The Power of a Sewing Machine

The Sewing Machine project offers sewing classes in Dane County.

The Sewing Machine Project started in 2005 when, in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, founder and director Margaret John Jankowski collected donated sewing machines and, in collaboration with the local chapter of the American Hindu Association, shipped 25 sewing machines to orphanages in affected regions.

The following year, the project expanded to serve Hurricane Katrina survivors in New Orleans, and eventually, nonprofits across the United States and internationally. To date, they have delivered more than 4,500 sewing machines.

In 2012, identifying a need in the newly arrived Bhutanese population, the Sewing Machine Project began offering local sewing classes. These classes empower students, often women and recent immigrants, to make culturally appropriate and comfortable clothing. The Sewing Machine Project also hosts free weekly mending sessions at the Madison Central and Hawthorne libraries.

In 2024, MCF awarded the Sewing Machine Project a $2,500 grant to expand its local programs. With support from this grant, the Sewing Machine Project plans to offer 10 to 12 sewing classes a year, doubling its current capacity. It also plans to work with past participants to identify growth opportunities.

Class participants learned to make cloth masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A sewing machine is a remarkably powerful tool. Of course, on a practical level, machine recipients are able to mend what they have rather than having to buy something new. They learn to sew for their children. Some start small sewing businesses,” commented Jankowski.

“On an even deeper level, students find community when they come together to sew. The original Bhutanese women we worked with were often rather homebound, frightened of the enormity of the cultural change, [moving from a] refugee camp to an urban area like Madison. They didn't yet have the language. But they could learn and sew together, and when we sew together, our conversations go far beyond sewing. We problem-solve together. We are not alone.”

Learn more about The Sewing Machine Project at thesewingmachineproject.org