Needles click and fabric slides across cutting tables at the Open Book, where a new sewing club brings students and community members together to learn and create. The startup offers a shared workspace for people of all skill levels to practice sewing and collaborate.
Oscar Hanson, the UNK student who founded the club, said he started the club for personal reasons rooted in his own experience with clothing and confidence.
“Just knowing how to sew has already helped me find clothes that fit and feel more confident in what I wear,” Hanson said. “So I was like, ‘I wonder if I could do that for other people?’”
The sewing club operates as a UNK organization while remaining open to the public. Growing up tall and lean, Hanson said he struggled to find clothes that fit properly. In high school, he participated in band and often needed formalwear, but options in his size were limited. Eventually, he decided to begin altering his own clothing.
“I looked up a YouTube video on how to tailor a blazer jacket,” Hanson said. “The first one looked terrible. Then I just kept doing it. The second one wasn’t as ruined, and eventually they started getting a little bit better.”
Shayne Donovan, a longtime friend of Hanson’s, said he has supported him throughout the process of starting the club. Hanson taught Donovan how to sew, which later helped him specialize in working with leather.
“He taught me a lot about fabrics and good quality materials,” Donovan said. “I realized I didn’t have any good leather gloves, so I decided to make my own.”
Both Donovan and Hanson have been sewing since their junior year of high school, a shared interest that strengthened their friendship and inspired them to create a space for others to explore the craft.
Suzanne Exstrom, the club’s faculty adviser, said Hanson’s enthusiasm and leadership were clear from the beginning.
“He definitely seems very passionate about it,” Exstrom said. “And about getting other people involved and sharing that passion.”
Hanson said he wants the sewing club to be a welcoming environment for beginners and experienced sewists alike.
“I want to teach people that you can do this,” Hanson said. “You don’t need to go to a tailor or buy something new. You can mend your own clothes or make your own clothes.”
Hanson said he hopes the club continues to grow as more people discover sewing as both a practical skill and a creative outlet. By hosting meetings off campus and keeping the space open to the public, he wants to remove barriers that might prevent people from trying something new.
For Hanson, the goal is not perfection but empowerment by giving people the tools to fix, create and take ownership of what they wear, one stitch at a time.
The club meets from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays at the Open Book, welcoming anyone interested in learning or practicing sewing. The Open Book is a vintage bookstore across the street from UNK campus at 942 W 24th St.
