In the Spring 2022 issue of Canadian Quilter we showcased I Love First Peoples, a national charity now rebranded under the name Soaring Circle. Their mission: to empower Indigenous youth through education, improving their access to career and entrepreneurship opportunities, while inviting the active participation of all Canadians in moving reconciliation forward. The Quebec-based organization, founded by Josée Lusignan, is celebrating its 11th year and continues to expand its network of textile arts enthusiasts through Sewcase, their fast-growing sewing skills labs program.
Quilters can help! See below.
FEATURED IMAGE The Sewcase sewing lab at Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation.
While our mission has always been to support education, we now focus on hands-on skills and capacity building programs that enable young people to access economic development opportunities within their communities, or to access career pathways where Indigenous representation is lacking.
The Sewcase program connects youth to culture through the textile arts, provides a pathway to employment and entrepreneurship, and helps address some of the challenges faced by teachers in remote communities, such as a lack of resources and high costs for supplies. The program offers different levels of support, including full sewing lab setups, equipment upgrades and/or material supplies, and educational resources. In addition, Sewcase provides practical support for participating schools in using and maintaining their Janome sewing equipment and tools.
The choice of Sewcase lab installations takes into account a number of factors, such as school infrastructure, existing sewing programs and teaching resources, prior collaboration, and the potential to create long-term partnerships with transporters for the recipient community.
This fall, the Sewcase will launch a new education portal, sponsored by one of the world’s largest fashion brands, PVH, the parent company to Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. The platform exists to further support students and teachers by providing more specialized knowledge and mentorship from Indigenous creators and other sewing and textile professionals across Canada.
Among the major partners supporting the platform with educational content, students will receive direct access to industry guidance from main partners like PVH and also Janome Canada—our pioneer partner who generously supplies quality sewing machines, showcases the work of our students on their blogs, and holds a fabric drive to mobilize dealerships and hundreds of enthusiastic sewists and quilters each year in support of our labs.
Michael Smith, Education Manager from Janome Canada, with a student in the sewing lab at Chief Ahtahkakoop School in Saskatchewan.
Also, the Sewcase platform will allow Soaring Circle to onboard more schools and educational institutions that already have sewing programs in place but need access to teaching resources and progressive equipment upgrades.
Mentors and educators with connections to sewing, fashion, and textile arts are invited to join the platform, and we encourage proposals from Indigenous artists and designers to create video tutorials. The platform features videos on topics like Moccasin Making, Zero Waste Joggers, Beaded Orange Shirt Pins, and Ribbon Skirt Making, by renowned artists such as Yolonda Skelton (Sugiit Lukxs Designs), Wyatt Miller (Sparked Apparel), and Stephanie Tenasco. Interested artists may reach out to the Sewcase program coordinator, Jenny Ambrose at sewcase@soaringcircle.ca.
Jenny Ambrose with Summer Testawich, our Youth Ambassador, from the traditional Syilx Territory in Snpinktn (Penticton), BC.
In the spring of 2023, Jenny Ambrose joined the team and brought a wealth of experience in the sewing and textiles industry, including fashion design, teaching, sewing retailing and entrepreneurial mentorship. Jenny works closely with teachers, supporting their projects, providing coaching and spending time with their students during in-person workshops. So far, she has visited eight partner communities. Recently, Soaring Circle has centralized its warehousing in Saskatchewan, where Jenny resides, and opened a second office there.
“Sewcase is truly a talent showcase as the name suggests,” says Jenny, “and an engaging educational platform where each member of our community, whether a professional or student, can contribute and access knowledge.”
Students at Sewcase lab in Wollastan Lake, SK, made draw-string bags.
I have been running the sewing program for two years now. The youth really love sewing and are always excited to know when our next session will be!
Our sewing space program is dedicated to our late and beloved Elder, Fred Sasakamoose, who brought us together with Soaring Circle. Our sewing program keeps growing, with now 35 participants!
Hiy Hiy ninaskimon (Thank you, I am grateful)
Marcy Whitefish, Sewing & Culture Teacher at Chief Ahtahkakoop School
How Quilters Can Help
There are several ways individuals and guilds can support the Sewcase program, with both cash and fabric donations.
PRE-CUT FABRIC
Cut unused fabrics into basic shapes we can use to build sewing project kits for our students; you can even include a personal note to students with your donation! Download the instruction bundle and shape templates from sewcase.ca for tips on what types of fabic are needed and how to prepare them. Drop off your donations at a participating Janome dealer February 1-15 and August 1-15, 2025 (outside these dates, donations can be mailed directly to Soaring Circle, P.O. Box 509, Big River, SK S0J 0E0).
JANOME GIFT CARDS
Support a Janome dealership in your province to help us supply our sewing labs with needed sewing accessories. Go to soaringcircle.ca and select your preferred participating Janome dealer. Purchase a gift card in your chosen denomination; you will immediately receive a charitable receipt via email.
Students at Kitigan Zibi Kikinamadinan School in Maniwaki, QC, celebrated their handmade clothing and accessories in a fashion show in their community.
Soaring Circle is grateful for the continued support of Canadians everywhere who enable more Indigenous communities to be served across the country.
The Sewcase community is growing every year. Visit our website for an up-to-date list of partnering Indigenous schools or educational organizations.
