Collected Item: “Debbie Murphy”
Name
Debbie Murphy
Pronouns
she / her
Website
https://www.missfitcreations.com/
Social Media link
https://www.instagram.com/missfitcreates/
Type of work
Hand mending
Overview
Vintage Clothing Restoration & Reworked Design
City, region and/ or country
Tamworth
Details
I've been in the business of mending since 2002, with hundreds of vintage garments in stock the mending is never ending.
A recent study by scientists at Aston University reported that my business saves 3 tonnes CO2eq with every 600 garments recirculated. Items that cannot be restored are reworked into new designs so that nothing heads to landfill. With a zero waste policy, even the smallest scraps of fabric are reused.
I frequently take to the streets to demonstrate clothing repair and have also set up a Mending Circle; free workshops where local people are able to come and learn and share mending skills.
A recent study by scientists at Aston University reported that my business saves 3 tonnes CO2eq with every 600 garments recirculated. Items that cannot be restored are reworked into new designs so that nothing heads to landfill. With a zero waste policy, even the smallest scraps of fabric are reused.
I frequently take to the streets to demonstrate clothing repair and have also set up a Mending Circle; free workshops where local people are able to come and learn and share mending skills.
Bio
A costumier by trade, I dressed entertainers, bands and drag queens in extravagant designs. This led to some very expensive offcuts of fabric which I began using in my own creations. My love of upcycling led to a whole clothing range which I sold worldwide until 2013 when a cancer diagnosis gave me a reality check.
I believe that the correlation between self healing and mending is strong as it was stitching small clothing repairs that led me back to my business. I refocused entirely on clothing restoration and now surround myself (literally) with poorly clothes that need care and attention.
I believe that the correlation between self healing and mending is strong as it was stitching small clothing repairs that led me back to my business. I refocused entirely on clothing restoration and now surround myself (literally) with poorly clothes that need care and attention.
Accept commissions?
yes
Teach?
Occasional