Mending, Healing
A baby wobbles around the classroom pointing at bright blue and orange paper lanterns suspended from the ceiling. Six-year-old Brian quietly rummages through a stack of board games and books. Their mothers sit close by. Sewing machines purr. Scissors strip-strup, cleaving fabric into squares for the pot holders students will make tonight. It’s the second week of class for this group of eight students at Bayview Community Center.
Instructor Annette Bollig raises her voice just enough to be heard over laughter and conversation — a blend of personal and instructional chit-chat taking place in multiple languages — and holds up some cotton batting. “Cut three of these, zig-zag them together, and then we’ll stuff it into the potholder. We’ll help you do all of it.”
Photo by Mary Langenfeld
