...and Brownies. The challenge was to help nearly 30 girls aged 5- 10 to gain their sewing badge. Only 5 of them said they had done sewing before.
Then I didn't want to be constantly rethreading needles with different colours, so I used a ball of bright multicolour dyed yarn which I've had years!
I cut out matching circles of red felt then used nappy liners to make teabags lavender bags with my sewing machine. Pinking shears gave a opretty edeg and prevented fraying.
Their task was to do simple stitches on the white fabric - either at random, or running stitches, cross stitches, or some sort of pattern, entirely their choice!
The teenage helpers working with them were absolutely brilliant
They all had name tags which were tied on to their white circles. I brought them home and tacked them together with the red felt, popping a lavender bag inside, and attaching a ribbon for hanging.
The girls then used regular metal needles to sew round the edge and finish off the lavender sachets.
They will be able to hang them on their Christmas tree, or give them to Mum or Gran for a gift. They were quite amused when I said that when I was a little girl, everybody's gran kept a lavender sachet in her knicker drawer!
Next week they have a Special Event - so I am not back until 21st - when I have a one-off session and need to come up with a quick and easy idea.
I think they have tried really hard with this, especially ones who have never wielded a needle before. "Miss, the thread has come out of my stick" "I can sew with proper fabric, but not with this stuff" "The way the stitches are all different colours. it's like magic!"
These sessions are rewarding,but utterly exhausting. I really admire the leaders and teenagers who give up every Monday night to work with them in the Village Hall.
Cub Scouts didn't have a sewing badge back in the 70's and 80's - I wonder if they do now?
ReplyDeleteBrownies appear to have badges for everything these days. On Saturday many of them had been on an outing to a local Theme Park (organised by Norfolk Guiding) so they got a badge. Another child got a badge for joining, and one for her birthday... In fact you could probably pick up four or five badges in a month just by being there. I'm sure in the 'old days' you had to earn your badges with a bit 8f effort.
DeleteSuch a simple idea, and yet how effective. I helped with sewing once at my local infant school... never again! Well done everyone!
ReplyDeleteIt is exhausting
DeleteWhat a lot of work for you! That's very generous of you to contribute your time and resources so willingly. How often are you to be involved? I thought they had to work a bit harder for badges too! Kx
ReplyDeleteI am just doing 3 sewing sessions, then one Christmas Drafts session in December. And all the resources are from the Great Stash, so I am happy to use them up
DeleteI still have (and use) the felt needle case I made in the Girls Brigade aged 11. I'm now 68. Back then we started sewing in Primary School, then called Infants, aged about 6-7.
ReplyDeleteOh what a lovely thing to still have! I think we did a lot more sewing in Infant school back in the 1960s. I suppose we didn't have to spend time learning how to use computers, and there was less history too!
DeleteWhat lovely little take home souvenirs of their sewing efforts. You do come up with some great ideas!
ReplyDeleteThe internet is a great place to get, and to share, good ideas.
DeleteHow wonderful that you have just the right thing in your crafts supplies for all these projects! I'm sorting through some of my crafts supplies and wondering if I should put together a mixed bag of bits and pieces (ribbons, lace, the odd fabric flower or two) to donate or just toss them all!
ReplyDeleteLots of charity shops round here sell prepacked bags of mixed craft supplies - they are very popular. It seems a better place than straight into landfill - someone else might be able to make use of them
DeleteI too like Random Thoughts made a needle case in some group which was either Brownies or attached to church, it is felt on the outside and has flannel inserts like pages of a book for the needles, and simple cross stitch as a border for the front and back. The stitching is very neat and even I must have had a good teacher. My Gran taught my sister and I to darn socks. She was very strict and we learnt how to darn efficiently but in my 74 years other than her teaching us I have never darned another sock! I bet you were exhausted, teaching something practical to young ones is tiring. I bet they really enjoyed the session. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI have been darning socks since I was 8 , and I still do!!
DeleteWhat a lovely activity. I have vivid memories of sewing in year 2. They made felt hand puppets. The class teachers always managed to be unavailable for these lessons!
ReplyDeleteOr they rearranged the timetable, so it was the day the Supply Teacher came in!!!
DeleteWhat about fabric pumpkins for the next session? Virtually no sewing, just cutting circles from fabric then drawing them together with a line of running stitch, leaving enough of a gap for stuffing or gathering at the top with twine or similar then shove a cinnamon stick in for effect. Mark the 'segments' with more twine or yarn.Great job on your sewing class.
ReplyDeleteNice idea. Thank you
DeleteI made some last year. Sew easy!
DeleteWhen I was a Brown Owl I'm sure we didn't have a sewing badge. Lots of others which the girls had to work quite hard for.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you were a great Brown Owl 🦉
DeleteWell done to you and the Brownies. I have just prepped 50 layered cards for my friend’s church group next month. Looking forward to seeing what the Brownies do next. Catriona
ReplyDeleteAs one of the Young Helpers said last night "I've just realised how many hours of preparation you have put in to this" - I said that the key to a good session is having it thoroughly prepared beforehand!
DeleteWhat a fantastic project to do wth the girls both fun the sheer fun they had and the skills acquired.
ReplyDelete