Designing E-textile Practice Samplers (DEPS) ATSI project, led by artist and researcher Lucie Hernandez in partnership with Ealing Repair Café, explored how co-creation, digital tools, and community-led making can support sustainable clothing repair. Initially centred on developing e-textile practice samplers, the project evolved in response to the community’s values and interests, focusing instead on visible mending, upcycling, and digital storytelling.
Through weekly workshops, informal co-creation, and the use of accessible technologies like WhatsApp and QR codes, Lucie worked closely with volunteers to co-produce a range of creative outputs. These included collaboratively made upcycled samples and garments, filmed tutorials, and QR-coded mending guides. These resources are now being used by ERC and shared with wider audiences online.
DEPS has a lasting impact in helping ERC strengthen their organisational identity, develop a new digital presence, and expand their community offerings. Volunteers gained confidence in teaching and public engagement, and new opportunities have emerged for ERC to act as a knowledge hub for individuals and other repair groups.
This collaboration shows how artist-led work can spark long-term change when built on mutual respect, adaptability, and shared creativity. The tools, methods, and relationships developed here can be used by others interested in sustainable fashion, repair culture, and community action.
Strip Foundation Piecing for Beginners
This technique can be used to repurpose remnants and transform them into new fabric panels. To access more films visit my YouTube Channel.
A continuing focus of the work is the development of future social, environmental and commercial impact, particularly advocating for sustainable and regenerative approaches to textile production and consumption.
As part of the project, we trialled QR-code access to short films linked to garments and fabric samples, expanding opportunities for people to learn repair and refashioning techniques for clothing and textile remnants.
Embedded QR-linked films enable the textile to perform knowledge through interaction, merging digital technology with hands-on practices of repair, refashioning, and sustainable making.
Please get in touch if you are interested in developing future projects that use technology to advance sustainable fashion and textile practices.
Lucie Hernandez received funding from a Horizon Europe project called VOICE (https://www.voice-
community.eu/). Through artist-led interventions (ATSIs), VOICE encourages citizen engagement to tackle local and regional environmental challenges effectively. To learn more about the VOICE community, visit the project website or social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram).
