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Writer's pictureMariangela Panagiotidou

Why do we sew?

And why do we want more people to sew again?


 

ANKAA started in 2018 in a huge industrial building in Votanikos, next to many factories, as a hub full of activities: carpentry, metal and furniture workshops, experimentation with various materials, hand-printing techniques, a huge kitchen space for cooking classes and shared meals, an IT workshop, language courses, beekeeping and so much more. A lot of creative minds came together and many ideas started there.



Photos of workshops in the old Votanikos building: bike repair, printing, IT & media, cooking, costume design and more


Among these activities, in a small classroom there were three sewing machines and a pile of old fabrics that we gathered here and there. People living in the nearby refugee camp started coming to repair some of their kid’s clothes. One was asking the other what the best way to sew was and would slowly help one another. And that’s how the first sewing courses started. There was no teacher - each person had a skill to share, because they all had mended a sock or a shirt.


People living in the nearby refugee camp started coming to repair some of their kid’s clothes.

Tailoring in the old building of ANKAA project in Votanikos


We all wear clothes every day; it’s a basic need, like food, yet we barely know how to make them. Sewing was once a common skill, often passed down by grandmothers or aunts, but for many of us, those connections are fading away. Along with other time consuming craftsmanship, sewing techniques and heritage are being lost. Why spend time mending something when you can buy it new for just 5€ or 10€, right?


But have you ever wondered what the real cost of a blouse worth 10 Euros is? Would you feel good knowing that the clothes you are wearing were made by minors working in unsafe and unethical factories, and paid very little?  


Sewing was once a common skill, often passed down by grandmothers or aunts, but for many of us, those connections are fading away.

"Among these activities, in a small classroom there were three sewing machines and a pile of old fabrics [...]"



At ANKAA, within our multiple workshops we had the pleasure to meet talented people who love creating clothes for their loved ones. This was our inspiration: to let this community grow, to provide tools for those who love to create, and to build together a creative space where we can share our passion and our knowledge. It’s about being part of a positive story around the fabric pieces that we all hold so close to us.


But have you ever wondered what the real cost of a blouse worth 10 Euros is?

Fortunately, this cycle grew. More people found their space here to grow their talents and we began organising more courses, offering advanced lessons and professional training, and some students have become tailors. Former students turned into teachers bringing their own ideas to the table.


Tailoring in the new building of ANKAA project in Kypseli. Former students now teach tailoring courses.

[...] Within the long hours spent practising and crafting, we always hide something personal in the multiple stitches.

Creativity has no limit; it’s a form of expression for those who cannot speak. We create not just to make something useful, but within the long hours spent practising and crafting, we always hide something personal in the multiple stitches. We want to share this value by inviting people to create, not just buy.



Do you want to be part of this cycle? Do you want to sew again?

Have a look at ANKAA's sewing courses in the following link.



Sewing courses and tailoring activities continue flourishing in ANKAA project's new "home", in Kypseli neighborhood

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