My name is Wendy but my grandkids call me Nana Sue. I am the mother to 3 beautiful daughters and grandmother to 6 of the most amazing grandkids. I have worn many hats in my 60 years but I am most proud of Stitches of Kindness.
In 2018 I was pursuing a career in photography while developing an idea for a non-profit. Things were moving along very nicely until 2020 when the world came to a screeching halt. I was so heartbroken that all the work I had poured into Nana Sue Photography~Healing Images was potentially not going to reach its full potential.
It was day one of quarantine and I was already finding myself bored. A friend suggested that I make some masks, as there was such a need for PPE. My friend knew that may years ago I used to have sewing business but she also knew I hadn’t touched a machine in over 15 years.
I dusted off my sewing machine and made 1 mask. Of course I had to take a selfie and post on Facebook. What happened next was something that I could have never predicted. I had people from all over the state asking me to make masks for them. By the end of the pandemic I had made and donated over 6,000 masks.
It was during that time that I realized how much I missed sewing and I wanted to find a way to use sewing as a way to give back to the community. I wanted to create something that was handmade and I wanted the recipient to know that they were thought about and cared for.
Stitches of Kindness initially started by sewing mastectomy pillows for breast cancer patients and hats for our homeless friends and 5 years later we are now making over 20 different items. Most of our items are beginner friendly sewing projects, which is great because we invite children and adults of all ages to come to the workshop to learn about helping others while building confidence and self esteem.
Organizations that we support: Pinked Perspective, NOCC, Stef Ripple, Kid Changemakers, Arundel House of Hope, For Ellie Foundation, Peyton’s Promise, AAMC, Kits to Heart and Orphan Grain Train.
To date we have donated over 15,000 items.