Tuesday, June 11, 2013

hats and scarves with the girl scouts

Oh goodness these pictures are old. I'm just cleaning up some old draft posts, so sorry you're poolside and I'm talking about fleece.
 
Back some time ago when the weather was cold and there was snow on the ground, I was asked by a local girl scout troop to come and teach a lesson about sewing.  I had met the troop leader several years ago when I taught sewing classes at a local shop.  The girls needed to earn the sewing badge and really any project could work, but the troop leader thought it would be neat if the girls could use a sewing machine.  I worked up a few ideas, but this was the chosen idea... fleece scarves and hats.
 


These are super simple and were a hit with the girls.  The girls were 3-4 grade and had little if any sewing experience.  They were great listeners and were so eager to make their items.  These orange and blue were my samples.  Their leader had purchased cute matching girly fleece. 


I gave a quick little chat about sewing and why I like it and how I use it myself, then we got down to business.  We only had 3 machines set up for the girls to work with and an adult who at least mostly knew what they were doing sat at each to assist. 


We had an area set up for cutting with directions on how to cut the pieces.  I ran from this area to a machine and back.  The girls worked on one project and then swapped areas and worked up the other piece.  Lou hid in a room off of where we were working and played on my phone.  Bee was my photographer.  I took them out for ice-cream afterward, I felt bad they had to hang out so long.


The scarf is easy, it's two pieces of fleece cut about 6 inches wide as long as you want the scarf.  They are pinned on top of each other and sewn down the middle.  You then cut in from the long edges almost to the sewn line every inch or so for the full length.  It then spins and twirls and sort of makes it look fluffy as it lays.


The hats are easy too.  The girls cut out a rectangle piece of fabric and wrapped it around their head to  measure and then sewed the fabric in to a tube.  We turned it right side out and flipped the bottom cuff/edge up and sewed it in place again.  Then they put the tube on their heads and tied the open top off.  They then trimmed and fringed the top.  Easy Peasy.
 

I had originally thought the girls would donate the items they made but no one wanted to part with their scarves and hats.   They decided they would come up with a different service project.  Who can blame them?

No comments: