Skip to main content
September 13, 2021 6:00–8:00 pm
Duke Arts Annex
Textile Arts

Mindful Mending

Partnership with Blue Devils Care & DuWell

Taught by River Takada

About the Workshop

Learn time-honored Japanese Sashiko techniques for mending and repairing damaged textiles. Participants are encouraged to bring 2-3 items that need simple mending alterations that can be done by hand. If you don’t have an item of clothing to bring, you can practice on provided swatches, transforming fabric scraps into thoughtful art.

Techniques such as hemming jeans, mending a rip, sewing on a button, etc., will be covered. Supplies provided include hand sewing needles, Sashiko thread, Sashiko stitching handouts, and hand dyed fabric scraps. All levels are welcome and no sewing experience is required!

About the Instructor

River Takada is a Durham based mixed-media artist and art teacher.  River has a small batch production company under the name, RIVTAK, established in 2007, now selling handcrafted products in independently owned shops and online, www.rivtak.com.

Born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Carrboro, NC, River grew up with an appreciation for the constant change in nature, and the beauty of functional art. River loves to work with kids and adults, empowering folks by sharing the therapeutic and vocational powers of sewing and other creative skills. River is a LGBTQ community advocate who turned her dream of creative and social practice into a passionate career. On most days, you’ll find her in her studio, designing, sewing, screen printing or outside dyeing fabric.

When River is not in the studio, she is teaching fiber arts at community centers around the state. She has taught at The ArtsCenter, The Scrap Exchange, ArtSpace, The NC Museum of Art, Freeman’s Creative, NCSU Craft Center and many small private groups.

About the Location

This workshop will meet in the Duke Arts Annex: get directions.

Address: 404 Gattis St, Durham, NC 27701

About Duke Arts Create

Duke Arts Create is a series of free, hands-on arts workshops designed to help all Duke students, including graduate and professional students (including Duke Health), as well as Duke faculty and staff develop a variety of creative skills in the visual arts, dance and movement, creative writing and more. Workshops are open to all skill levels and backgrounds. Most workshops are held in the Duke Arts Annex, the Rubenstein Arts Center or the Duke Arts Office 2101 and are typically held weeknights from 6-8 p.m.

Registration for the following week’s workshops go live on Friday mornings at 9 a.m. – sign up in advance to guarantee your spot. Didn’t get a spot? No problem! We always reserve space for walk-ins. Email DukeCreate@duke.edu if you have any questions. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here, which includes the full list of classes offered during the following month.

Duke Arts Create is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts (Duke Arts).