Kindness
The petite brown envelope sat alone in the Sewing Machine Project post office box. Apart from the neat handwriting in its address there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. Running late, I picked it out quickly and headed for the car. But somehow I just had to open it. A sweet floral rooster […]
Mending in the Community
Our Mending Nights at Madison’s Goodman Community Center could be called a lot of things. They’re useful, to be sure, and functional. Held on the first, third and fifth (if there is one!) Wednesday of each month, the booth can be found in the lobby of the Center from 6-8 pm. The concept was Bird’s […]
Intimate Gifts
“Have you received my package yet?”, the email read. I hadn’t. Not that it hadn’t arrived, I just hadn’t picked it up from the post office yet. I let the donor know I’d get it soon…
Finding community
I’d love to share photos from yesterday’s volunteer sewing day. But there aren’t any. We were too busy sewing. And talking. And laughing. And sharing ideas.
Aha Moment!
Mutual of Omaha has a cool campaign going! They’re sending an Airstream trailer around the country and talking to people about the Aha Moments in their lives. They contacted me to see if I’d like to do an interview and I was thrilled to say yes.
Thank you, ASG!
The relationship between the Sewing Machine Project and The American Sewing Guild goes back a few years. Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it, for a nonprofit focused on sewing and sewing machines to collaborate with a national group promoting the love of all things sewing? ASG produces a beautiful quarterly newsletter for members filled with […]
Erika Barratt Design
I was thrilled to receive a call a few months back from Erika Barratt, a designer out of Brooklyn, NY. This woman is fabulous. She creates lovely heirloom dolls and stuffed toys, using traditional methods and natural fibers. The faces on these little creatures will melt your heart! Erika called me because ever since she […]
Summer Camp machines
When Amy Schisler requested 10 sewing machines for her Camp Summer Roundup program in Maryland we read the application with interest. Camp Summer Roundup serves Girl Scouts in Maryland and Delaware, offering a summer camp laced with creativity and caring. Amy detailed that even outside of camping months the machines would be used for retreats and […]
Defining Need
One of the most important jobs we share as Sewing Machine Project board members is application review. Over the years this process has evolved quite a bit. During the early days…I’m talking 10 years ago…we didn’t even have a board. I worked originally with members of our local chapter of the American Hindu Association and they identified […]
WXPR Radio Interview
I was invited to speak in Eagle River last week at Many Ways of Peace. How lovely to be received by those working for peace! Among the audience members was Emily Bright of WXPR Radio and she did a lovely interview. Here is that link. I hadn’t been to that part of Wisconsin for many years–what a […]
Mexico
The ladies of Rancho la Joya in Mexico are a resilient bunch. The land that supports and sustains them is rocky and dry with a beating sun that will send you running for shade. I was fortunate to visit in 2012 after my sweet friend, Cherie shined a light on them for me. These ladies […]
Thank you, Bernina!
We kind of have a “thing” going with Bernina. I guess you could say we’re “in a relationship” although I haven’t updated our Facebook status. But over the years, Bernina has been incredibly kind to The Sewing Machine Project. Back in 2008, Bernina featured its first “Give and Get Back” promotion where people could trade […]