Slow Stitch Detroit

Will you help us raise $10,000 to unlock our matching grant and bring Home Economics back to Detroit schools? This fall, Slow Stitch Detroit is launching Bringing Home Economics Back, a hands-on fashion, sewing, and sustainability program in two Detroit public schools. Students will learn to sew, mend, and design while building creativity, confidence, and practical life skills. Our goal is to help the next generation become creators instead of consumers. At a time when home economics has nearly disappeared from schools, and fast fashion has never had a greater impact on people and the planet—we believe these skills matter more than ever. Your support will help us launch this pilot program, expand year-round youth programming at Slow Stitch Detroit, and develop a curriculum that can grow to reach more schools in Detroit and beyond. Every gift, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to giving more young people the opportunity to create with their hands, solve problems creatively, and discover the confidence that comes from making something themselves. If you believe every child deserves access to meaningful, hands-on creative education, we'd be honored to have you join us. Sarah Jane Mark Founder of Slow Stitch Detroit More Details: For generations, Home Economics taught practical skills that helped people make, mend, and care for what they owned. Today, those classes have largely disappeared, even as young people are growing up in a world of fast fashion, textile waste, and constant pressure to consume. Bringing Home Economics Back reimagines those skills for today. Over ten weeks, students will learn sewing, mending, clothing design, and creative problem-solving while exploring sustainability, textile waste, natural fibers, fair labor, body positivity, personal style, and the hidden stories behind the clothes we wear. Guided by Detroit artists and educators, they'll discover that fashion can be a tool for creativity, confidence, and positive change. Our hope is that every student leaves believing they have the power to repair instead of replace, create instead of consume, and use their creativity to make a difference in the world. About Slow Stitch Detroit Slow Stitch Detroit is a Detroit-based creative incubator cultivating a Slow Fashion economy rooted in sustainability, equity, and collective creativity. Through artist residencies, community workshops, and fashion education, we are building a future of fashion that honors people and the planet. We believe clothing is more than something we wear. It tells stories, expresses identity, builds community, and connects us to the people who made it. By bringing together artists, educators, students, and neighbors, we're helping people rediscover the joy of making while creating a more just and sustainable fashion future. Why We're Raising $10,000 Thanks to support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, awarded through our nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Neighborhood Art School, we've received a matching grant to help launch this initiative. As part of that award, we're raising $10,000 in community support to unlock the full funding and invest in the future of youth fashion education. Your donation will help provide: Professional photography/videography to document the pilot program well to share beyond Detroit. Sewing machines, tools, and classroom supplies Fabric and sustainable materials for student projects Fair pay for Detroit teaching artists Artist-produced educational videos and curriculum resources Scholarship assistance for students participating in Slow Stitch Detroit's ongoing Youth Fashion Lab Thank you for believing in the power of creativity, practical skills, and community. Together, we can bring Home Economics back, and inspire a new generation of makers. Need a tax-deductible donation receipt? Neighborhood Art School serves as Slow Stitch Detroit's nonprofit fiscal sponsor. If you'd like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact us through www.slowstitchdetroit.com for instructions on donating through Neighborhood Art School instead of through the Go-Fund-Me.