Let’s figure out shipping
The boxes arrive in bundles these days, the bubble wrap in huge rolls that push my porch door ajar. We’re shipping machines, folks…lots of them. We always have, really, but the volume is increasing. It’s been an evolution as pretty much everything is. In the beginning, shipping to Sri Lanka, I was working with the […]
Our Work in May Brava!
The May 2015 issue of Brava magazine is chock-a-block full of great articles. The feature piece is on “Living Local, Thinking Global” and offers brief stories about Madison women who are working on projects that reach beyond our borders. I was so thrilled to be among those interviewed and completely honored to be included with […]
Where they’re headed
The Sewing Machine Project board met this past Tuesday. Typically we meet monthly but due to scheduling issues, it had been two. So there was lots to do, lots to catch up on. Most importantly, we needed to review 7 applications for sewing machines. This is truly the highlight of each meeting. On the surface, […]
Connections part II: Ideas
I ran into my friend, Lois while biking this morning. Circling back in recognition, we stopped, removed our ear buds and embraced. Catching up, Lois told me about a friend who is connected to a group in Africa dedicated to women’s empowerment. They are adding a sewing component to their offerings. You know how these […]
Connection
The email arrived like so many others, “I have a sewing machine to donate. I’d like more information.” And my reply was like so many others, “here’s a link to our website where there is information on collection sites. Thank you so much!” But his reply caught me. “Could someone come and pick up this […]
In our own small ways
I’d guess that most of us scan the internet in the morning. I know I do, after coffee and a little inspirational reading, I’m scanning the news, Facebook, my email to open the door and let the world in to my solitude. And so often it’s a mix–good news and bad, pithy deep inspiration and […]
Knowing who we are.
We are updating The Sewing Machine Project brochure. Our logo has changed, our colors have changed, and so much has been done–it’s time to update our face out there! But as I write the copy for this brochure I find that I keep sitting back and looking to the sky. How do you find words […]
Help when we need it
This is Brian. He is a facilities manager over at Madison Gas and Electric, where we store some of our machines and from where we launch pallets of machines hither and yon. I’ve known Brian for a few years now–can’t even remember when or how we met–but Brian’s our go-to guy. Whenever we need to […]
New Orleans Odyssey: Part II
The Quilters of Gees Bend are quite a force. When I saw their exhibition in 2005 in Memphis during the national tour, I was blown away by the power and strength of these quilts–a raw art form, created not to be any sort of an art piece but rather, created to survive. These were quilts […]
New Orleans Odyssey: Part 1
I recently returned from a trip to New Orleans, delivering sewing machines. Each trip stands on its own as a jewel, and these jewels together create a mosaic whose borders reach far beyond what I can see. On this particular trip I was accompanied by Bird, a friend and board member, and Ann, a dear […]
Generation Q Magazine
The Sewing Machine Project is featured in the March/April 2015 issue of Generation Q Magazine. You can read it here or pick it up at your local sewing/quilt shop. What a wonderful article and what an inspiring magazine!
Joy
The turnaround was fast. We heard from the First Immanuel Lutheran church about their upcoming visit to Guatemala. Could they have some machines to take along? International donations, we’ve learned, are tricky. It forces us as an organization to face what is within our reach and what isn’t (yet). We’ve learned that initiating shipments to […]