Ninety-seven-year-old Trudy has always been passionate about creating something from nothing. Trudy grew up in a family with 12 sisters and took on the role as family seamstress at a young age, spending countless hours sewing clothing for her and her sisters. As she got older, Trudy’s skills expanded. She even made her own wedding dress by hand, something she is extremely proud of.

Trudy’s Wish of a Lifetime was to renew her passion for sewing, and on March 19th, 2019, Trudy got her chance to create again. With the help of another experienced seamstress, Trudy sewed and completed a skirt for a stuffed teddy bear. She was very excited about the mint-condition Singer sewing machine they used, and she even kissed the machine and said, “Aren’t you a beautiful machine!”

We were lucky enough to witness Trudy’s pure joy for life and her skill and passion for sewing. It took a little bit of encouraging from the seamstress, but once Trudy got on the sewing machine, she was a natural. Before she could even be told, she was sewing the straightest line you could imagine down the hem, and finished it off with a perfect back stitch. As they were finishing up the skirt, Trudy said to us, “Spending time with you girls makes me feel like a million bucks.” Trudy truly enjoyed her time spent reliving her greatest passion, and she now has a fluffy friend to remind her that you’re never too old to do the things you love.