Photo : Virginie Carrayol
Workshop: Drawing and writing with thread
We are made of darnings and stitched-together pieces. That is what makes us strong.
MAIF Social Club (Paris 3rd)
About
Faced with a sense of collective powerlessness, this project proposes a simple and concrete action: repairing.
Inspired by Japanese boro, a popular textile repair and reuse technique, the collective work is created from worn-out clothing, scraps, and salvaged fabrics.
Each participant learns a useful gesture: darning, applying a patch, embroidering a word, reinforcing fabric. Modest gestures, reproducible in everyday life, that extend the lifespan of clothing and question our relationship with consumption.
Through thread and needle, everyone inscribes an intention, a word, or a symbol into the very material of the work. Here, boro becomes a metaphor for activism.
In the Drawing and writing with thread workshop, children discover the basics of sewing through embroidery on perforated cardboard.
Handling the needle, understanding the thread, building a pattern. This learning lays the foundation for useful skills they can later reuse to repair and transform their clothing.
A workshop that reminds us that needlework, often invisibilized and devalued, is political because it questions gender norms, values marginalized know-how, and becomes a means of engaged expression.
Our take on this event
Thread and needle are becoming your best tools to turn old garments into meaningful works of art. Join this creative workshop to master the gentle craft of mending and embroidery, proving that small, sustainable gestures are the boldest form of self-expression.
The MAIF Social Club in the 3rd arrondissement presents Drawing and Writing with Thread, a creative workshop running from December 19, 2026, to June 19, 2027. Designed for participants aged 8 and up, this free event focuses on textile repair and embroidery techniques. Inspired by the Japanese art of boro, attendees learn practical skills like darning, patching, and stitching to extend the life of garments. Through these simple, replicable gestures, the workshop encourages reflection on consumption habits and the political significance of needlework, all while providing a hands-on introduction to sewing basics through embroidery on perforated cardboard.
Located at the MAIF Social Club in the 3rd arrondissement, the workshop Drawing and Writing with Thread offers a unique creative space from 19:00 on December 19, 2026, through June 19, 2027. This free program welcomes children from 8 years old to discover the fundamentals of sewing. By practicing embroidery on perforated cardboard, participants learn how to handle needles and create patterns, gaining essential skills for repairing and transforming their own clothing.
The project draws inspiration from the Japanese boro technique, which centers on the reuse and repair of textiles. Using salvaged fabrics and scraps, attendees are encouraged to contribute to a collective work, turning the simple act of mending into a form of personal expression. Whether darning a hole or stitching a word, each action serves as a practical, daily application of sustainability.
This initiative also highlights the historical and social importance of needlework. By reclaiming these often-overlooked skills, participants engage in a conversation about gender norms and the value of manual labor. It is an opportunity to transform discarded materials into a statement of intent, proving that sewing can be both a creative endeavor and a deeply engaged political act.
