Debbie Murphy

Item

Title
Debbie Murphy
Pronouns
she / her
Medium
Hand mending
Description
Vintage Clothing Restoration & Reworked Design
About
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.
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.
Accepts commissions
yes
Teaches
Occasional
City or Region
Tamworth
Item sets
Menders

This item was submitted on March 8, 2023 by [anonymous user] using the form “Application Form for Menders” on the site “Visible Mending”: https://visiblemending.org/s/world

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