Photo : Virginie Carrayol
Workshop: Textile Stories
We are made of darning and sewn-together pieces. That is what makes us strong.
MAIF Social Club (Paris 3rd)
About
Faced with a collective feeling of powerlessness, this project proposes a simple and concrete action: to repair. Inspired by Japanese boro, a popular technique for repairing and reusing textiles, the collective work is created from worn clothing, scraps, and salvaged fabrics. You will learn a useful skill: darning, applying a patch, embroidering a word, or reinforcing fabric. These are modest gestures, repeatable in everyday life, that extend the lifespan of clothing and challenge our relationship with consumption. Through thread and needle, everyone inscribes an intention, a word, or a symbol into the very fabric of the work. Here, boro becomes a metaphor for activism. Inspired by arpilleras, this workshop invites you to create a small textile painting with the child you are accompanying, using salvaged fabrics. Assembling, cutting, gluing, sewing: little by little, the textile fragments transform into a narrative.
You will experience reuse as a field for imagination and discover that creating from what already exists is already an act of activism.
A 4-handed workshop to share between you and the child you are accompanying. Anyone attending the workshop must book a place (children and guardians).
Our take on this event
Discover the meditative power of visible mending in this hands-on workshop focused on textile sustainability. Guided by traditional Japanese repair techniques, you and your little one will learn to transform discarded fabric scraps into unique artistic statements. It is the perfect chance to bond while learning practical skills that challenge our modern consumption habits.
Discover the art of mending with Histoires textiles, a creative workshop held at the MAIF Social Club from December 19, 2026, to June 19, 2027. Designed for children aged 6 and up accompanied by an adult, this free session draws inspiration from the Japanese boro technique and arpilleras. You will learn to use scraps and old clothes to create meaningful textile art through sewing, patching, and embroidery. It is a hands-on experience that turns repair into a form of environmental activism. Please note that every participant, including both children and accompanying adults, must book a spot in advance to attend.
Located in the 3rd arrondissement at the MAIF Social Club, the Histoires textiles workshop invites you to explore the intersection of craft and social consciousness. From December 19, 2026, until June 19, 2027, you are invited to master techniques like mending, embroidery, and reinforcement. By breathing new life into discarded fabrics and clothing, you transform simple repairs into personal narratives, inspired by traditional Japanese boro and the art of arpilleras.
This workshop is specifically structured as a four-handed activity, fostering collaboration between you and the child you are accompanying. Together, you will assemble, cut, and sew recycled textile fragments to create a unique story on fabric. This process not only sparks creativity but also encourages a dialogue about modern consumption habits and the impact of individual actions.
Participation is free of charge, but securing a spot is required for every attendee, including all children and adults. By participating, you join a collective effort to prove that creating from existing materials is both a creative challenge and a powerful, subtle act of activism.
