Ecologue

For the February Repair Fair, we interviewed Tanya Andersson, a regular sewing volunteer. Tanya began volunteering last winter, and has helped mend clothes at three Repair Fairs.

What do you do outside of the repair fairs?

I work at OSU, I work for Parking Services. Outside of the Repair Fair I sew; I am a quilter. I’ve pretty much been sewing since I was about five, I realized, and I’m much older than five now.

Who taught you how to sew?

My mother and my grandmother together…and when I was growing up you could learn sewing in school, so I took sewing classes in middle school and high school. And I was in girl scouts, and you sew in girl scouts, so I had those opportunities.

What are your thoughts on the Repair Fair?

I think it’s a great opportunity. I’ve been talking to all of my students and all of my coworkers about it, reminding them that it is coming up and telling my students about it, saying “Oh, do you have a pair of pants that need a button replaced?”

What would you like to see with today’s societies or communities involving repair?

I think it’d be awesome if communities did things like the Repair Fair on a bigger level. You could have a Repair Fair at the farmer’s market, or something like that.

This post is a part of the “Meet the Menders” blog series, where we feature the volunteers of the Repair Fairs. Interested in becoming a repair volunteer? Contact Kyle Reed.