The Art of Mending
January 22 – February 12, 2026 | 1:30–4 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Purple Workshop, Greene Family Education Center
Registration Required
Members get first access! Not a member? Join today!
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art in the museum’s galleries, hours of expert instruction, and access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
Registration opens to the public on December 3, 2025 at 10 a.m.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art in the museum’s galleries, hours of expert instruction, and access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
Discover the simple joy of repair through hand sewing and creative mending. Explore the beauty of working slowly and intentionally with needle and thread; no patterns, perfection, or prior experience are required. Using fabric scraps and well-loved garments, learn to repair, embellish, and transform textiles in ways that honor both their history and your own creativity. Draw insight and inspiration from upcycled garments on view in Viktor&Rolf. Fashion Statements, as well as historic and contemporary decorative arts and Folk Art objects in the museum’s collection. Connect your practice to a long legacy of care, resourcefulness, and storytelling through cloth.
- Week 1: Begin with a guided viewing of Viktor&Rolf. Fashion Statements. Draw inspiration from the exhibition, and consider the ways in which textile art can be reimagined. Return to the studio, and learn to assemble a simple mending kit. Practice basic hand stitches on fabric swatches, and discuss the philosophy and history of visible mending while experimenting with creative repairs.
- Week 2: Learn to leverage torn or ripped fabric as an opportunity for beauty. Focus on visible mending techniques like sashiko-inspired stitching and decorative patching. Consider bringing a small item from home to practice simple repairs with intention and creativity.
- Week 3: Dive into reinforcement stitches and woven darning. From thinning elbows to frayed knees, learn how to strengthen weak areas in well-loved garments, and layer texture and color to create one-of-a-kind surfaces.
- Week 4: Apply the skills you have been building to a personal mending project with guidance and feedback. Conclude with a class discussion on the various techniques learned throughout the course, share the stories behind our repairs, and reflect on how mending connects us to our creativity and our communities.
About Studio Classes
Expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert teaching artists. Over multiple weeks, you will learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.
This is an introductory-level Studio Class; it is designed to accommodate all levels of skill and talent. If you have never taken an art making class before, this is a great place to start. You will learn new skills that you can use in your artistic practice.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art in the museum’s galleries, hours of expert instruction, and access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
About your Instructor
Loi Laing is a visual artist and educator specializing in fiber art, natural dyeing, earth pigments, and botanical inks. She is committed to sustainability and is passionate about connecting people with nature through art. Her workshops emphasize the use of locally sourced, ecofriendly materials, fostering creativity and respect for the environment. By sharing ancient techniques alongside contemporary approaches, Loi empowers participants to explore their artistic potential while honoring the earth. Her writing is featured in the book This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection (2021) by Jen Hewett.
Please note that in the event of a session being canceled, February 19 is reserved as a makeup date.
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