NY1 News named Stitch Up’s founder New Yorker of the Week. They filmed a class with Girls Inc. and Wearable Collections. It aired Monday, October 19. Watch the segment

Noa leaning over two students at a sewing machine during a Girls Inc. class

Stitch Up

Free sewing classes for kids, taught by high schoolers.

I’m Noa. I started Stitch Up in New York City in October 2023. Most of the kids I teach have never touched a sewing machine. By the end of the first class, every one of them has made something they can take home.

28classes taught
85+kids who learned to sew
3chapters
9partner organizations

At my first class at the Children’s Museum of the East End, one mom told me she couldn’t believe her daughter with ADHD sat focused for two hours. She was in shock that sewing could have such an impact.

Sewing got dropped from school. I’m putting it back.

Noa seated in a classroom in front of a NY1 News camera
Sitting for the NY1 News interview.

I took my first sewing class in second grade and never stopped. I design and make my own clothes, including my Bat Mitzvah dress. I sew when I need to think.

Somewhere in the last few decades, schools decided sewing wasn’t worth teaching. I think that’s a mistake. Measuring, cutting, following a pattern, and fixing it when it goes wrong are real skills, and a kid can see them in their own hands after one hour.

So I started Stitch Up, free sewing classes for kids who don’t have machines, fabric, or anyone to show them. I write the lesson plans, design the projects, bring the machines, and teach.

The Jane Goodall Institute gave Stitch Up a Roots & Shoots grant. Wearable Collections now sends us donated clothes, so kids learn upcycling instead of buying new fabric. Two friends started chapters of their own, in Florida and Montreal. I’m a senior now. I want Stitch Up to keep going after I graduate.

Partners and supporters
  • Girls Inc.
  • The Manhattan Children's Center
  • JCC on the Upper West Side
  • Me'ever Youth
  • Children's Museum of the East End
  • Vertex Partnership Academies
  • Wearable Collections
  • Jane Goodall Institute
  • The Alex Nair Bhak Foundation

Four projects in seven classes, and every one goes home.

I wrote the curriculum so every class ends with something finished. The projects get harder as they go, and the last two are clothes you can wear.

  1. Class 1

    Zipper pouch

    My own pattern. Thread the machine, sew a straight line, put in a zipper. Everyone leaves with one.

  2. Classes 2–3

    Animal pillow

    Bear, cat, or dog. Cut the shape, sew the face and patches, stuff it, close it up.

  3. Classes 4–5

    Shorts

    Your first piece of clothing. Hemming, then an elastic waistband. Try them on.

  4. Classes 6–7

    Apron

    A bigger pattern, a pocket, ties, and a finished edge. The one kids are proudest of.

Noa has volunteered with our program on two occasions to teach hand-sewing skills to teenagers of all abilities, and she made a wonderful impression each time. She is kind, approachable, and clearly passionate about sewing. Noa explains techniques in a way that is easy to understand and makes students feel comfortable asking questions and trying new things. Her patience and enthusiasm helped create a welcoming environment where everyone felt included and proud of what they created.

Julie Singer, Director of Youth Programming, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Three cities, run by students

A chapter is one student, a few machines, and a partner organization that wants classes. I share the curriculum and help you get started.

A row of students at sewing machines on a long cafeteria table, with Noa helping at the far end
A class in a school cafeteria, New York City.

Want to bring Stitch Up to your city?

If you can sew a straight line and show up every week, you can run a chapter. I’ll send you what I use:

  1. All seven lesson plans and the zipper pouch pattern
  2. What to say to a partner organization
  3. What to buy, and what to ask people to donate