Actually, it was cool already. New wave repair culture has been bubbling away in grass roots communities since Martine Postma opened the first Repair Cafe in Amsterdam in 2009.

We used to mend things out of necessity – your lamp broke, you fixed it or sat around in the dark – but as the cost of new consumer goods fell, repair shops closed and specialist fixer-uppers gradually disappeared from our neighbourhood shopping strips.

Postma's idea was to reignite our relationship with how consumer goods are made and work by providing free repair shops and expert advice on fixing them. There are now more than 1000 volunteer Repair Cafes internationally, including this one in Melbourne.In NSW, the Bower Reuse & Repair Centre takes its show on the road – check its websiteto find the event nearest to you.

What began with items such as bicycles, furniture and household electrical goods has spread to clothing. In Brisbane this Thursday, upcycling expert Jane Milburn will be sharing "mending techniques such as patching, stitching and creative disguise" at a pop-up Clothing Repair Cafe at Reverse Garbage.

Also this week, in Melbourne, the designers from sustainable indie labels A.BCH and Lois Hazel are holding a Care Repair Wear workshop as part of Fashion Revolution Week. Expect wisdom on "how to sew on a button, fix a ripped hem and stitch up that growing hole in your sweater".