Help give Laurie a place to sew and create again!

Hi, my name is Jordan, and I’m putting this fundraiser together on behalf of my mom, Laurie.

She’s one of the strongest, most creative, and hardest-working people I know. At 68, she still works long days running fruit stands, lifting heavy loads, and staying on her feet for hours, even though most people her age are slowing down. I’ve always told her she’s a hustler. She’s been through more than most, and she just keeps going.

My mom raised us mostly on her own, and she used her sewing skills to get us through some really hard years.

She made thousands of handmade masks during the pandemic, and over the years she’s created quilts; 

She made a queen sized quilt on her embroidery machine in less than a month! 144 embroidered 7“ quilt blocks! Her machine-embroidered pieces are filled with heart and meaning.

She’s constantly learning new things, even teaching herself how to digitize embroidery designs on her computer.

Sewing is more than a hobby for her: it’s her outlet, her therapy, and a way she brings income in. But this past winter, she didn’t have the space or shelter to do it.

She and my sister are living in a 40-year-old RV on a friend’s property with no running water. She boils water to do dishes, showers at the gym, and has been using paper plates all winter. There’s no space in there to set up and run her cherished embroidery machine.

She’s missed sewing so much, and it’s been hard to watch her not have that creative outlet.

She’s been through a lot. She was disowned by her family of origin. That broke her heart. It affected all of us. By rejecting her, it was like they were saying we didn’t matter either.

But my mom never stopped being there for us. She’s always there when I need help: financially, emotionally, physically. Even when she doesn’t have much, she finds a way. She doesn’t complain; she just keeps showing up.

Now I want to do something for her. I know this isn’t a life critical ask, but I want her to be able to spend her remaining years doing what she loves. It really bothered me to see how much she missed it last winter.

She put a deposit down on a small green shed, and our goal is to raise enough to pay it off and turn it into a sewing studio. She’ll be able to create again, take custom orders, and feel like herself. A few days ago, she received permission to put it on the property where we have our RV.

The shed is a repossessed unit, so the price is lower than standard. It’s going to cost $4,900 if she gets it paid off by August 21st. This is NO INTEREST as long as it’s paid off by that date. 

That’s such a great price because it looks and even smells like brand new wood!

 She is planning to work her hardest at the fruit stand to try and put as much as she can toward paying it off, but the money she makes this summer also needs to help them prepare for another cold winter in the RV without running water.

We’re hoping to raise enough for insulation, flooring, and power so she can work through the winter without freezing.

She just found out she needs to come up with approximately $400 to bring in a load of gravel before it can be delivered. update: this goal has already been reached and the shed delivered!

If you’ve ever seen one of her creations, received a handmade gift, used one of her masks, or purchased from LaurieMakes, you already know her talent and skills.

Since we moved into the RV, we’ve had to suspend orders on her website, as she has nowhere to set up her machine to fulfill them.

If you believe in supporting someone who gives her whole heart to others, please consider donating or sharing this.

Every bit helps, and we will be posting updates along the way. Thank you for helping me give my mom this support. It means everything. She is always appreciative and ends her days with a gratitude list of her blessings.

I am asking this with all my love for her,

Jordan