Sewing Sewing Sewing - Kids Love Sewing!

What a crazy semester it has been! I wanted my elementary school kids to learn about Faith Ringgold. I just love her and her story. Through challenges and being told she can't be an artist to major success - and all along she believed in herself. Makes a great motivator for the kiddos and they love her painting style and children's books too!

So, that being said, I wanted to teach them about her and do a project based on her work. Yes, I could have had them make a drawing and surround it with paper squares for a quilted look and I know that would have been a great project. Instead, I thought, why not teach them how to hand sew? That won't be too hard. Was I wrong about that one! BIG challenge, but totally WORTH IT!



We spent several months on this project - from making gingerbread people in December to get the hang of it - to finishing up our pillows and quilts in April - but the kids absolutely loved it!!

First we learned whipstitch:

Then we dove into a lesson on Faith Ringgold. I read "Tar Beach" to the class and then they made their own drawings of themselves flying over something they wanted to own, just like the protagonist of the story. They transferred their drawings onto muslin then colored them with fabric markers.

After that, the sewing fun began. The students had to hand sew 16 squares into two rows of 5 squares and two rows of 3 squares. Then they sewed these to the muslin square. Once this part was finished, one of the moms and I sewed on the felt backings. The students then stuffed them into either a pillow or a quilt, and sewed up the opening.

They came out really beautifully and the students and parents are so happy to have these project to keep as a reminder of their art adventures this year!