sew and tell

Last week was fabulous! I loved this group of girls so much! Their enthusiasm and creativity was fueled by my encouragement to innovate and improvise. I had an agenda at the beginning of the week... a curriculum that was planned for each day. Out the window it went, as I followed their thrill of discovery and their desire for independent making. I am now a firm believer that children should be taught techniques based on their current desire to make. So for instance, someone wanted a tutu for their Breyer Horse (hmmmm wonder whose daughter that was?) so out came the fold-over elastic and learning to switch to zigzag stitch for anything stretchy. Doll pajamas were in high demand and even though I wanted to teach pattern making... they had their own ideas. Trial and error are fabulous teachers! Field trips to Sew Green are now a tradition and total highlight of the week. Once sewing machine familiarity has been established (around mid-week), we go on a (recycled)fabric shopping trip. This time everyone had already made little zipper pouches to carry their spending money in.

 And on the last day we always have a gallery to share with parents all of the amazing items created throughout the week... Sew and Tell.

Here's to girl power! 

(more on these crazy grey purses turned "bat/cat hats" very soon!)