Sail /mend with us!
All aboard the S.S. Darn it, this is a one time only special event!
Sunday, July 12 2026: 5pm – 7.30pm
The Manhattan II: Pier 40 at Hudson River Park
Sunday July 12th at 5pm Launching from Pier 40, the world’s first mendathon is a gathering of the most menders in one place ever, making the statement: the world needs mending. And New York is mending central, USA.
Hekima Hapa and Kate Sekules are lifelong menders with decades of teaching experience. Wishing to make a splash and spread the mend, they are chartering the 107-foot, three-deck midcentury vessel, Manhattan II, with room for 400 on board, and getting top experts to teach. To make the mendathon accessible to all, no sewing experience is necessary and all supplies are provided by sponsors and NYC institutions Fabscrap, Textile Arts Center, Tatter, and Materials for the Arts.
Experience tables cater for all levels and tastes, from sashiko stitching and basic sewing to group wardrobe therapy and an on-body mending circle. Sailors can try extreme patching, art mending, pink-thread lingerie-repair; or add a pocket, stitch a needlebook, and learn history of domestic arts—or just enjoy views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty, and mend.
Tickets include drinks, food by iconic caterer Serena Bass, and a giant mending cake. The MC is Avery Trufelman, host and producer of Articles of Interest, named a best podcast by the New Yorker, The New York Times, and the BBC. Mending shanties will by sung by all, and after disembarking, the final Manhattanhenge of 2026 is a short walk uptown. This is not only the world’s first mendathon it’s also the biggest! (Guinness World Record status pending).
Join Textile Art Center's very own Kelly Valletta and Hannah Shell Schultz for "Knot Only Mending" Aboard the ‘S.S. Darn it!’. Tie knots and mend rope with splicing techniques. The art of the knot is highly practical and technical with a rich global history spanning the seven seas. Learn knots to apply to your mendings, as well as the decorative, fancy, and the fiercely maritime. Featuring competitive speed knotting games! Tablemates get a free ticket to our boat-wide raffle: the prize, a card game to spread the love of knots. Also, participate in launching Textile Arts Center’s collection of useful and decorative knots to be housed in TAC’s material reference library.
