1. Building Confidence and Sustainability
Awareness through Garment Mending Services:
The Stitch Shop Story
Rachel J. Eike, Ph.D. – Baylor University
Beth Myers, Ph.D. – Georgia Southern University
Diana Sturges, Ph.D. – Georgia Southern University

2. Confidence through Service Learning:
Pre & Post-tests
 Fashion Merchandising & Apparel
Design Course: Advanced Apparel
Design
 23 Design Students
 22 Females; 1 male
 Measure skill competency &
confidence:
 Garment knowledge
 Data management
 Communication
 Sustainability (Apparel Industry)

3. Learning & Growth Results
Quantitative Analysis
Pretest Posttest
M SD M SD p-value
Self-efficacy category
Construction 61.70 4.59 73.06 3.25 *
Management 78.29 20.37 89.17 11.07 **
Communication 88.04 15.30 90.28 13.17 n.s.
Qualitative Analysis
Learning Theme Reflection Frequency
Midterm Final
Apparel Design Skills 111
Construction 51 33 84
Fit 18 9 27
Collaboration 67
Teamwork 21 17 38
Helping others 24 5 29
Self-efficacy & Growth 62
Confidence 12 12 24
Perceived Improvement 18 --- 20
Self-Awareness 20 --- 18
Problem-solving 38 15 53
Communication & Terminology 15 24 39
Comfort Zone 18 5 23
Self-efficacy t test values
Note: M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation; *p < .05, **p < .01, n.s. = not
significant
Note: Qualitative coding ~ Nvivo

4. Apparel-Life knowledge from Stitch Shop
Clients
 Students, Faculty, & Staff
 178 Clients for 334 Apparel items
 83 Clients completed post-service
survey
Apparel Products Quantity of products
serviced
Pants/Skirts/Shorts 212
Dresses 46
Shirts 43
Jackets/Sweaters 26
Purses/Backpacks 5
Other: Shoe & Stuffed
Animal
2
Total 334
 Sustainability questions:
… would you have
discarded of it in the
trash?
Yes No
I’ve never thought
about it before
… would you have
donated it to a friend
or second hand store?
Yes No
I’ve never thought
about it before
… would you have
bought something new
to replace the non-
functional item?
Yes No
I’ve never thought
about it before
How do you think that
the Fashion industry
impacts the
environmental?
Positively impact Negatively Impact I’m unsure
If you would NOT have had your garment mended/altered by the
Stitch Shop…
How many of you in the audience today have ever thought about
what happens to your clothing after it’s life is “complete”?

5. Client Findings
Question Yes No
I’ve never thought
about it before
Percentages (%)
N=83
… would you have discarded
of it in the trash? 11 70 2 15.6 %
… would you have donated it
to a friend or second hand
store?
45 34 4 45.7%
… would you have bought
something new to replace
the non-functional item?
46 35 2 57.8%
How do you think that the
Fashion industry impacts the
environmental?
57
(68.7%)
5
(6%)
21
(25.3%)
Simply throwing apparel &
textile goods into the trash,
ending up in landfills, once
they become non-functional
(broken, damaged, or un-
wearable to do poor fit)
Consumption practices
Over-Consumption;
Materialism-driven society
The $2 trillion fiber, textile, and clothing (FTC) industry is a significant contributor
to climate change. The industry’s activity accounts for nearly 10% of total global
carbon emissions  a trend that is not slowing down.

6. Quotes from students & clients:
 “Thank you for providing such a wonderful
service. The shop connects the campus and is a
great teaching tool. The Stitch Shop is
revolutionizing the FMAD program one garment
at a time.”
 “Student was so amazing and he spent so much
time hemming my skirt to perfection and was so
keen on attention to detail.”
 “Thanks so much. This service was the
difference between over $100 worth of clothing
ending up in a landfill due to very minor wear
and my being able to wear both items regularly
in the foreseeable future.”
 “My bag looks brand new, you can't even tell a
difference! Thanks ;)”
 “I would have maybe tried to get my garment
fixed elsewhere. This program introduces FMAD
to campus, gives students practice and
experience. Faculty-student interaction was
wonderful.”
 “I love that this program is available to students
and is free.”
 “Before, I did not think about the structure of
garments, but now I know the apparel
construction of pants, like where and what type
of seams are used, what type of waistband is on
the pants, or what kind of hemming was used.”
 “It was such an easy fix but she [the client] was
so appreciative, relieved, and excited! It made
me realize that we are able to help people out
much more than we realize. This experience
impacted me and just made me happy to be
doing what I was doing!”
 “[The stitch shop] has shown me that each
person in the workshop is an essential, key
player that looks up to someone that doesn't
mind being a leader. I feel like I was put in the
position to be the leader in the workshop in
some instances, but it made me feel great that
my peers/classmates looked up to me in that
manner when I didn't even believe in myself.”
 “Working on garments in the stitch shop and in
class has given me experience with assessing a
problem and developing an action plan for how
to solve it. Now that I have experience altering
garments I also have the confidence and know
that I can solve the problem myself.”