WonderLab Turns Worn Clothing Into Fashion

A Sunday event with Discardia taught visitors to repair, reuse, and transform old garments, in a return of the Stitched & Salvaged program.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Needlework

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a worn denim jacket draped over a wooden workbench beside thread, shears, and a threaded needle. — WonderLab Science Museum hosted a Sunday Stitched & Salvaged workshop with Discardia, teaching visitors to repair and transform worn clothing. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you mend a favorite sweater or jeans instead of replacing them?

WonderLab Science Museum hosted the Stitched & Salvaged event with Discardia on Sunday afternoon, where worn clothing was turned into creative fashion pieces. Visitors also took part in felt stuffed animal making and sewing machine instruction.

Why it matters

The event aims to bring sustainability activities back to Bloomington, encouraging residents to reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair rather than discard. Its return follows several years without the program.

The program was first held in 2017 and returned this year after being forgotten for several years. Attendance and the number of items repaired were not reported.

The players

WonderLab Science Museum

WonderLab is a science museum in Bloomington that hosts hands-on community programs and exhibits.

Discardia

Discardia is a Bloomington community project from the Center for Sustainable Living focused on reducing waste through repair and reuse.

Psi Iota Xi

Psi Iota Xi is a philanthropic sorority that funded the event and operates a thrift store on the south side of Bloomington.

The details

Visitors learned hands-on repair techniques and created their own needle books, taking home needles from the event. The event was partnered with Discardia, a Bloomington community project from the Center for Sustainable Living, and funded by a grant from Psi Iota Xi.

2017: First Stitched & Salvaged event held.
Sunday, November 8, 2026: Stitched & Salvaged event held at WonderLab.
Monthly: Discardia hosts Mending Day.

Seasonal Patterns

The event extends Discardia's monthly Mending Day repair program into a museum setting, following a community-level effort to keep repair practices visible in Bloomington. It places a hands-on sustainability activity alongside WonderLab's staircase gallery showing designs from the Trash and Refashion show.

Residents can build repair skills through Discardia's monthly Mending Day and the hands-on techniques taught at WonderLab. Learning to mend and reuse clothing can reduce spending on replacement garments.

The takeaway

Simple repair skills, like mending a seam or making a needle book, can extend the life of clothing you already own. Joining a community repair event is an easy way to start.