History

How Sew4Service Began

Sew4Service was founded by Lucy Kulbago in August 2021. Lucy brought together her experience as an educator, community volunteer, quilter and crocheter to address an opportunity she saw in the community.

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Many people enjoy sewing, quilting, crocheting and knitting but do not always have a recipient in mind for the items they create. At the same time, nonprofit and community agencies need and appreciate handmade items but may not have connections with people who can make them.

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Sew4Service was created to bridge that gap by connecting people who sew and create with people and pets in need of handmade items.

From the beginning, education has also been central to our mission. Sew4Service helps people learn textile-arts skills so they can become confident creators, participate in meaningful service and use their abilities to help others.

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From One Sewing Studio to Four Chapters

The first Sew4Service sewing studio opened in Wickliffe, Ohio, in November 2022. It provided a dedicated place for community members to meet, learn and volunteer.

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As donations increased, Sew4Service needed a way to process and repurpose the growing supply of fabric, yarn, sewing machines and other materials. The first Fabric Stash store opened in July 2023, offering donated fabric, yarn, notions and sewing supplies at affordable prices while generating revenue to support our programs.

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In 2024, the original Wickliffe operations relocated to Euclid and became the Euclid Chapter. The Fabric Stash store and sewing studio eventually came together at the Shore Cultural Centre, connecting Sew4Service with a larger artistic community.

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The Alliance Chapter was also established in 2024, followed by the expansion of the Lakewood Chapter in 2025. The Medina Chapter opened later that year.

In just five years, Sew4Service grew to include four full chapters in Northeast Ohio: Alliance, Euclid, Lakewood and Medina. Each chapter has a sewing studio, Fabric Stash store and chapter coordinator who oversees its programs, volunteers and daily activities.

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Our chapter locations serve many important purposes. They provide places where volunteers can meet, build friendships and work together; where donations can be collected, sorted and prepared for reuse; where sewing and fiber-arts classes can be taught; and where handmade items can be organized and delivered to local agencies.

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Sew4Service has also developed several satellite locations where community members gather for charity sewing events and other volunteer activities. These partnerships allow more people to participate closer to home and help us extend our programs into additional communities.

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Five Years of Community Impact

The growth of Sew4Service is reflected not only in the number of locations we operate, but also in what our community has accomplished together.

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During our first five years:

• Approximately 6,250 bags and boxes of donated fabric, yarn, sewing machines and supplies were collected—enough to fill about three full-size semi-trailers.

• More than 106,000 volunteer hours were recorded—the equivalent of approximately 51 years of full-time work.

• 765 people volunteered in person or from home—enough people to fill more than 15 school buses.

• 110 nonprofit and community agencies received donations—more than two partner organizations for every week of the year.

• More than 18,000 handmade items were delivered—nearly 50 acts of care reaching local agencies every day of the year.

Our volunteers participate in many different ways. Some sew, quilt, knit or crochet in our studios. Others sort donations, prepare charity kits, help in our stores or complete projects at home. We also organize service projects for schools, businesses, corporations and other large groups, giving participants an opportunity to learn basic sewing skills while creating something useful for their community.

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Turning Donations Into New Possibilities

Donated materials are at the center of much of our work. Fabric, yarn and other supplies are used to make charity items or sold at affordable prices through our Fabric Stash stores. This keeps usable materials out of landfills, makes sewing and crafting more accessible and helps generate revenue for our programs.

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We also accept sewing machines and machine accessories. Trained technicians examine, clean and repair machines whenever possible. Restored machines may be used in our studios, donated to other agencies or sold through our stores to provide affordable access to dependable sewing equipment. Machines that cannot be repaired may be used for parts or responsibly recycled.

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Community members can also bring their own sewing machines to us for service, giving them an affordable place to have their equipment maintained so they can continue sewing confidently at home.

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Creating for Local Agencies

Sew4Service supports a wide variety of organizations, including hospitals, nursing homes, foster-care programs, pregnancy centers, addiction-recovery organizations, senior and homebound programs, pet shelters and agencies serving people with low or no income.

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Our volunteers make quilts, crocheted and knitted blankets, baby items, hats, winter apparel, market bags, tote bags, pet beds, pet mats, pet toys, soap savers, dishcloths, placemats, pillowcases, fidget quilts, sensory items and many other projects.

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We also work directly with agencies to develop custom items that respond to specific community needs.

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Teaching Skills and Building Confidence

Sew4Service offers classes in sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting and other textile arts at our studios, libraries and community locations.

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In 2026, we introduced Fiberology™, a flexible class format that allows participants to choose what they want to learn, bring their own projects and progress at their own pace. Participants may learn how to use a sewing machine, serger or embroidery machine; explore hand sewing, quilting, knitting or crocheting; read patterns; mend or upcycle clothing; or clean and troubleshoot their own equipment.

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People can bring their own sewing machines or use one of ours. They may attend once for help with a particular question or return regularly to continue developing their skills.

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This personalized approach reflects a principle that has guided Sew4Service from the beginning: people should be able to learn in a welcoming environment, grow at their own pace and discover how their creativity can benefit others.

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Continuing the Story

What began as an idea to connect creative people with community needs has grown into a network of chapters, satellite locations, volunteers, educators, donors, customers and agency partners.

Every donated box, volunteer hour, class, store purchase and handmade item has helped build Sew4Service. Together, our community has preserved traditional textile-arts skills, expanded access to affordable supplies and equipment, diverted usable materials from landfills and delivered thousands of handmade expressions of comfort and care.

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As we begin our next five years, we look forward to welcoming more people, strengthening our community partnerships and finding new ways to learn, create and serve together.

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