About The Sewing Labs

The Sewing Labs was born from a simple idea: sewing is more than a creative skill. It can build confidence, create connection, open doors to employment, and provide a pathway to entrepreneurship.

Co-founders Lonnie Vanderslice and Kelly Wilson understood that potential firsthand.

Years earlier, both had returned to sewing during a period of significant personal and professional transition. Drawing on skills they had learned when they were young, they built Weave Gotcha Covered!, an award-winning Kansas City soft furnishings manufacturer and social enterprise.

As the company grew, so did their awareness of two things: the tremendous amount of usable fabric and textile material left behind by the industry, and the opportunity sewing presented for individuals seeking practical skills, meaningful work, and greater economic independence.

They began asking a bigger question: What if sewing could be used to create opportunity for people in their community?

What if a skill passed down through generations could help someone build confidence, earn an income, start a business, find meaningful work, or simply discover what they were capable of?

At the heart of that idea was a deeply held belief: skills and education create something lasting. They are not a handout. They are tools people carry with them, build upon, and use to create opportunity long after a class or program has ended.

That idea became The Sewing Labs.

In 2016, The Sewing Labs was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of sewing while using it to create opportunity. From its earliest classes and community programs, the organization began building a model that connected sewing education with creativity, confidence, entrepreneurship, and employment.

Since then, The Sewing Labs has grown considerably in both reach and impact.

Today, we provide sewing education for employment, entrepreneurship, and enrichment, serving people with a wide range of backgrounds, goals, and experience levels. Our programs include community sewing and quilting classes, creative enrichment opportunities, youth programming, entrepreneurship education, and a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship program preparing participants for careers in industrial sewing.

Through partnerships with employers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, volunteers, funders, and community leaders throughout the Kansas City region, The Sewing Labs continues to expand what is possible through sewing.

Our work remains grounded in the belief that brought the organization to life in the first place: a practical skill can become much more than a skill. It can create confidence, community, employment, independence, and opportunity.