It’s a good skill to have if you don’t have the money to purchase new clothes, and there’s the environmental aspect too – taking old clothes and turning them into something different.”

Librarian Chelsea Bartlett

Recent visitors to Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove may have noticed something new: a sewing machine lab.
Eight Janome sewing machines arrived at Park Grove Library earlier this fall. The lab is the first for the Washington County Library system.
The lab has been used for a variety of teen and adult programs, including beginner classes to make tote bags, pillowcases, and pajama pants. Unsure of what to expect, staff initially scheduled four classes. Within days of opening class registration was full, and the library added two additional programs to meet high demand.
Librarian Chelsea Bartlett, who coordinates programs for teens, says sewing is impactful in many ways. “It’s a really important skill for self-expression,” Bartlett said. “It’s a good skill to have if you don’t have the money to purchase new clothes, and there’s the environmental aspect too – taking old clothes and turning them into something different.”

A Spool Idea
The lab was an idea inspired by librarians years ago with a passion for sharing sewing skills in their community. Efforts to move it forward were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve finally been able to make it a reality thanks to funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Librarian Kristin Jones, who leads programming for adults, says she had already seen a lot of interest in the Cottage Grove community around sewing, including needlework drop-in groups and a popular quilting group. Prior to starting the sewing machine lab, she had also encountered people who wanted to participate in these groups but didn’t have their own sewing machine.
“It’s a lifelong skill that we can offer, if we have these,” Jones said.

Stitching the Pieces Together
The effort has been a partnership between many local organizations. The machines were purchased from Sew with Me in Lake Elmo. Volunteers from the Woodbury branch of the American Sewing Guild are teaching classes, while members of a Park Grove Library quilting group are offering one-on-one sewing help on the first Friday of each month.
“It’s cool that there are pockets of the community that are excited about this, and that they are excited about partnering with us,” Jones said.
Aspiring sewists also have access to fabric, thread, ironing mats, cutting mats, fabric scissors, and other supplies; all things they need to begin, or troubleshoot, their sewing projects. Park Grove Library is accepting donations of fabric and sewing notions for those interested in supporting the program.

Thread-y for the Future
Park Grove Library will continue piloting the Sewing Machine Lab through April 2025, and then evaluate to see if the program should continue or expand to other Washington County Library locations.
Librarians are also considering ways the machines could be used for charitable sewing and donations.
“There are a lot of possibilities, so that’s exciting,” Jones said.