Listening House’s Magical Sewing Ninjas
LauraRose Paradis and Linda Bryan
The secret is slowly getting out.
Every Wednesday from about 10am to noon Listening House is blessed with the presence of three extremely talented seamstresses: Linda Bryan, LauraRose Paradis, and Tabatha Gores—our Magical Sewing Ninjas.
Armed with only a pair of very old (but fairly sturdy) sewing machines, this trio of fearless women will attack a torn pair of jeans like Harry Potter catching a glimpse of the golden snitch.
Repairs instead of Waste
The repair work they’ve done is near-miraculous; from restoring all sorts of torn clothing to stitching up hole-ridden backpacks. The work they do on repairs has an ecologically friendly purpose beyond helping guests have great clothing options. “If we can repair things, it keeps them out of the waste stream,” Linda explains.
Linda, who refuses to say how many sewing machines she has at home, comes to Listening House after a career as a teacher. She explains that her belief in sewing may have started when she didn’t have a dress for a wedding she was in and just decided to make her own.
LauraRose’s previous life was as a hospital chaplain. “Sewing lets us use our skills to help others,” she says. The newest member of the team is Tabatha, who has quickly developed her skills and knowledge under Linda and LauraRose’s guidance.
Fixing zippers as an art form
One skill they take particular pride in is their ability to repair zippers. We dare you to try and stump them with a broken, stuck, or problem zipper. Expect yawns. They actually have a fully stocked zipper repair kit that lets them tackle even the toughest problems.
Their wizardry also comes with a sprinkling of mad scientist on the side, complete with the vision to keep right on innovating and inventing. The latest idea they’re exploring is using their sewing magic to repurpose pet food bags—specifically, to use the plasticky/fibrous lining used in pet food bags to reinforce and waterproof things like backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, etc.
Sharing their knowledge
The best news might be that they’re hoping to teach sewing to our guests once we settle into our new building. In the meantime, to get tips and learn more about sewing you can also follow LauraRose’s sewing blog at Sew We Work.
Stay tuned for further adventures…and please bring in any items that need a little ninja magic!
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