A day in my life - Jessie’s bags.

My day began around 4 am yesterday. 

I woke up early my brain was in gear.

I sent some emails worked on the computer and then went to work... 
making Jessie's Bags. 

I like early mornings my house is quiet. 

This is my time!

Jessie is sometimes up early too but she stays in bed usually reading her Bible. My husband and his mom are not morning people. That’s OK with me. This is my time!

Working on the bags is peaceful creative time for me.

I’m not taking care of anybody else, not my husband, mom, aunt, mother in law or the fish. Sometimes care giving gets overwhelming between doctor’s visits, care plan meetings & just cooking and making sure they eat meals every day…

Working on the bags is peaceful creative time for me. I hate sewing but love putting the pieces together.

We, I should say I over booked my day yesterday. One of the volunteers who sew for us was coming over to pick up fabric pieces. At the same time my husband wanted to go to breakfast and run a few errands. Sorry I Double booked. ..  

Jessie & I were scheduled to go on the road today.... To Newark for an after school program....

Since we were in the  Newark area and Jessie was with me, I took her to meet the students that are putting pink ribbons on our bags for us. She enjoyed that

We left there and went to do the 4-H after school program.

The kids loved it. By the time Jessie got their sewing machine running we had to leave. I would love to transport her work station and machine with us…maybe someday.

We scheduled an after school program at a new location in Newark Yesterday. This was the first time at this location. everybody enjoyed it...we'll be back!

 4-H after school program. 

 On the way home Jessie reminded me someone was coming over to finish sewing pillows.                I Double booked. ..  

A young friend  is getting married in 15 days & she wanted to fix up her existing sofa with some new pillows…Jessie is helping her sew them. They are beautiful …

Did I mention I started my day at 4 am… at 9 Pm… I am finally done. Oh not yet... I want to Instagram the pictures of the day. 

Time to crash….

it's a new day ....quiet   ....4 AM and I am up writing this starting another day …
I need a nap….

You can help fund Jessie's Bags!

We are so excited!

 We are working on a new website with the help of a University of Delaware honors student.

 As a part of this process we created a fund me page so those who want to support what we are doing with Jessie’s Bags can help...
 https://www.gofundme.com/jessiesbagsllc

Most of the bags we make are not sold but given away. We donate bags to breast cancer survivors along with a note of encouragement. When we go on the road to get volunteers visiting nursing homes and assisted living locations we give bags to first time volunteers. We are looking for ways to fund what we are doing.

 We are out growing our current storage space and work area. We would like to create a larger work studio where volunteers can come and sew & work on bags with us. This is where we will store all of the fabric we receive and have it accessible to the sewers.

 we started a fund me page!    

https://www.gofundme.com/jessiesbagsllc

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We want to thank you for your support in advance!

Movie star Jessie

 Jessie's Bags got to tell our story on camera. . Jessie and I were able to visit the POLYTECH HIGH SCHOOL Broadcast Media Department.

When we stopped on our way home to see Jessie's sister ... Jessie excitedly told her we got to play movie stars today!!!!!

This day was full of excitement. WE had the opportunity to come in and tell Jessie's story about the breast cancer and how we started making our bags. We also told about our mobile  community service program, where we bring our community service program to you.

  This was a professional studio i felt like we could have been at the studio for Action News or Good  Morning America.  I would have loved to go to this high school and being in this program.  These were serious students setting up cameras preparing to  create a quality video I was so caught up in the moment I didn't  even think about pulling out my camera, we will visit again and hopefully they will allow me to take a few shots.  I was excited to see what was going on behind the cameras & Jessie felt like a movie star... over all a good day Thanks to Jason Gleockler and  Media Broadcasting students of POLYTECH  High School.
THANK YOU ALL!

Jessie’s Bags is a Mobil Community Service program !

Jessie’s Bags is  currently visiting  locations in Delaware & Pennsylvania getting volunteers to help us make bags for breast cancer survivors.
(we are willing to travel to other areas)

Our unique program is taken to senior centers, assisted living locations, Alzheimer’s facilities, nursing & rehab homes and active 55+ communities.  We have visited University of Delaware, Middle Schools & Home Schools. We even do corporate Events.
  Jessie's bags is on the road!

At one of our events we were invited to speak before the Delaware Council of Activity Professionals. 

This gave us the opportunity to explain how we got started and talk about our program to the people who schedule the programs. 

 We come to a location; we bring fabrics and some supplies. The volunteers are able to be creative and productive. They are designing the fabric scraps into tote bags. They enjoy talking to Jessie and we are working while we talk. It’s really Jessie’s sewing circle. You don’t have to sew to be a part of the process. Some volunteers  just pull paper off of the fabric samples. At one of our 1 hour sessions (@ an Alzheimer’s location) the group as a whole processed 400 pieces of fabric and they loved the sense of accomplishment. They loved the beautiful fabric colors and textures...

Jessie will be 87 this month and has no plans to slow down…. We are looking for volunteers to join us …

If you would like to help spend as little as 1 hour with us you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time. You can join us once a week or once a month.

Most of our road trips to facilities are scheduled Mondays thru Thursday and occasionally on a Saturday.

Contact us    302-345-6709

Follow us on Facebook   Jessie’s Bags      

#jessiesbagsontheroad   to see the photos

I'm proud to be one of Jessie's Bags

Jessie’s Bags…

I would like to introduce myself to you…..

I am a Tote bag,

 I am Hand made by Jessie an 86 year old 3 time breast cancer survivor and her daughter.

I started my life as fabric in a high end designers shop. I might have lived in Bethany beach DE or on the Main line Philadelphia PA or maybe it was West Chester PA or Glenn Mills maybe it was Wilmington DE.  My fellow pieces of fabric and I have grown old we are out of date or season. The designers have moved on to newer fabrics and colors we have become trash to the designers they don’t want us anymore..

Oh wow…   Someone wants us.  Jessie and her daughter they traveled for 2 hours to pick us up, and rescue us. Yea!

Someone wants us we are not going in the dumpster. We are being recycled or is it up cycled!!!!  A whole new life for us! What will I be where will I go?

Jessie’s daughter is putting us together. Oh wow I would never have put this color or design with that one but I like it….

Where are we going next? Is that a nursing home, senior center retirement community am I in Reading PA? What will happen next? I haven’t been sewn yet. Who are all these people? Some in wheel chairs, these people have walkers, does he have Alzheimer’s disease what will they do to me.

Hay! These people like me. Look at how they are feeling the textures; woe they love all of the colors they are putting us together. Is that the shape of a bag... Jessie’s daughter is saying just pick out two pieces that you like. They like us , they are smiling they are enjoying touching us…

 what is happening over there those are just scraps cut off little pieces too small you can’t sew that… What’s happening? Did that small piece of scrap material just become a bow… this is so exciting I can’t believe what’s happening we are being transformed into new stuff …where am I headed next?

   Oh, I recognize this it a sewing machine. We are being permanently attached. In a patch work style…I like it.

Jessie' sewing !

It’s Jessie again what is she doing closing up my sides, turning down the top, I’m getting handles.  I’m a bag, a tote Bag.

This is a strange new world…

It’s not over where to next. I’m being gift wrapped… she is putting a card on me. 

What does it say…?

                                                                    

a chair or a Bag...

  

           

“A joyful heart is good medicine” we hope this bag helps you be joyful. Wow a quote from the bible... I’m designed to make someone happy I thought I was just trash. Where are they taking me? Look at all the pink ribbons this is a breast cancer event… oh this looks like a nice lady …I’m being given to her as a gift… she is reading the note I think there are tears in her eyes. Oh wow someone loves me & cherishes this gift…this new me a bag.

This is a strange new world… I thought I would live in some High end home on a couch or chair I am a Designer Fabric....

 I never expected to be used in this way…now as a bag I go places every day. My new owner carries all kinds of goodies’ in me. She takes me everywhere, are we going on a trip, Maybe it’s to her chemo appointment again. I hope they will be done soon so we can get on with life…wonder where we will travel… Oh boy. Just think I could have ended up on a chair or a couch how boring…. I love my life… meeting all those people being… loved… hand made with love…

I’m one of “Jessie’s Bags”!

Bags...Bags...Bags

Tags ready for bags

ready to sew

Bags ready for survivors

3000 miles

Jessie's Bags ....Mobile community service…

We bring Jessie’s Bags to your location so your group can join our community service project.

 volunteers help us make bags for breast cancer survivors…

 

We come to your location for volunteers to work on our bags…. contact us to find out how and to schedule a date….

 Who knew we would have gone so many miles last year...  




Just a few of the places we have been along the way.................
Philadelphia PA,
Wilmington DE, Bethany Beach DE,,Media PA,
 Lansdale PA,Paoli PA, Downingtown PA, Rock Hall MD,
 Lewes DE, Chester PA, Reading PA, Dover DE,
 Ocean City MD, Belefonte DE, Willistown PA,
 West Chester PA, Booths Corner PA, Green Hills PA



 To schedule a date for us to visit your location contact
 Jessie's Bags-
(302-345-6709)