Tamworth Borough Council is bringing a ‘Missfit Creations’ event on Saturday 16 September and Sunday 17 September to Tamworth Castle, as part of Heritage Open Days; a national festival in September which celebrates our great heritage and brings history to life.
Learn traditional techniques such as sashiko stitching, darning, using patches (which can be embellished as you like) and upcycling old clothing to create a new look. Tickets are FREE but must be pre-booked in advance to avoid disappointment as numbers are limited to 15 for each workshop.
The castle is hosting the event in the dining room, providing each workshop with the ideal historic setting.
This Missfit Creations project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Visitors are invited to join Debbie Murphy of Missfit Creations, to unpick the origins of clothing repair through history. Try your hand at sashiko stitching and boro cloth then make do and mend. Discover visible mending, how patches became popular in the sixties and discover ways to turn old clothes into new designs.
Workshops include:
Sashiko and Boro - Saturday 16 September, 10.30am – 12 midday
Learn the traditional Japanese mending techniques of Japan which have been popularised in modern fashion clothing.
If you have your own denim garments for embellishment, bring them along.
Make Do and Mend - Saturday 16 September, 1.30pm – 3pm
Step back in time to the WW2, when the nation was encouraged to prolong the lifespan of clothing by repurposing, repairing and reusing.
If you have some old woolies such as socks, jumpers, etc, bring them along, try your hand at darning.
Visible Mending – Sunday 17 September, 10.30am – 12 midday
Taking inspiration from the late 1960s hippie revolution, join this workshop and make some personalised patches. Denim patches will be supplied that can be embellished, embroidered or appliqued.
Upcycling – Sunday 17 September, 1.30pm – 3pm
Clothing that has passed its sell by date need not go to landfill, find out how to give new life to damaged and unwanted garments.
Bring along an old or unwanted tee-shirt and see the many varied ways it can be upcycled into new designs.
The workshops will last for am hour and half, suitable for children seven years and above. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Full details and how to book can be found on the castle website: www.tamworthcastle.co.uk.
Andrew Barratt, Chief Executive for Tamworth Borough Council, said: “We are very excited that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is helping us to deliver more practical workshops to the castle.
“It is great to have Debbie Murphy delivering her repurposing, repairing and reusing fabrics and old clothing workshops.
“We hope these workshops will help explore creativity as a way of engaging audiences with our wonderful history.”
For information about any castle events, opening times and admission prices, please contact the castle on 01827 709626 or visit: www.tamworthcastle.co.uk.
Missfit Creations was set up in 2002 by Debbie Murphy, a dressmaker and clothing restorer specializing in vintage and costume. She is also the founder of Tamworth’s Mending Circle which meet fortnightly at The Community Café in The Castle Grounds.
Debbie has worked for entertainers of all descriptions dressing tribute acts, pop bands and drag artists for several years before focusing entirely on keeping clothing from landfill.
Notes:
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.
In 2022 a Case Study on Missfit Creations was carried out by the Energy & Bio-Products Research Institute at Aston University. The groundbreaking research found that the business’ zero waste policy and sustainable practice amounted to savings of approximately 3 tonnes of CO2eq each year.