Michelle Bishop had one small mission in mind before she started a craft organization in 2003: To help her mother learn how to crochet.

"She wasn't listening to me," laughs Bishop, who learned to sew as a little girl from an aunt in Barbados. "I realized in trying to teach my mother that there was no place out there for her to learn it."

So Bishop, 39, took the initiative and organized a crochet class on her own. In the process, she discovered more than a great need for such resources in Harlem, N.Y. Needle arts, she learned, calm the body, boost self-esteem, increase focus and concentration levels and help children become better students.

Bishop's love for crafts grew into a mission, the Harlem Needle Arts (HNA), an institute designed to promote quilting, knitting, spinning and beading while improving the quality of life for area residents. HNA is also contributing to a resurgence of needle arts, and preserving an artform traditionally used in the African culture. Bishop and HNA students participate in local exhibits and go on nearby excursions, such as the upcoming New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, to build on what they learn in workshops.

While Harlem has become the latest "in" spot for investors to rebuild and renovate, Bishop says the community needs more than trendy spas and restaurants.

"We have the highest asthma rate in the country. Harlem also has some of the lowest performing school districts in Manhattan," says Bishop, a curator of quilt exhibits who by day is a business technology manager. "When I talk about quality of life, I want to be able to infuse a better way of dealing with health, a better way of living because of the arts."

HNA students range from mostly working women to younger aged girls. Many trek from neighborhoods outside Harlem just to attend classes.

Indy West, 42, makes a 40-minute drive from Plainfield, N.J. to take crocheting classes. The social aspect appeals to her, and it gives her a respite from graduate school, she says. In the span of two years, she's made two baby blankets, several hats and a number of pocketbooks.

"It's a very relaxed atmosphere," says the medical administrative assistant. "It's an opportunity for you to put your own spin on something."

Well connected with the city's arts scene, Bishop partnered with the Museum of the City of New York for a place to hold HNA workshops. Some of the beginner classes are free to help include all community members. However, a beading workshop might cost $35. Four-week courses are higher, since HNA and outside vendors supply all of the materials. Bishop hopes that once HNA becomes a non-profit organzation -- she's 90 percent through the paperwork -- students will pay a yearly membership fee and take as many classes as they like.

"It's so important for young people to have these skills," says Bishop, whose daughter decided on a career in architecture after taking needle art classes. "These classes help them to foster different things. I want HNA to create a foundation for something that carries on throughout their lives."

For more information about Harlem Needle Arts, call 212-491-8581 or email harlemneedlearts@verizon.com.

About the Author
Stacy Gilliam is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. If you have an idea for a Good News story, send it to her at sgilliam@hotmail.com.