IN GOOD COMPANY: Gail Norris
Meet the people who make our work possible.
Meet Gail Norris
With 75 years of sewing experience under her belt, Gail Norris certainly knows her way around a sewing machine. But even after all those years, she still has a long list of new techniques she wants to learn, projects she wants to tackle, and ideas for putting her skills to work in the community.
Gail joined The Sewing Hui about two years ago after looking for a way to stay involved in community service through sewing. She had previously volunteered at Maui Humane Society, but when working with the larger dogs became difficult to manage safely, she wanted to find another way to contribute. Having already designed and sewn curtains for the cat post-operative cages and covers for the cat trees at the shelter, she knew sewing could be a natural fit.
The challenge was that Maui Humane Society needed more items than she could make on her own. When Lexi suggested she get in touch with The Sewing Hui, Gail did just that and found a wonderful new community of creative people.
Since joining, she has enjoyed contributing to a variety of outreach projects, including teddy bears, hula costumes, Christmas stockings, and walker bags. She also played an important role in organizing docents for the 2026 Fiber Arts Show, an experience she particularly enjoyed. Connecting with so many talented artists and enthusiastic visitors made it one of her favorite Hui experiences.
Gail's enthusiasm for fiber arts extends well beyond her volunteer work. She enjoys drafting patterns, sewing clothing and bags, quilting, and sashiko, and is currently exploring Korean quilting and freestyle fabric art. She also has an ever-growing list of techniques she wants to master, including free-motion quilting, advanced clothing construction, and more pattern drafting. And like many creative people, she has a collection of UFOs (unfinished objects) waiting for their turn!
There's certainly no shortage of things keeping Gail busy outside the Hui, either. She enjoys traveling, sustainable gardening, and spending time with her grandchildren. She continues to volunteer with Maui Humane Society and is involved with the County Elections Department. She's also preparing to take on a new challenge: training to become a one-on-one reading and literacy tutor through the Maui Library system.
What keeps Gail coming back to The Sewing Hui is the people, the shared creativity, and the satisfaction of working together. She appreciates being surrounded by members with so many different interests and talents, and enjoys the opportunity to learn from others. She also sees exciting possibilities ahead for the group, from hands-on activities for visitors at the fair and a sewing mobile bus to partnerships with schools, 4-H, traditional Hawaiian craft practitioners, and teachers.
For Gail, The Sewing Hui is not just a place to sew; it's a place to keep learning, share skills, and explore new ways to connect with the community.
And her advice to anyone thinking about joining? Keep it simple: “Just say 'yes' and come along to sew and work together.”
With that kind of enthusiasm and curiosity, there's always something new on the horizon and Gail is clearly ready to stitch her way into it.
