The repair fair offered a chance for Vermonters to have old clothes mended for free. I had made the short trip from Middlebury to Vergennes in hopes of getting my favorite pair of leggings fixed.
Upon reaching the second floor of the library, I found a crew of volunteer “fixers” eagerly awaiting their first garments, with sewing machines and mending supplies at the ready. The group — 11 in all, including a handful set up in the basement — spanned multiple generations; the volunteers’ skills ranged from sewing to fixing jewelry.
It was also the first repair fair for Johnston and event organizer Gabriella Stevens, 24, an ECO AmeriCorps service member and ACSWMD’s waste diversion planning assistant.
They welcomed a steady stream of roughly 35 hopeful souls throughout the day, each looking to revive and customize old clothing, jewelry and accessories. But attendees didn’t have to sit and watch as their items were resuscitated. Johnston had organized the Swap Shop, a new addition where attendees could trade old clothes.
“We wanted to give people something to do while they wait in case all the fixers are taken up and they can’t have their item repaired right away,” Johnston explained. “Also, this whole event is kind of focused around creating a culture of repair and also a culture of keeping things out of the landfill.”
Kerri-Ann Jennings, 42, of Vergennes, had great luck in the shop. She was thrilled to discover a silk cami and a plaid ski jacket. While she stood in front of the mirror, someone nearby noted how well the coat suited her.
She also had clothing mended, including “very well-loved” jeans that she thought had seen their final days. The pair “fully started to disintegrate down the leg,” she said, “but I just kept on wearing it and, like, holes would appear everywhere.”
To her surprise, a fixer whipped them back into shape. “I can’t believe that they are salvageable!” she exclaimed.
I watched eagerly as she sewed. The fixer to her right, Jessica Breault, 47, of New Haven, adjusted overalls. I was mesmerized by their speed and confidence. As they worked, I leaned over their table so the two could hear my questions over the constant clicking of the many sewing machines around. They easily multitasked, keeping up with our conversation without losing concentration on their mending.
“I taught myself how to sew when my kids were small,” Breault said. “I started making cloth diapers. And then I made their clothes.”
Breault was motivated to volunteer, she said, because “I just thought it would be great to help people who don’t know how to do this, fix something. Like, this lady’s overalls just needed shortening, which I’m very familiar with.”
The overalls’ owner, Jen Lowe, 60, of Bridport, said they were secondhand. She used to cuff the bottoms but noted that “they get filthy” because she wears them while completing morning tasks at her home farm.
She was impressed by Breault’s handiwork and in awe that the zipper at the bottom of the pant leg remained intact.
According to Johnston, Vermont has just one active landfill — and it’s filling up quickly. “I think there’s about 20 years left in that landfill,” she said. “So the more we can do to prevent items from going there, the better.”
Along with my leggings, Jennings’ jeans and Lowe’s overalls, many more garments were mended, given a second chance and kept out of that very landfill.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!