Who: Marilyn Forestell is the owner of QuiltWorks, a quilt shop and exhibit space in Bend, and the founder of the nonprofit Sew Teach Me, a free program that matches screened mentors with one to two students in order to teach them how to sew in the QuiltWorks classroom. In less than a year’s time, 80 kids have learned a lifelong skill through Sew Teach Me, which is now set to be offered nationally. To support the national launch, QuiltWorks will host speakers Harriet Langmas, a well-known Bend entrepreneur, and Rugged Threads’ Kim Kinney, in two events: The first will be held at 7 p.m. on April 12, then again at 3 p.m. April 14. Tickets are $20, available at QuiltWorks, 926 NE Greenwood Ave., Bend. Contact: sewteachme.org.

Q: What was the initial idea behind Sew Teach Me?

A: The initial idea is to provide an opportunity to kids to learn to sew for free. … I needed to recruit mentors, donors and students.

Q: Was it hard to find mentors?

A: No. We have about 25 trained mentors at our shop. … We used to provide classes for kids, and I’d have two teachers, and six, seven, eight kids.

It was chaotic, because the kids needed more one on one to learn how to thread a machine, and wind a bobbin and pay attention to their stitches. It didn’t work with young kids in a class. But every time I offered the class, there would always be customers in the shop, and they’d see the kids and it warmed their hearts. They would say, “Gosh, I remember when my mom” or “home ec” or “my grandmother.” They wanted to share their story, and I realized, why don’t I match these women with these kids. … The kids make four projects, and all the projects are precut and donated by our sewing community. … It’s just totally going awesome. … Two other places have started a program, a school in Sunriver and a group in Klamath Falls.

Q: And it’s so successful that you decided to then go national with it?

A: I kind of knew when I came up with the idea that it would be a program worthy of duplicating. They’re not teaching it in schools anymore. They didn’t teach it either to the mothers of kids in school now.

— David Jasper, The Bulletin