Sustainable Fashion Week: The Power of Repair learn & mend together

As part of Sustainable Fashion Week 2024 we're exploring The Power of Repair in Crystal Palace, London SE19, in collaboration with Crystal Palace Artists Open House and Greener and Cleaner.

Try your hand at different kinds of mending, learn clothes repair skills or work on your own project alongside others.

This is an informal, drop-in across 4 hours to discover creative clothes repair using knitting, crochet, darning, sashiko, appliqué and more. Bring your own project or try something new with expert support for beginners and improvers. No ticket needed but please reserve a spot so we know how many people are coming.

Equipment: All materials provided. We will have a sewing machine available, but the event is primarily about handmade repairs and hand stitching.

Age guidance: this event is not suitable for under 12s.

Where? Upper Norwood Library Hub, 39 Westow Hill, London SE19 1TQ

The full programme for Sustainable Fashion Week in Crystal Palace is available on our Eventbrite page - stay updated on Instagram @sfwcrystalpalace - and all information about the Crystal Palace Artists Open House programme (across 28/29 September and 5/6 October) can be found on Instagram: @artistsopenhouse.crystalpalace and online at https://www.crystalpalaceartistopenhouse.co.uk/

Why repair?

Split seams, snagged zips, worn patches, stains and rips are among the reasons why clothes that are in otherwise good shape get thrown away. But some basic mending skills can keep favourite garments away from landfill.

So join our community-led event and learn stitching skills, celebrate creative visible mends, and reduce textile waste.

• 711,000 tonnes of post-consumer textiles ended up in the UK's household bin and general waste containers in 2021. (WRAP, 2024)
• If we repair an item of clothing, it's likely to be kept for a further 1.3 years. (WRAP, 2022)
• Extending the life of a garment by an extra 9 months reduces its environmental impact by 20-30%. (TRAID)
• A third of Brits were never taught to sew (BHF)

A massive thank you to all of the volunteers involved in making this event happen: Suze, Jane and Emma, plus our brilliant funders who made it possible!

This event has been funded with support from The National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by Transition Together & Crystal Palace Transition Town. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible. Look for more information about Transition Together at

Sustainable Fashion Week Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is one of 20 community hubs taking part in Sustainable Fashion Week 2024 (20-29 September), uniting the community in taking creative action, to change the fashion system from the bottom up.

Our neighbourhood is one of London’s best places for vintage shops and is home to lots of people who love second-hand, homemade, repurposed and mended clothes.

Local residents have joined together to create a truly community-led programme for Sustainable Fashion Week. Among us are grandmothers who knit and stitch, bespoke dressmakers, celebrated textile artists, hobbyists with creative flair, and South London’s hippest fashion influencers. With everything happening in and around ‘The Triangle’ of local streets, you’ll find great charity shops, vintage traders, gallery spaces, makers’ studios and rails of fashion finds.

Artwork credits
Emotional Waterfall: emotionalwaterfall.com // @emotionalwaterfallart
The Power of Repair: Sustainable Fashion Week Crystal Palace // @sfwcrystalpalace

Host or Publisher Sustainable Fashion Week - Crystal Palace