Last night, Monday, August 20th at The Tabernacle located on Stimson Street in Detroit was our FIRST MK Blanket Wraps Sewing Class Graduation. We handed out 16 Graduation Certificates to women and young ladies from the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries Genesis House 3 while friends and DRMM Staff watched and applauded their achievements! Throughout the night, we had a slideshow with pictures from all the classes and the graduates were so happy to walk in and see everything set up. Thank you to Kroger in Troy who donated drinks, plates, and napkins to help make our night special.
Below is a copy of the speech we gave that talked about the class and our Graduates:
Good evening everyone! Kate and I would like to thank you all so much for coming tonight to celebrate the accomplishments of these wonderful women and young ladies of the MK Blanket Wraps Sewing Class. We have been very excited for this night!
First, we would like to give a huge thank you to Dr. Audi, Mr. Henrion, Mrs. McMillen, Ms. Young, Ms. Morgan, and Ms. Pelt for helping us make this class happen! Kate and I hope that we will have more opportunities in the fall to work with Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. Thank you also to everyone who joined our class; we loved teaching each and every one of you. The last thank you we want to give is to our parents and sister. We couldn’t have done this without your support, Mom, Dad, and Avery.
Before we start the presentation of certificates, we would like to tell you a little about MK Blanket Wraps and the class. As most of you know, Kate and I run our own non-profit called MK Blanket Wraps. It started 2 years ago when we saw a homeless man standing on a corner near our house. It was cold out so we decided to bring him a lunch, but we thought about what we could do to help more people like him. So, we designed our own colorful, fleece wraps with pockets and handed them out to shelters in and around Detroit. They hang around the shoulders and are big enough to fit over coats. As of this August, we have cut and sewn almost 400 wraps!
Kate and I had been to the Genesis House multiple times to hand out wraps and each time we had women coming up to up saying how they would love to learn how to make them, so we promised to come back. With the help of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Kate of the and I put together a sewing class!
Beginning in June, Kate and I started our class that went on every Monday for 8 weeks. In the first two classes, the women were introduced to the Brother CS6000i sewing machine and became familiar with the basic functions. Their first projects involved controlling the machine and working without thread. We were surprised how fast they caught on! They all did so well on the practice sheets and began their headbands. We provided colorful material and they got right to work. They understood why it was important to inside-out the material and how sewing closer to the edge made their projects turn out better. The headbands were a big hit and most of the women got to make more than one for friends or siblings.
The next weeks they worked on scarves, which many of them are wearing right now. The scarves were a good challenge to many of them as they had to practice folding over the edges and making sure that the slippery material stayed in place. This was also practice in measuring and cutting. They should be proud of their work because they look absolutely amazing!
During the classes in the middle of the summer, we gained many new students. They came to class focused and were able to complete a headband on their first day so they could start the scarf the next week.
On the last 2 classes, a few of them made the beautiful tote bags they will get to take home tonight. Learning how to make the tote taught them an introduction to reading patterns, more measuring and cutting, and using different tactics to make sure the pieces were secure. We loved how creative they were with this project! The totes are bright, colorful, and perfect for keeping papers in.
Throughout the weeks, Kate and I saw that the women were dedicated to making their projects look good and were very engaged in the class. We had as many as 7 women/girls in the class to as few as 1 person each with their own background, age, and personality. Some were as young as 7 and some were as old as 50, but everyone excelled in the skill. Life in the Genesis House had been described to us as “stressful” and “hot” so we’re glad that these women had a fun time learning something new!
Looking back on the 8 weeks Kate and I have taught, we just think about how much we enjoyed every minute of it. We are so glad that we became so close with some of the women. They have come to be our friends and we will miss them after tonight. Our hope is that these women will continue using this skill as either a hobby or getting a job as a seamstress. Kate and I are so proud of them and hope they will continue sewing with us in some of our Fall Sewing Workshops!
Thank you and we will now start the Presentation of Certificates! We have also included charms in each of the gift bags that go along with the theme of hope for the best, dream big, and believe in yourself.
Ducy: Ducy joined us in one of the later classes, but we are so glad she did! She made a headband and scarf and they both look great. Congratulations Ducy!
LaCresha: Lacresha’s personality lit up the room every time she was there. She always had a positive attitude and a smile on her face. She did an awesome job on her headbands and even got to make one for Baby Serenity that turned out adorable. Congratulations LaCresha!
Shelia: Shelia is one of our students who picked up sewing the fastest. The day she came in, she was very eager to get to know the machine and quickly start her scarf. Shelia worked very independently, and we were impressed on her job well done. Congratulations Shelia!
Tasha and Essence: Both of these ladies came in on kind of a chaotic day. There were kids running around and it was one of the busiest classes we had. We loved how they kept their concentration and were able to catch up on previous classes. They worked hard on making their rainbow scarves. Congratulations Tasha! Congratulations Essence!
Cierra: Cierra is an amazingly smart girl and from day one she was always up for a challenge! She was one of our best students and we could not believe how much she accomplished for only being 12 years old. Cierra has become such a talented seamstress that we believe she could even teach a class. We hope you will continue sewing and we are excited to see what you will do in the future! Congratulations Cierra!
Carolyn: Carolyn came in on the first day ready to learn a new skill. And that she did! Carolyn became proficient in working with the Brother sewing machine and her headbands, scarves, and tote look very professional. Carolyn is another hard worker that Kate and I believe could teach the class. We also believe that you will do an excellent job if you do decide to become a seamstress. You were a pleasure to teach, Carolyn. Congratulations!
Bianca: Bianca was a fun person to be around! She brought a spark to our final class today and was a very fast learner. She made 3 headbands, a scarf, and was up for the challenge of a tote but didn’t have time. We hope she comes back in the fall so we can teach her how! Congratulations Bianca!
Lea and Kay: Lea and Kay were a joy to have in our class. We saw right away that they had potential to be a great seamstresses and they proved us right when she made her twisted headbands. We hope we can work with you more on sewing. Congratulations Lea! Congratulations Kay!
Tiffany: Tiff picked out some very colorful fabrics and did well working on her headbands in class. She seemed to enjoy sewing and we are looking forward to seeing if she will progress onto more challenging projects. Congratulations Tiffany!
Charlethia: Charlethia was another fast learner who could keep her concentration with 2 little ones running around. She made 3 headbands and a scarf all while making sewing look easy! She requested a pillowcase for the fall workshop and we will definitely be adding that to our agenda. Congratulations Charlethia!
Ariel, Ari’anna, and Kamori: We started Ariel, Ari’anna, and Kamori out on our practice paper sheets to see how well they could do just maneuvering a sewing machine. They were able to sew in a straight line almost immediately, so we decided to move them onto sewing with thread in the machine. Being only 7, 8, and 10 years old, they impressed us with their steady hands and how they stayed focused for the entire 2 hours. They each walked out with a fashionable twisted headband that they made themselves. Congratulations Ariel! Congratulations Ari’anna! And Congratulations Kamori!
Cartivia: Despite having 3 little one running around, Cartivia managed to work hard in her sewing projects. She was a great role model for her kids and we are very happy she decided to join our class. Congratulations Cartivia!
Thank you for coming to our first Sewing Class Graduation Night. We appreciate your support and hope that Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries will let us teach more sewing workshops in the fall.
Congratulations again to our GRADUATES!
