SEWING & MENDING

We offer mindful mending, alternative fixes, and re-vamps: including vintage garment restoration! Looking for a visible mend or stain cover-up? We offer those too! To schedule an appointment, use the form on this page or reach out to us by email, so we can bring your well-loved clothing back to life!

If you have any questions or want more details about our services please read through our FAQs below. Curious about pricing? We have some common repair rates listed here.

How it works

Our services are here to alleviate the wears and tears in your closet (and home). We will take care of a single item needing lots of love or an entire pile of items needing repair.

1.

Collect Your To-Do Pile

When possible, we encourage people to gather multiple items to create a pile and streamline the drop off/pick up process. Asking friends and family for their repairs is an easy way to build one up! Now you are ready to wash/clean your items and mark the areas needing repairs.

2.

Book Your Drop-Off

What’s your stitch-uation? Let us know what’s in your to-do pile! Schedule your drop-off time either in-person or contact-free and we’ll get to mending. *Note: we have also added a mail-in option for those outside of Richmond plus a Southside drop-off/pick-up location.

3.

Pick-Up Time!

We’ll send you an email when your items are ready, that includes your invoice and a link to schedule your pick-up time. If you have mailed in items you will receive your tracking number as well. *Note: We do ask that you pick-up at the same location that you dropped off.

First time?

Before you schedule, please read our FAQs below for all the important details like rates, turnaround time and the specific services we offer!

Repeat Client?

Schedule your stitch-uation here!

**We have added a second drop-off location at Eco Inspired in Bon Air. Please note that your pick-up location will be the same as your drop-off location.

Looking for a Gift Card?

Gift Cards here!

Common Repair Rates

Thank you for considering our services. We know mending is not always cheaper than buying new, especially in the fast fashion world we live in. We have deep gratitude for those choosing to invest in the repair stream rather than a consumer stream and would not be here without our customers who prioritize people over products.

We charge $75 an hour, prorated with a $25 minimum. For example, a 20 minute repair would cost $25 and an 80 minute repair would cost $100. These are estimates of our most common requests:

Buttons

5 - 8 minutes

$6 - $10

A neatly folded stack of four pairs of blue denim jeans against a plain white background.

Denim Crotch/Thigh Blow-Outs (2 quadrants)

55min - 65min

$69 - $82 (double this if all 4 quadrants need repairs)

A piece of teal knitted fabric with an open pattern, a pair of small pink scissors, a sewing needle with teal thread, and a metal pin are on a white surface.

Small Moth Holes & Sweater Repairs

18 - 28 minutes (per hole - in basic knits on a common, solid color)

$23 - $35 each

Close-up of black, distressed jeans with ripped knee detail, against a white background.

Torn/Busted Knee

60 - 75 minutes (per hole)

$75 - $90

FAQs

General Questions

We are located at 401 N 23rd st in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, VA and are open by appointment only as everything is scheduled ahead of time, so please use the calendar above to book your time slot to get your items repaired!
Accessibility: There is a 5” step up to enter our sewing studio.
We have added a second drop-off location at Eco Inspired in Bon Air! You can use the calendar above to book your drop-off there. Please note you will pick up at same location when your items are ready!
All mending work is prorated at $75 per hour (for example: a 20-minute repair is $25; an 80-minute repair is $100).
Contactless Drop-Off and Mail-In Mending require a $25 nonrefundable deposit, credited toward your final invoice.
In-person appointments require a $50 nonrefundable booking fee ($25 appointment fee + $25 mending deposit credited to your invoice).
You can always email us photos to get more information and a general quote before scheduling! Check out some common pricing below the FAQs.
You can pay your invoice via credit card, debit card, or bank transfer (transfers save us on processing fees).
For mending at in-person events, we also accept Venmo and CashApp.
Our turnaround time is typically about 2 - 3 weeks from the day you drop off or the day your package arrives for mail-in mending, depending on season and demand. If you would like to check our current turnaround time or request a rushed repair, please email us at Hello@TopStitchMending.com.
We specialize in clothing and textile repairs. Some examples are: denim blow outs, missing buttons, moth hole sweaters, snags, torn seams, etc. We also offer visible mending for stains and customized patching. We provide reweaving, knit repairs and lots of specialty hand work in addition to our machine repairs. We focus on keeping clothes and other fabric items out of landfills as well as teaching people to sew. As a judgement-free stitchery we have seen it all so please don’t be shy in asking for an alternative fix and do not hesitate to ask about non-clothing items.
We also have experience with vintage clothing restoration dating back to the 1890s.
We do not offer alterations or zipper replacements, outside of jean fly zippers (although we can often repair zippers depending on the damage) and have resources for those below.
For alterations and zipper replacements other than jean fly zippers, we recommend Shockoe Bottom Cleaners nearby or RVA Tailors located on Highpoint Ave.
We only replace jean fly zippers.
For alterations and other types of zipper replacements, we recommend Shockoe Bottom Cleaners nearby or RVA Tailors located on Highpoint Ave.
Thanks for thinking of us but we are not able to take on any outside materials. I switched gears in 2016 from making clothes to fixing them, wanting to reduce the amount of scrap I produced and counter the fast fashion frenzy. We reuse our scraps for repairs and weavings and still seam to have an endless supply.

Mending Questions

A repair that you can see, it is stitched intentionally, most likely in contrasting thread to both strengthen and decorate a piece of clothing. Think of it as little pieces of art on your clothes.
It is possible an item is too far from its original form but it is always worth taking a look and brainstorming together if it is something you truly love. If you are open to visible mending then the item has more opportunities to be fixed. Email us before scheduling if you want to inquire about a specific item in doubt.
Yes, we have repaired stuffed animals, quilts, sheets, duvet covers, a crocheted tablecloth, cloth shoes and even unicorn headbands! Try us!
For alterations and zipper replacements other than jean fly zippers, we recommend Shockoe Bottom Cleaners nearby or RVA Tailors located on Highpoint Ave.
For all upholstery needs we recommend Unsprung Upholstry.
For shoe repair shops, we recommend trying Gus's Shoe Repair, located in downtown Richmond.
For custom embroidery, we recommend Crewel & Unusual - Daniel is excellent!

Prepping Your Items

Yay! Let’s do this! Scroll up to the form above the FAQs and choose your time.
Be sure to prep your pile by washing your clothing, marking the damaged areas with tape, safety pins or a detailed note. Tape next to (not on top of) the damaged area using a removable tape like blue painters tape or washi tape. Scotch or masking tape is too strong and melts if the clothes are in a hot car before dropping off. You can also skip the tape altogether and just include a detailed note or a safety pin around the area.
Pop those clean items into a tote or grocery bag and label it with your name and contact info. Now you are all set to swing by!
**Remember, anything with moth holes MUST be put in a ziplock bag in the freezer for a minimum of 72hrs before drop off. Please bring these item(s) still inside their ziplocks- thank you!! This is very very important and protects your items as well as others, plus keeps us moth free!
If you think any of your items have damage from moths’ (i.e. moth holes), you will need to place them in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer for a minimum of 72 hours before your scheduled drop off time. This usually happens to sweaters, scarves and other items that are made of natural fibers like wool and alpaca- *you will not often see actual moths- just the holes they have left*. Please bring these item(s) still inside their ziplocks when you drop off- thank you!!.
This stops them from snacking and protects everyone else’s garments, it is extremely important to keep the studio moth-free.
Think you have a moth or carpet beetle infestation? We have a pest control recommendation! Call Scott at Cobalt Pest.
If it is something small like a missing button, we’d love for you to bring it to an Open Studio for a quickie repair. For multiple small items or one item that needs detailed repairs, please scroll to the form above the FAQ page, to schedule with us.
We encourage people to bring multiple items to streamline things and also understand if you only have one item. Asking friends and family if they have any repairs is an easy way to create a pile!
This is a walk-in day where you do not need an appointment to stop by. They are typically the second Saturday of the month from 12-4. We provide on-site repairs for single items needing a simple fix: think missing button, hole smaller than a dime, a sweater snag, etc. It’s a first-come, first-served environment (one item per-person) and you may have to hang around if there are multiple people arriving at the same time. When we have longer wait times, you can walk around the neighborhood as your item gets stitched and you can return before 4 to pick it up. Pricing is always the same, at $1.25 per minute, and cash, Venmo and CashApp are the best ways to pay in person.
This is also an opportunity to drop off a bag of multiple repairs and leave them for a pick-up on a different day. Just be sure to prep your pile by washing your clothes, marking the damaged areas with tape (next to damage), safety pins or a detailed note, and pop it into a tote or grocery bag. Please label your bag with your name and contact info and you are all set to swing by!
Please follow us on IG and check our Event Page for variations in the schedule.
Sure thing!
We ask that people mailing items try to reuse/recycle packaging when possible, to offset the shipping impact. We will use the same packaging to return your items as well.
Once you have washed your clothing, mark the damaged areas with tape (next to/not on top of), safety pins or a detailed note. Please also include your contact info on a piece of paper inside your package. Next, fill out the Mail-In Mending form above to schedule with us and receive shipping details.
Once everything is repaired, we will reach out with your total and that will also include the return shipping + $5 handling. Payment is due the day you receive your total.
Please send us an email if you are looking for quotes before scheduling.