Girls Club. Next Spring at UpStitch we are planning a regional mending-themed exhibition to showcase artists considerations of repair and mending and showcasing work made this summer. The free workshops held at UpStitch, will be taught by me and Stitching Exchange participants, who will showcase their own cultural sewing traditions, as well as visible mending maven Sarah Collen. More info and sign up here
Specific terms in sewing are often used outside the realm of sewing. The metaphorical aspect of this language has always interested me. Consider just two examples: “mending our ways” or "repairing the fabric of society.” The Co/mend project will include a “mending exchange” that runs in parallel with the UpStitch workshops where participants can practice their techniques on collaboratively created fabric-scrap assemblages. We will explore juxtaposition of color, pattern and stitch, decoupling the practical aspects of repair as we focus on the restorative nature of communal handwork and the metaphorical connections to be made with the language of mending: repair, bind, patch, stitch, etc. The mending exchange will be open to anyone interested in participating when the UpStitch store is open starting July 18th, 2026.
(Top image: Boro improve, below: Abject Constellation.)
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, around 92 million tons of textile waste are generated globally each year, with only about 8% to 13% of materials being recycled. The United States alone generates roughly 17 million tons of textile waste annually, with approximately 11.3 million tons ending up in landfills – equivalent to the average American discarding over 80 pounds of clothing per year. Only about 15% of used clothing in the U.S. is recycled or donated; the rest goes to landfills or incineration.