MILWAUKEE — Instead of tossing frayed clothing in the trash, residents are finding a second life for garments with broken zippers and holes, thanks to a volunteer seamstress at the Washington Park Library.
Carol Lee Hopkins offers a free mending service twice a month, helping community members repair everyday clothing items and extend their use.
“I feel so helpless. A lot of bad things are going on in the world. What can I do to help people?” Hopkins said.
Twice a month, a small table nestled between rows of books at the Washington Park branch becomes a repair station where worn-out clothes are stitched back together.
With a sewing machine in hand, Hopkins fixes zippers, replaces missing buttons and patches holes using scrap fabric, all at no cost.
WATCH: Instead of tossing frayed clothing in the trash, residents are finding a second life for garments thanks to a volunteer seamstress
“It’s really nice to have people come up to the table, see me here and tell me what they need,” she said. “Sometimes it’s as simple as, ‘I need some buttons on my coat.’”
Hopkins’ sewing skills run in the family. Her mother was a professional seamstress, but Hopkins said she didn’t learn to sew until college, when her dormmates taught her.
“They taught me good habits” she said.
Wanting to use her skills to give back, Hopkins connected with the library in January and has since become a valued part of the community.
Visitors simply fill out a form and leave their clothing with Hopkins, who handles the repairs.
“One week, someone brought in two pairs of pants and a shirt that needed patches,” Hopkins said.
While she works on repairing garments, Hopkins said the service is about more than sewing.
“I feel good. I helped somebody. I did something that wasn’t for me, it was for somebody else, and I like that,” she said.
Hopkins is at the library on the first and third Tuesdays of each month and hopes to offer sewing classes there in the future.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
