“My mom always said [crafters] are the kindest people. This organization proves that right.”
— Danielle, Project Owner

Hello out there!

We’ve noticed two times of year when our incredible volunteer finishers tend to slow down: the holiday season, when gift-making takes center stage, and summer, when working with yarn and fabric can feel a little “bleh.” When the temps creep toward 100º, we understand needing a break!

Did you know, at Loose Ends, we don’t impose deadlines on finishers—volunteers work at their own pace. Every so often, we’ll ask for a faster turnaround, only when a project is intended for a growing child or when an original crafter is nearing the end of life. But otherwise, finishing work is pressure-free (with just one ask: monthly updates)! So, if you’re a finisher, take your time, keep it fun, stay in touch, please don’t make us chase you for updates, and enjoy this sweet summer.

Thank you for being part of this with us.
The Loose Ends Team

1. This guy.

"My mom was making this octopus for me before she passed away from COPD. She was hospitalized for pulmonary rehab several times and would always take it to work on while she was there, and loved to talk about it with people. 

Eleanor, Loose Ends Finisher, took such good care of my octopus the whole time and made sure that he came back safely packaged and secure in his box. She even made me a tiny octopus friend with the yarn remnants so that I can always have a connection to my mom no matter where I am." — Becca

Eleanor spent more than a year and a half finishing this stunning creature. She marked Becca's mother's final stitch with a red heart.

2. A new downloadable badge for folks registered as finishers.

3. Please take our survey (and maybe get a Loose Ends tote bag)!

Crafters and Non-Crafters Alike!
Loose Ends seeks ambassadors to help with outreach and organizing. You don’t need to be working on a project to make a big difference…

4. Meet Lisa Woolfork from Black Women Stitch!

We met Lisa and fell in love with her work last month at H+H Americas. Her organization, Black Women Stitch, is a vibrant community dedicated to centering Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing and needle arts. Their award-winning podcast, Stitch Please, offers more than 275 episodes of rich, layered conversations with a beautiful array of guests—from scholars to sewists, designers to quilters, newbie stitchers to senior seamstresses—all stitched together by the thread of creativity, care, and community. 

The slogan of the Stitch Please podcast is: “We’ll help you get your stitch together.” Whether you’re looking for inspiration, education, or a joyful soundtrack while you work with your hands, our archive is here for you. Subscribe to their newsletter, support their storytelling on Patreon, and listen to the show on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

”We admire Loose Ends’ mission to connect, restore, and complete unfinished projects; our shared belief is that making and mending are sacred acts that honor memory, meaning, and community. Threads may unravel, but connection isn’t truly lost.” — Lisa

5. Loose Ends in numbers:

33,530+ registered finishers
90,667+ crafting hours volunteered
3,500+ projects done or in progress
84 countries served

6. The following people had donations made in their honor or in lieu of flowers, this month:

Ruth Provance, Helen Irene Sellers Houston, Margaret Varner, Dot Duncan, Jonathan Roussos, Yannis Alimonos, Ann Beth Moore, Leyla Ozmen, and—in honor of Connie Cook and in memory of Luella Bauchman, my mother—Rachel T, Eleanor Brannen, Sherrill Werling, Gerda Morda, Rose Mary Glynn, Carla Reagin Ousby, my mother Albina Montione, Catherine Barrett, Deborah Hardy, my mother Evelyn Guier, and in honor of Amy Kennedy for a job well done—thank you. Also recognized are Amy Schroth, Vicki Schwam, Grandma Root, and in memory of Dorothy Pyle Cochran Stauffer, who inspired me to love others through food and yarn. We also honor Grandma, whose knitting supplies went to the local library, Sue Brandenburg, Connie Kelly, Amelia Schroth, Lorelei Davis, Jean Grey & Betty Sanders—my models and encouragers—Susan Borden, Carmela, Betty Gibbs, Mary Gibbons' mother, Ardyth Inez Webster, Amy Schroth, and Roberta Neely. Additionally, Marilyn Harvey—my knitting mom, Joyce Margolis, Amy Donley, Janet Akstin, Amy Schroth (again), Evelyn French—my mom and an avid knitter and crafter, Audrey Jenkins, Jeanette Robinson, and Margaret.

Loose Ends aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with textile projects people have left undone due to death or disability.