About Us
The Short Story
Hello there and welcome to Sew Mako! We are a small, privately owned little online shop dedicated to creating fun, hand-made, one-of-a-kind products inspired to bring folks together and help promote awareness to various causes through our passion and creativity. We work from home in a pet-friendly environment where every product is limited and custom made with love and attention to detail, in hopes of bringing a smile to your face!
The Long Story
The idea of ‘Sew Mako’ literally took years in the making, but leave it to the year 2020 for it to come into fruition. From crafts to photography to jewelry making to soap making, you name it, we’ve tried it! But what made an afternoon hobby truly worth while began several years ago when a non-profit organization near and dear to our hearts, held an auction for animals in need and requested assistance. Using those skills and putting them out there to help raise funds for those in need was, and will forever be, an amazing life-changing feeling!
Fast forward to the beginning of 2020 when Australia was on fire and there was a strong need and call-to-action, to help save their diverse wildlife. Dusting off that 20 year old sewing machine was an intimidating yet necessary and incredible learning experience that allowed us to join the 100,00 + amazing group of sewers and non-sewers worldwide who wanted to help and learn to sew for a cause! By sharing patterns and sewing techniques, a unique bond was formed that brought folks together and helped keep those animals safe and warm during their time in need. Worldwide, thousands of pouches were made and delivered to Australia, and how incredible it was to be a part of that and even see some of our pouches make their debut on ‘Fox and Friends’ with Busch Gardens special animal friends from Australia! Yet another, amazing feeling to see that ‘learned skill’ be used for an amazing cause!
Fast forward one more time to March 11th, the day the virus was declared a worldwide pandemic, and instead of purchasing flannel in bulk, cotton was in high demand. Putting new sewing skills to use, the demand for masks was an immediate necessity and off we went. It quickly began with making masks for family and neighbors, utilizing patterns and materials on hand at a time when supplies were limiting. But, the need and desire to help continued, and thus began a small, private Facebook page called ‘Forever Mako Masks & More.’ This page launched on May 4, 2020 and began with a small group of friends and family with the purpose of promoting safety and allowing those to reach out to request a mask if desired, while also providing patterns and tutorials and information about the importance of wearing a mask. What an amazing surprise it was to see so many friends and family excited to choose their own fabric and wear them proudly, and although a private page, the word got around and they reached out!
Through time the page grew, and we are proud to report that over 1,000 masks have been made and distributed to friends, family, loved ones and strangers across 20+ states across the US, including Hawaii and PR, all thanks to the amazing outpour of folks wanting to be safe and donating to help this mission continue! We couldn’t have done this without the support of our friends from Forever Mako Masks, and our family who have helped and guided us through this challenging time to keep us moving forward!
As time moves on, along with the virus, Sew Mako will continue to grow and learn, adding new products and custom items regularly for those to use and enjoy, as we have many up our sleeve! And because giving back is what fueled our mission, each month a special organization will be designated to receive a portion of our profits to be put to good use!
Thank you for taking the time to read up on Sew Mako and our back story, both long and short, and we look forward to bringing a smile to your face with our unique, fun creations!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!