Officially founded in 2023, Hoop & Bee has been a dream of founder Jessa Tower for as long as she can remember. As a lifelong learner who has sewn and quilted for over 30 years, her vision was to create a space where she could bring the beauty of quilting as an heirloom craft and form of artistic expression into our Western Mass community in an easy to learn way free of barriers to access. 

Her values, ethics, and focus on advocacy and sustainability are reflected in the small, diverse, scrappy group she’s brought together to form the core team of Hoop & Bee. Visitors in the studio might also meet Rachael, Steve, or Jota busy at work, and/or a standard poodle who is not nearly as affection starved as she will try to make you believe.

Working collaboratively in our beautiful Eastworks sewing studio we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of or newcomers to the quilting and fiber arts community. We’ve chosen to operate out of Eastworks for its accessible location, proximity to the PVTA bus routes, and their commitment to improving their ADA compliance.

Before creating Hoop & Bee, Jessa established herself as a respected quilting instructor at studios and maker-spaces across western and central Massachusetts, as well as being a Staff Instructor at the Hill Institute in Florence for youth and adult classes.

Jessa has also worked in Human Resource and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the creative and technology industry for the last decade. She is a credentialed Society of Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and a licensed National Diversity Council Certified Diversity Professional (NDCCDP) practitioner.

Hoop & Bee actively seeks out and collaborates with local organizations to promote greater inclusion in the quilting world. Our partnerships and collaborations include local spinners, weavers, screen printers, graphic designers, and other fiber artists. If you would like to collaborate or join our network, drop us a line!