Hand Darning (Ōtautahi)

Learn the basics of hand darning in this hands-on workshop. Mend discreetly or add bold designs and deepen your connection to the clothing you care for.
Close-up of a darning mushroom with black material and hand darned stitches with a needle piercing it, held by a hand.
Close-up of a darning mushroom with black material and hand darned stitches with a needle piercing it, held by a hand.

Location

Canterbury WEA Gloucester Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch, New Zealand

Duration:

2h
$55.00 NZD per person
$55.00 NZD
About This Experience
  • Sunday 8 March: 10am-12pm
  • Sunday 30 August: 10am-12pm

Hand darning is a timeless technique that not only extends the life of your clothing but also deepens your connection to the items you wear every day. In this workshop, Mirabel will guide you through the basics, from preparing your garment to stitching durable repairs. Learn to mend discreetly or add unique character with bold, colourful designs. Whether patching a beloved sweater or reinforcing jeans, you’ll discover how to turn simple fixes into meaningful acts of care. 

This technique can also be applied to socks, but is different to Swiss darning which involves a re-knitting stitch technique.

Please note

  • All materials and tools will be provided
  • Food & Drink – Bring a water bottle to keep hydrated, and any food or snacks you may need over the course of the workshop. To observe tikanga, we ask that no food or hot drinks are consumed in the work space, a separate area will be available for breaks.
  • This workshop is for adults aged 18 and older, or for young people aged 16–17 who attend with a supervising adult. Please note that if a young person attends, two workshop places must be purchased (one for the young person and one for the accompanying adult).

Optional materials you may like to bring

(Entirely optional — all necessary materials will be supplied)

  • Please bring an item or two of clothing made from woven fabric that needs darning as well as matching thread and needle if you have it.

Cancellation

Bookings are non-refundable. If for any reason (this includes illness, travel delays, and injuries) you need to cancel your workshop, you will receive a refund minus a $30 administration fee. This is provided you contact us at least 14 full days before your booking.

Please see our Cancellation Policy for more details.

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We are grateful to be able to offer this workshop because of support from Creative New Zealand.

Your Host

Host image

Mirabel Oliver

A longtime lover of many craft practices, Mirabel is a textile artist who studied sculpture at the University of Canterbury. In 2025 she held an exhibition in which her traditional needlework pieces plied together the daily threads of art and life. Mirabel loves the domesticity of working with wool and fabric, seeing their inherent resourcefulness and beauty as an important feature of family life. In 2026, she will be teaching drop-spindle spinning, hand darning, felt-bowl making, patchwork, and her new swiss darning workshop, as well as hosting our mending club.