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About Us
Diane Lewis
The Power Behind Sewsation™
Interdisciplinary innovation Major Bradley University
Over 20 yrs Administrative Assistant & sewing experience.
Sewsation™ began as a grassroots movement at Bradley University, founded by Diane Lewis, an Honors student passionate about sustainability and social impact.
Our Team
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Mentors
Mary Conway Dato-on,
PhD
Executive & Academic Director
Bradley University
Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Global Director, Empowering Women Globally
Carmen Keist,
PhD
Associate Professor
Bradley University
Apparel Production and Merchandising Program Director
FCS Education Program Director
Family and Consumer Sciences Department
Amy Lambert, MSc
Assistant Director
Bradley University
Illinois Small Business Development Center
Foster College of Business
Turner Center for Entrepreneurship
Jane Talkington,
PhD
Coordinator for Entrepreneurship Programs
Pittsburg State University
Kelce College of Business
My Story
Seeing the wastefulness of discarded clothing, Diane Lewis launched sewing workshops to encourage repair and donation. What started small quickly grew into a vibrant network reaching local schools, nonprofits, and faith-based groups. Today, Sewsation™ stands as a model for blending creativity, education, and community action to build a circular fashion culture, one stitch at a time.
About
Sewsation™ 501c3 is a nonprofit organization that establishes student-led chapters on college campuses transforming how campuses think about clothing through repair, reuse, and restoration. Founded at Bradley University, our model teaches practical sewing skills while addressing the environmental impact of textile waste. By blending hands-on learning with service, we foster a culture of circular fashion that benefits both people and planet.
Why It Matters
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Addresses growing textile waste challenges on campus.​
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Builds practical, creative skills students can use for life.​
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Aligns with sustainability, service, and student engagement goals.
Our Mission
Discover the real-world difference Sewsation™ is making across campuses and communities. From garments saved and students empowered to events hosted and chapters formed, our impact shows how small actions add up to big change. Explore our latest stats and stories to see how we’re stitching together a more sustainable future, one repair at a time.
Why Clothing Repair Matters
Repairing clothing is more than fixing fabric; it’s a powerful way to fight the global fast fashion waste crisis. Over 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills each year, wasting resources and driving pollution. Extending the life of clothing by just nine months can cut its carbon, water, and waste footprint by 20–30%.
Sewsation™ empowers students to take part in this change, turning discarded clothes into lasting wardrobes and helping protect our planet for future generations.
Key Benefits:
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Reduce your campus’s carbon and waste footprint.
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Support student learning in sustainability, creativity, and resourcefulness.
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Make an immediate, visible impact with low-cost, high-value programming.
Our Impact
Sewsation™ chapters are proving that small actions lead to big change. We’ve diverted thousands of garments from landfills, hosted campus events, and empowered students to become sustainability leaders. The program enriches student life, builds community connections, and supports institutional sustainability goals.
