Sewing Lessons for a Cause

They stitched seams, hemmed skirts, and sewed buttons with all the energy and expertise of enthusiastic novices, often complimenting each other’s work and sometimes making mistakes, but mostly chatting about the things one might expect from 16 high school girls: class projects, after-school plans, and who texted who about what.

The May 25 sewing session was the seventh in an eight-week workshop in which girls from East Hampton High School and Pierson High School learned the craft from Kathryn Reid of Springs, owner of SewHampton, and Nancy Nano of Nancy’s Tailoring and Alterations in Noyac. Their efforts were all for a good cause: Ms. Reid and Ms. Nano volunteered to teach and supervise the girls, who then used their new skills to make clothing that will be sold and modeled at an upcoming fashion show to support causes that raise awareness about illnesses that affect children.

After about an hour and a half, the cheerful atmosphere in the room changed. The girls packed away their projects, readied themselves for something more serious, and gathered around a table where Jenny Carmona, an East Hampton mom, set up a laptop with photos that documented her 9-month-old son’s struggle with hip dysplasia. Ms. Carmona explained how she taught herself how to sew when she couldn’t find clothes that would fit her son because of his medical condition.

“Being a parent of a kid who is going through something like this, sometimes you feel alone,” she said. “It’s a very hard process. You have to make everything completely different for a baby with hip dysplasia.”

The eight-week workshop wasn’t just about teaching sewing; it was also to teach the girls about medical conditions such as lupus, juvenile arthritis, and more. Each week featured a discussion about a different medical issue.

“I think this is such a good cause,” Caroline Heredia, a ninth-grader at East Hampton High School, said between stitches. “I feel like I’m doing something instead of just staying home. I don’t worry that I could be hanging out with friends or playing a sport, because I enjoy this.”

“Sewing was something I wanted to learn,” said Julianna Vargas, another East Hampton ninth grader. “It feels like I’ve accomplished something. I know people with disabilities around me, and I think it’s important to help them feel beautiful and normal, and to raise awareness for conditions that many people don’t know about.”

Ms. Reid said the girls’ work ethic “is terrific, and they seem like they’re having fun. . . . It’s been a real pleasure to work with everybody.” She supplied her machines free of charge for the workshop.

The benefit fashion show, where the girls’ clothing designs will be highlighted, is planned for June 11 at 6 p.m. at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. It will feature a keynote speaker, live auction, music, and refreshments.

One of the models in the show will be Alexa Mantilla, a 12-year-old from East Hampton who has lupus, an autoimmune disease. “I can’t do the things I used to do and the things my friends can do,” she said during last week’s sewing session. “Today we had the Bonac 5K run, and I couldn’t run. I have to miss a lot of school days.”

The sewing workshop “makes me feel better about this,” Alexa continued. “I know they’re trying to help and doing their best to understand.”

The fashion show and sewing classes were the brainchild of Kathryn Bermudez, an East Hampton parent who started a nonprofit after she learned about the plight of many of the Central American refugees crossing into the United States from Mexico. She began with a back-to-school clothing drive for local families last summer, and later expanded it to benefit the refugees in Texas, making a trip to deliver donated clothes and hygiene products herself.

It took her several months, but Ms. Bermudez finally came up with a name for her effort: Uniting Force. She has set up a Facebook page for it and is in the process of turning it into a formal nonprofit. She has planned a number of activities that are meant to teach kids skills and keep them away from bad habits like drug and alcohol abuse. In addition to sewing, Ms. Bermudez will plan jewelry and candle-making events for girls. Her husband will work on activities for the young men, all with a mission like the sewing workshop.

“This has been a great journey,” she said. “We are starting to plant the seeds with our youth to get involved.”