"I'm never gonna be able to do this."

Jasmine sat in front of a sewing machine for the first time, her hands fidgeting with unfamiliar knobs, her voice edged with frustration. She had come to HeartBound’s quilting class at the Metro Transitional Center, unsure of what to expect—and even more unsure of herself.

I stood beside her and gently pointed out the parts of the machine, explaining how they worked together. “Yes, you will,” I told her. “Because we’re here to teach you, to help you, and to show you how to make something beautiful.”

We started small. Straight lines. A quarter-inch seam. Over and over until her fingers moved with more trust than fear. Slowly, she came to believe in herself, one stitch at a time.

Then came the choosing of fabric, the quiet delight in color and texture. Soon, Jasmine began arriving early to class, her tools neatly arranged, eyes bright with anticipation. “What can I sew today?” she’d ask, eager to begin.

When she completed her first quilt—and a matching pillowcase—she wrapped them as a gift for an administrator who had shown her kindness. The joy on her face as she gave it away was radiant.

Today, Jasmine has a job on the “outside”. But she still asks for Wednesdays off so she can come back and sew.

She loves this class. “If I could take this machine to my room,” she once said, “I would never come out!”

From self-doubt and discouragement to confidence and joy, Jasmine has joined the sisterhood of women who stitch their healing, their hope, and their stories into quilts—transforming fabric into comfort and beauty, and themselves in the process.

Thank you for giving to make this possible.

Fonde Werts

HeartBound instructor for “The Ladies of Sew Beautiful” quilting program