500 Free Sewing Machines For Native Artists

4Kinship is distributing hundreds of new sewing machines to young Indigenous artists across New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.

The organization is marking National Native American Heritage Month with this initiative. It provides a foundational tool for designers who may not have the funds to buy their own equipment.

Navajo fashion designer Amy Denet Deal runs the nonprofit Indigenous Futures Forever. Her group raised more than $35,000 to support the project. She partnered with the Singer Corporation to purchase the inventory.

The purchase included 500 new sewing machines and sergers. All of them are being handed out for free to aspiring designers.

Denet Deal said the goal is to validate the industry and ensure access to necessary tools. "It’s not just a hobby. It’s a really valid industry to go into but the first step is making sure everybody has access to the tools," Denet Deal said. She added that the organization wants children to have the means to explore fashion as a potential career.

Jose Calabaza, an aspiring designer, said he feels excited to have a tool to express his ideas. He is one of many young artists receiving the equipment. Alex Vigil, another fashion designer, noted that 4Kinship offers a space for artists to showcase their work. She stated that having this space has helped her sell more pieces in her career than before.

Denet Said the next step is to organize workshops. These sessions will teach young designers how to use their new machines. The group hopes to prepare local students for applications to fashion schools. More than 200 free sewing machines and sergers are still available. Anyone aged 12 to 30 can send a direct message to 4Kinship for application information.