A group of seven women in Saint John are stitched together through a new social enterprise while they work to break out of the cycle of violence, criminalization and homelessness.
The women call themselves Anchored Mouse, and they work every week to sew weighted blankets and stuffed animals to sell at craft markets.
For member Susie Day, sewing is therapeutic.
“[I] was an addict, been clean for almost four years now, and I’m on the right path. It’s just the trauma. This helps me zone out and forget. So calming, so peaceful,” said Day.
“You don’t think about all the stuff that’s going on in your life. You’re just focused on creating this beautiful masterpiece and … when you’re done it’s like, ‘I made that with my own hands.'”
The program is run by the Elizabeth Fry Society of New Brunswick, an organization that supports women and gender-diverse people who have been involved in the justice system.
Shelley Thiessen was first introduced to Elizabeth Fry through her mother, who worked for the organization in Winnipeg.
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I can survive. I can change the course of my life for the better, with love and help and guidance.- Shelley Thiessen
Thiessen struggled with addiction since she was a teenager and ultimately ended up with a criminal record.
When she moved to Saint John, she said she was unable to secure employment because of that record.
Thiessen said Elizabeth Fry worked with her for a year and a half to file her record suspension papers. A person with a criminal record can apply for a suspension, formerly called a pardon, after they have completed the waiting period based on the type of conviction, according to Judy Murphy of the Elizabeth Fry Society.
Thiessen is still waiting on her approval from the parole board.
As an Indigenous woman, Thiessen said she’s been crafting within her own culture her whole life. But sewing was something new.
The society sent her to a program to learn how to do it, and now Thiessen said she has something to fall back on if needed. She believes that she’ll be doing this for the rest of her life.
“I come in everyday Monday to Friday and I enjoy the sewing, I enjoy the idea that someone’s going to have one of these little creatures in their home or at their daycare or at their office, and someone’s going to get joy from it,” she said.
“And my hands were there first, and so many hands will touch what we’ve done.”
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All of the blankets and stuffed animals are weighted, which Thiessen said adds an extra therapeutic touch.
Weighted blankets and toys have heavy beads sewn into them to mimic pressure therapy or the feeling of being held. They are often used by people who experience anxiety or sensory overload.
Thiessen said just as the women in Anchored Mouse zone out while making the creations, the people who receive them can experience the calming, grounded effect from the weight.
Day, who has a graphic design background, said all of the animals will also be accompanied by a personalized birth certificate.
The group will be attending three upcoming craft markets where their work will be for sale. Any money raised will go toward the purchase of materials, such as fabric and sewing machines. Murphy said the women are working as volunteers for now but the hope is they will eventually be paid from the profits.
For a few years, Day said she found herself wondering where her life was going but now she said she’s part of what is hopefully going to be a successful business.
Thiessen said being part of Anchored Mouse has been a reminder that she has something to contribute.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I can survive. I can change the course of my life for the better, with love and help and guidance. And if I reach out, people will reach out,” Thiessen said.
“Anchored Mouse is really important to me because it’s given me the opportunity to shine in a different way.”
With files from Information Morning Saint John
This story was originally published in CBC News on Nov. 12, 2023.
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