Fleming College Collaborates With Local Studio To Create Opportunities For New Canadians

A unique collaboration by Fleming College, Madderhouse Textile Studios, the New Canadians Centre (NCC) and the Newcomer Sewing Crew has provided opportunities for newcomer women to create hand-stitched cloth face masks while earning a living wage.

The face masks will be distributed to Fleming students, faculty and staff as they return to campus for summer bootcamps beginning July 13th. 

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Photo courtesy Fleming College

The Newcomer Sewing Crew is an up-and-coming collective of talented artists and sewists who are invested in providing opportunities for newcomer women to learn entrepreneurial skills and receive fair compensation for their work.

Through this project and others, the Crew’s mission is to strengthen their personal and community connections, and contribute to the social and economic health and wellbeing of our community.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Photo courtesy Fleming College

The face masks are Fleming College branded, designed by Fleming’s Marketing team, printed at Madderhouse Textile Studios and constructed by hand by the Newcomer Sewing Crew. The Crew created 300 masks available in three different colours, in either elastic or tie style.

“As a social enterprise, our mission is to strengthen our personal and community connections through our products and our stories, and to champion the importance of locally-sourced products as a catalyst for boosting community health and well-being,” says Leslie Menagh, Owner-Operator at Madderhouse Textile Studios.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Since January 2019, Madderhouse Textile Studios and the NCC have been partnering on projects that build on the NCC’s existing sewing programs.

The goal of this program is to expand program participants’ knowledge and skills in the textile industry and provide them with the space and opportunity to express themselves through their artistic and technical abilities.

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