Mani D'Oro

ABOUT

Mani D'oro / Golden Hands

My great-grandmother (Bisnonna) had "Mani D'oro", which translates to "Golden Hands" in English. She used to be able to make and repair almost anything, with the power of these hands of gold.

The work of hands is what I have been called to do in this life as well, and my focus is to honour the labour of cloth - both its makers and the cloth itself. To ensure that these precious materials stay out of landfills and continue to serve us in their beautiful & poetic ways.

“An object that gives in is actually stronger than one that resists because it also permits the opportunity to be oneself in a new way.”

— Max Kozloff

MENDED OBJECTS

JEAN SHORTENING & PATCH

LAMP SHADE

DRESS

Knit Sweater - WOVEN DARNING

ROCKING CHAIR

Dress Shirt

WOVEN BLANKET - TWILL DARNING

DENIM SHIRT

KNIT SWEATER - SWISS DARNING

Mending a Hole

Artist Book

Hand bound book of mending samples on a variety of fabric types. The entire book is made of cloth and thread, and lays nested in a handmade box with cotton batting lining the interior.

View here

TEACHING

The central goal of my mending practice is to make mending skills accessible, for it to build community, and to foster kindness in soft gestures.

One of the most significant deciding factors between repairing or disposing of a garment is skill. Hand sewing skills have become far less commonplace in the past several decades, in direct relation with the rise of the fast fashion industry. As much as I love taking on repair projects, I feel it is my responsibility to disseminate these repair skills to folks who hope to start engaging with this practice as well.

I offer one-on-one mending lessons, as well as workshops for small groups. I also run a bi-weekly mending club out of my home in Guelph. Mending Club is a gathering to celebrate soft, kind, and collective acts of repair!

JOIN MENDING CLUB

WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

(Upcoming) Learning Mending Through Sampling - Mending Workshop - FLOURISH Festival - Fredericton, NB - June 2021

(Upcoming) Mending Clinic - Nuit Blanche Independent Projects - Toronto, ON - October 2021

(Ongoing) Mending Club - Host of bi-weekly mending gatherings - Toronto, ON, Guelph, ON - 2019 - Present

Mending a Hole: Knit Garments - Mending workshop - Gladstone Hotel - Toronto, ON - 2019

Mending a Hole: Learning a Practice of Repair - Mending workshop - Gladstone Hotel - Toronto, ON - 2019

Mending a Hole - Mending workshop - The Tare Shop - Halifax, NS - 2019

DIY Clothing Repair - Gladstone Hotel - Collaborative - Toronto, ON - 2017

Community Mending Workshop - Take Time - Guelph, ON - 2017

STUDENT WORK

Mended cable-knit sweater with Duplicate Stitch (Swiss Darning)

Scotch Darning on a ribbed sweater sleeve

Patched knee with running stitch to reinforce

COMMISSIONS

Feel free to get in touch with me to commission a repair on a garment or other textile object.

COMMISSIONS

Sliding Scale Pricing

As a part of expanding the accessibility of mending practices, Mani D’oro mending services are offered on sliding scale hourly rate system. I recognize and respect that there are significant wage disparities in our community, and welcome you to choose a rate that feels comfortable for you and the financial situation that you find yourself in at this moment.

I’ve created four rates based on some favourite wild plants. All of these plants are equally important and beneficial to our earth & ecosystem. I hope they help remind you that any rate you can pay is completely valid and honoured.

Click on the image below to review my rate card.

I am based in Guelph, ON and can arrange for local pickup/drop-off. I am also happy to accommodate mail-in mending projects. Just get in touch to iron out those details with me.