I want to invite a dialogue about textile waste in the US and inspire our community to participate in the solution and reconnect with sewing. To achieve this, I would like to reignite the sewing community established through my work with Interform, as well as highlight other designers and artists through workshops and joint studio time to create pieces for the display.

In addition, I want to have workshops and pop-up events during the show to give the community at large an opportunity to learn skills and participate. I am seeing a display of mended, repurposed, sewn items on display, including actual sewing machines from different decades, and the amount of textile waste at that time, to see the change over time. I think all this matters in a few different ways.

First, textile waste in this country is crazy, but it is something we can do something about by lengthening the lives of our garments through mending and repurposing. Next, sewing is unique; it is both practical and artistic, as well as universal. It has a beautiful way of connecting very different people together and giving them an opportunity to use their hands, which is becoming increasingly important and rare as so much of our world is digital. Last but not least, it creates a wonderful, safe place for us all to learn, make mistakes, challenge ourselves, and see what we can create on our own as well as together.