Jessamy Shay - visible mending & slow fashion

My sewing machine and I will be back at the .vintagemarket on Sunday May 31st 12-8pm, so mark your calendar and start gathering your mending pile! Find me on the stage at Union Tavern, just steps from the Bow Market entrance and the vendors on Somerville Ave!

I’ll be offering on-site simple repairs all day, like patching and machine darning jeans, restitching seams, and replacing buttons. Got something more complicated? Bring it by and let’s chat! I’ll be accepting more complex and time consuming repairs to be completed back in my studio.

Price will be given at the time of drop off, but usually ranges from $15-$60 for simple, same day repairs, and goes up depending on complexity. If you have a question about a garment ahead of time, feel free to email or DM me!

Repair is a great way to save money and keep your favorite clothes going strong. No new garment can compete with a perfectly broken in piece that you’ve loved for years! Swipe through to see some of the repairs I’ve done in the past, several of which were done on the spot at Curated Vintage Markets past!

All set up at Inman Eats & Crafts, happening today until 4! It’s so cool to see so many incredible makers & craftspeople in one place, so come soak up the sun and find something super special made by local hands!

Eff the Met Gala, let’s talk about ARTWEAR! Last Thursday was the culmination of weeks of planning, sourcing, designing, sewing, and styling, which all came together for an hour and a half of community fashion joy. Please admire these stunning photos of my upcycled lewks on our gorgeous models by . These pieces were made using vintage textiles like tablecloths and sheets, and were designed to be very low waste. Most of them are available - if you see something you adore, reach out!

I love being part of the incredible group of creatives who volunteer each year to put on such a spectacular event. There’s so much positivity, encouragement, and enthusiasm - with some hijinks thrown in for good measure. To celebrate the power of fashion in a way that feels authentic, diverse, and without perpetuating the harmful status quo that’s so prevalent in the global fashion industry - well, that’s something mighty special. Be the change, they say, and I think we’re trying hard to be.

Thanks to all the show attendees who lined up and screamed their heads off for us; to the volunteers who supported the show by performing all the behind the scenes jobs, big and small, that are necessary to a production like this; to the models for bringing the runway sass; and to Head Clown for spearheading yet another stellar show!

And to my fellow designers, I’m so proud of you! The work this year was truly impressive - y’all knocked it out of the park. If you’d like to see more looks from the show, please go follow . One of my contributions was to head up the show’s social media account this year, and I’ll be posting more photos from the show in the coming days/weeks. ✂️

Somerville Open Studios weekend is always a delight, and this year was no exception! What a joy it was to turn my front room into a gallery with and welcome in so many nice folks from the neighborhood and beyond. Thank you to everyone who stopped by Pearl Street Studios and climbed three flights of stairs to drink sangria and talk about art with us! Some of my favorite pieces found new homes this weekend, and it will always be the coolest thing ever that people want to wear things that I made with my little hands. ❤️✂️ Don’t even get me started on the Artwear fashion show…long story short, it was fab, post & photos coming soon!

If you missed Open Studios, you can catch me and my work again this Saturday 5/9 during Somerville Porchfest in the backyard 12-7pm with several other local makers!

There’s ONE spot left in my darning workshop on Sunday from 10a-2p! Darning is one of my favorite and most-use mending techniques. Grab a garment to work on and come learn a skill that you’ll return to again and again to keep your favorite clothes in rotation!

Do you want to get into the nitty gritty of darning? I have a workshop for that, and it’s coming up in April! Join me at my studio for a three hour deep dive into all things darning on Sunday April 19th from 10a-1p!

You’ll learn how to creatively repair holes, reinforce thin areas, and cover stains using woven darning techniques. We’ll discuss darning tools and materials, along with how to make color and design decisions for mends that pop. Because this is double the length of my library workshops, you’ll have plenty of time to deepen your darning practice, including time to experiment and work on a garment you bring with you!

This workshop would be a great next step if you’ve taken one of my library darning workshops, but don’t worry if you haven’t darned before - we’ll start at the beginning! Hand sewing experience is helpful, but not necessary.

The full workshop description, including a materials list and all that good stuff, can be found at the línk in the comments! There are only six spots, so go snag one if you’ve always wanted to be a darning expert!

Images are mostly student work from past darning workshops, particularly the workshops I ran recently on Nantucket. It’s so fun to see how different folks approach visible mending!