Deborah Kendrick
Tammy Roussell doesn’t remember a time when her mom wasn’t sewing. She does know that needle, thread, and fabric were in her mother’s hands and heart while growing up in Japan, and later, while a young woman in Korea. And, when her mother met and married Roussell’s father and traveled from Korea to the United States, she naturally found work that took advantage of her ability to sew. Her first US job was with a children’s clothing manufacturer. Of course, when Roussell was growing up, it was a natural progression for her mother to begin teaching her daughter to sew as well. For Tammy, as it has always been for her mother, making beautiful things with her hands seems to be a part of her DNA. That inclination has evolved not only into a successful company, but to a passion that is enriching the lives of people of all abilities, stretching around the country and beyond, and, perhaps best of all, Roussell says it is a pursuit that gives her more satisfaction than any work she has ever done.
When the gradual loss of eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa eventually rendered her mom completely blind, sewing was her deepest concern. For 80 years, she had used her eyes to guide her stitches and the possibility of no longer being able to do that presented a profound loss.
Sewing Without Sight
Roussell knew there must be a way, an alternative way, to keep her mom in the world of sewing. As a retired IT professional, Roussell was accustomed to examining a problem and designing a solution, so she applied that talent now to the problem so close to home. Her creative solution was a tactile sewing system, which provided tactile, rather than visual, guidelines to maintain a consistent line when stitching together pieces of fabric. That solution took wings. Roussell’s mom, at 96, is still sewing every day and Roussell secured a patent and trademark for her tactile sewing system and now has a life centered on her work as founder and CEO of the company she named for the woman who inspired it, Mitsy Kit.
If her mom derived joy from the tactile sewing system, it made sense that other people who were blind would, too. Roussell began assembling kits and marketing them to people with visual impairments, as well as working with seniors in nursing homes and memory care facilities, parents of kids with autism and other cognitive difficulties, and people with limited dexterity. She joined two popular groups of blind and low vision crafters, one associated with the American Council of the Blind, the other with the National Federation of the Blind, and regularly teaches online classes for both groups. Today, Roussell frequently teaches classes online to blind and low vision crafters, and says that she considers them her extended family. She is constantly developing new ideas for these classes and to add to her catalog in general. Roussell's patented tactile sewing system provides a simple tactile guide, rather than a visual road map, to ensure sewer is staying the course on the fabric. Her no-sew products feature that tactile line for following by touch, as well as pre-punched holes for lacing, rather than stitching, pieces together.
Her first and most popular product is a simple pillow, designed to ensure success for any crafter. The kit includes two pieces of fabric, available in a seemingly endless array of colors and themes, fleece ribbons for lacing, the pillow form insert, and a plastic needle with a large eye to get the job done. Although her first customers were blind and low vision crafters, Roussell has taken her products and taught individuals and groups in a variety of settings. Children and adults with cognitive difficulties, vision loss, dexterity limitations, and more have completed products that began as Mitsy Kits and display them with pride.
Although the pillow continues to be the flagship product of Mitsy Kit, the catalog is constantly growing. The finished results are all charming. In a wide variety of colors and prints, Mitsy Kit offers kits to make pillows, tote bags, blankets, wall hangings, table runners, scarves, and more. Projects range from simple to more advanced, “no sew” lacing to more intricate stitching, from tiny mug rugs to full-sized quilted or patchwork blankets. Each kit is carefully assembled to include all necessary components, exactly what is needed to complete the project.
Every kit also includes instructions, available in print, online, as an emailed text file and, for many projects, as a YouTube tutorial in which Roussell herself verbally and visually demonstrates all steps.
Job for Blind People
Not only does Mitsy Kit make available craft kits that are trendy, visually appealing, and completely accessible to customers who are blind, but the company has provided gainful employment for some blind people as well. All Mitsy Kit products are assembled by employees of the LightHouse Works of Central Florida, and negotiations are under way to expand the business of packaging the kits to another manufacturing member of National Industries for the Blind.
It warrants pointing out, however, that while employees are paid for their work, Roussell is not. 100 percent of the profit from Mitsy Kit sales goes to charity.
How can she do that? Well, Roussell says that she feels blessed to have had a successful career as a systems manager in technology and, now that she is retired and has been fortunate enough to launch such a productive and successful venture, she is committed to giving 100 percent of her profit to charity. Roussell’s personal commitment to crafting for good has spread throughout her customer base. Many of her blind customers enjoy using Mitsy Kit products to make items specifically intended for donation. Recipients have included the Veterans Administration in Orlando, Soldiers and Angels, Project Linus, and other groups. Many blind customers who have become Roussell’s friends are given kits specifically to complete projects for one or more of these organizations. In these instances, Roussell donates the kit, sends it to one of her blind customers who turns it into a blanket or other finished gift, and ships it back to Mitsy Kit for distribution.
A new organization has formed, in fact, as an outgrowth of the friendships established in the blind community and the commitment to giving. That organization is called Blind Stitchers for Charity, and is comprised of blind women and men who are interested in using their skills in a variety of crafts to make needed items for people in need. While some are making Mitsy Kits provided by Roussell, others are using their skills in other crafts, including loom knitting, crochet, and traditional knitting with needles to make items. Homeless organizations, hospice groups, nursing homes, and others are target recipients for the work of Blind Stitchers for Charity.
Launching a brand-new company and patenting your own creativity is thrilling by any measure. To launch a company that is enabling others to develop skills, make handmade gifts to be proud of, and provide employment for people with disabilities adds multiple layers of joy and satisfaction to the success. Roussell says she always wanted to do work that had purpose, to make a difference in the world. She is definitely living that goal!
For more information about Mitsy Kit products and ordering, visit the Misty Kits website, email, or call 978-419-1824.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
