Artgirlsy has just completed the teaching of the "Design Program Jr." at the Children's Arts Institute in Van Nuys, CA...the enriching summer program at the Children's Community School. I taught the kids, ages 6-12, the basics of hand sewing, sewing on a machine, making fabric tubes, accessories, and simple garments. We did tee shirt reconstructions and redefined denim, making denim wrist cuffs, turning jeans into bell bottoms and decking them out with added flair using buttons, fabric scraps, gems and beads. I was so inspired that as an example of a possible fabric necklace, I cut up a pair of huge "phat farm" jeans, and using the letters from those, put the word "art" on this denim "bib", that I love and wear all the time! It has even inspired me to create a fabric accessory line which you should all look for soon. I'm going to be incorporating denim, hand sewn and knitted elements as well as other fun stuff.
Here you can see how I taught the kids how to cut a slit up the side of their jeans, open it up and insert a piece of fabric to create the triangle shape that is needed for a pair of bell bottomed style pants. Sadie did a little mix and matching with her fabric choices that I loved!
This Design Program and really the entire Children's Arts Institute was so amazing to be a part of. It truly is a small artist community that with teachers inspiring students and vice versa. Each summer I work there, I really develop new and interesting additions to my art teaching tool belt. Ever since I first taught "Upcycling" and started the teaching of jewelry and fashion in this very program, the utilization of recyclable materials shows up in almost everything I do and so many lessons that I teach through the school year. This summer I even fused together the Upcycling with the fashion, in fusing together plastic bags to make wallets and belts, using plastic bottles and duct tape to create jewelry and bags with the students. It has all been so cool! I love opening up people's eyes to different possibilities, using things they never thought to make art with and having fun while learning. We even had a "Project Runway"-esque challenge where the kids had to build outfits on dress forms (mannequins) out of things like newspaper, cardboard and wallpaper sample books. At the culminating fashion show, it was so amazing to hear the parents exclaim to their children "you're getting a sewing machine"! and ask me how/where they can continue their growth in sewing especially.
More pictures to come! I'll try to keep up with the blog better, really I will!!! ; )
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