Sewing the threads of self-sufficiency

Mary Wilke has had her hands on sewing machines for as long as she can remember.

In 2003, Wilke purchased Wausau-based sewing machine repair and quilting shop Sew Smart — at the time known as A & J Sewing Center — from her mentors, Art and Jan Goudin. This will be her 22nd year running the shop.

“One of my favorite things to do personally is to take sewing machines apart and fix them,” said Wilke. “I started to learn how to repair them when I bought A & J.”

Growing up, Wilke spent her childhood helping her father restore vintage Chevrolets in his garage. When she began working alongside the Goudins, her long days toiling away in the garage served as a foundation for understanding sewing machines’ mechanics. Over time, Wilke grew well-versed in repairing sewing machines of all makes and ages.

This has lent itself to a fondness for vintage sewing machines, which Wilke collects. At present, Wilke’s collection houses over 400 sewing machines, some of them dating back to the 19th century. 

She loves to share this knowledge, too. Of the classes offered at Sew Smart, which range in content from creative to technical, classes like “Jammin with my Janome” and “Pfantastic Pfaff Fun” invite owners of specific sewing machine brands to bring their machine, a project and any questions they might have.

These classes are offered as part of Sew Smart’s Learning Center, which opened last fall. Classes can seat 20–30 students, may be offered online and may be taught by artists from across the community.

“Lately it’s been more on the craft side — making purses,” said Wilke of the classes. “We do from beginner to advanced sewing, machine embroideries… One of the local artists will do a guided painting class.” 

Overall, the goal is to provide sewists with a rounded education, putting the power to create and to care for their equipment into their own hands.

The shop also offers sewing supplies, including needles, fabric and sewing machine accessories, and sewing machines for any skill level, from amateur to professional. Machine purchases include Sew Smart support, meaning they can be taken in for regular maintenance and repair.