Stitching Love: Loose Ends Unites Crafters and Memories
Strangers from coast to coast are spreading love one stitch at a time. It's through a project called Loose Ends. Co-founders Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan match fiber artists called finishers, with people who have projects left behind from loved ones.
Transcript
00:00 Strangers from coast to coast are
00:02 spreading love one stitch at a time.
00:04 It's through a project called Loose
00:07 Ends cofounders Jen Simonic and
00:09 Macy Kaplan match fiber artists
00:11 called finishers with people who
00:13 have projects left behind from
00:14 loved ones. In the first month,
00:17 we had about 150 finishers of
00:19 different crafting styles,
00:20 knitting, crocheting, quilting,
00:21 and we had about 510 projects.
00:23 Now they have more than 16,000
00:25 finishers and 1000 projects to
00:27 be able to make a project.
00:29 And to be able to bring what can
00:32 feel like an overwhelming burden
00:34 of bad news into a small gesture
00:36 of handwork and have that be
00:38 something that makes somebody else
00:40 feel better. I think that that it's
00:43 having a very healing effect for
00:45 everyone, including us. Kim Resnick
00:46 sent in her mother's blanket that
00:48 was supposed to be a Christmas
00:50 present for her sister when she
00:52 was put into hospice. Obviously
00:53 she wasn't able to do it anymore,
00:56 and she said to me, she said.
00:58 I didn't finish Kristen's blanket
00:59 and she got very emotional and I said Mom,
01:02 I said I'll find someone to finish it.
01:04 I'll hire someone to crochet.
01:06 I'll find a crocheter.
01:07 She got paired with Julie K who lives
01:09 in the same city and lost her
01:11 mother around the same age.
01:13 Both women say the process was
01:15 beautiful and emotional.
01:16 You know it's an heirloom.
01:17 You know you could think of it as
01:19 an heirloom and something that
01:21 will be treasured by the family.
01:23 So I hope you know I've contributed
01:25 to that in a big way.
01:27 It was truly a gift.
01:28 What Julie did. It was just a gift
01:31 honoring my mom by taking on the project,
01:34 but by finishing it, it's you gave
01:37 my sister and me a gift that.
01:40 You know my mom wanted to do so
01:43 badly and just couldn't now.
01:44 K and Resnick are good friends and K
01:47 plans to teach Resnick how to crochet.
01:49 The co-founders say they've heard
01:51 from painters, songwriters,
01:52 woodworkers and jewelry makers
01:53 wanting to help, but until they
01:55 expand their sticking to fiber arts
01:57 right now like knitting,
01:59 crocheting and quilting.
02:00 If you want to submit a project
02:02 or become a finisher,
02:03 you can sign up on loose endsproject.org.
02:05 You'll be brought straight there by
02:07 scanning the QR code on your screen.
02:09 Right now there are many more
02:11 finishers than there are projects,
02:13 so they're eager to get more projects.
02:15 Submitted.