Experimentation through Fabrication

There are many art mediums through which children can learn to express themselves.  An often overlooked one is sewing.  Learning to control thread and fabric, and how to creatively use these to express themselves, can be a rewarding experience for artists of all ages.

While sewing can result in creating something beautiful and/or useful, it can also be an enjoyable pursuit for children to develop important skills.  Small finger muscles are used as this artist draws with a pencil, snips with scissors, and stitches with a needle. Her hand-eye coordination skills are honed as she engages in these activities.  

Freely experimenting and observing her progress as she works, the artist learns cause and effect.  This results in her ability to set goals for herself, make important choices and work hard to achieve those.  Making mistakes is natural.  Learning from them requires an opportunity to do so through hands-on experience.

As the artist develops her sewing skills, she can also come up with projects to create in the future.  Her knowledge of patterns, counting and symmetry will apply not only in the art studio, but also in the classroom and other real world experiences.

There are no right or wrong ways to sew.  Experimenting and exploring what works is how an artist makes connections.  Providing young artists and seamstresses with a safe environment and the tools for exploration will lead to their increased ability to try new things, master techniques, and become proficient at creating.  The most important thing is that enjoy the experience!

Planning, Patience, Process and Progress

Sewing is, in a way, much like engineering.  The seamstress is building something.  She must plan ahead, visualize the finished project, problem-solve and understand how each and every step creates the foundation for the next.

Fine motor skills involved in sewing are necessary, but the mental exercises that the artist experiences also serve a very important purpose.  A great deal of planning and forethought bring about the finished product, and as patience and persistence result in a rewarding process and enjoyable progress.

The artist shown here constructs her creation by drawing an idea, cutting out the pattern, tracing it onto fabric, and designing exterior elements.  She is inspired by an image in a book, but modified it according to her personal preference.

Moving on, she sews the pieces together so that they are secure.  Sometimes encountering a knot in the thread or a faulty stitch, the artist must stop and solve the problem at hand.  Taking the time to remedy these issues results in a stronger end product, and stronger sense of ability during the process.

Sharing the progress with her peers, the artist receives feedback about the steps that she is taking.  Her patience is paying off and she reports feeling pleased with how the pieces are coming together.  Balancing her sense of achievement with others' suggestions, she can determine what she needs to work on next.

Returning the next day, the artist is determined to finish her work.  She remains focused, as she pins her fabrics together securely.  Becoming organized in this way took practice, and will allow the artist to work more efficiently the next time she begins a sewing project.  

Completing the construction process, the artist sews the body of her creation together.  She has come a long way since just learning to tie a knot and thread a needle.  Her patience has paid off and she has learned much from the process.  The foundation for learning has been established and each sewing experience will add another layer to that foundation. 

As the artist adds the final touches and fills her creation with stuffing, she sees the steps that she has taken come full circle.  Her planning, visualizing, and continuous problem-solving has resulted in a beautiful piece of art to have and to hold... and to show off!  Because fabrics and threads are very forgiving, sewing is a wonderful activity for artists of all ages.  Mistakes can be made, as patience develops and progress takes place.

Making and Mastering

Starting a sewn creation is a task in itself.  Since making something from scratch requires many steps, it is best to begin by brainstorming and drawing out various ideas.  This artist decides on an image and remembers that she first needs to focus on the overall shape.

Proceeding with the next step, the artist cuts out the body outline.  Keeping in mind that the two sides of the body will be attached and turned inside out, the artist keeps the pattern fairly large, so that it doesn't become too small to work with when it shrinks. 

After tracing the pattern onto fabric that she will use for one side of the body, the artist carefully uses the scissors to cut along this outline.  Utilizing fine motor skills is necessary for this step and teaches the artist that taking her time is also essential.

Continuing to focus, the artist draws and cuts out the details for her creation's face.  These features will be sewn on to one of the body's sides.  

Carefully, she again traces the detail cut outs onto fabric, so that she can cut them and pin them on.  All of these steps are important and require great attention, so that the pieces all fit together.

Now, the creation's characters starts to emerge, as the artist sews on the facial features.  Deciding exactly where they should go and keeping them pinned in place takes concentration and diligence.  This artist does a great job of checking and re-checking to make sure the fabric doesn't move.

Though she engages in conversation with her peers and enjoys the social aspect of this craft, the artist is still able to work on her project and take breaks as necessary.  It is important to be able to put her material down every now and then, so that she can get a fresh perspective and continue where she left off.

Recalling the basic techniques of threading a needle and tying a knot, the artist does this over and over again as she puts together her piece.  As she works, she is mastering these skills.

Persisting through struggles and solving problems as they come, the artist develops confidence and knowledge.  She has all the tools that she needs to break through any barriers and make her ideas work.

After completing the final touches on the face, the artist is able to put the body's pieces together.  As her creation takes shape, the artist feels a sense of accomplishment and pride.  

The stitches are strong and the stuffing is in place, as the artist's idea comes to life.  Getting to this point allows one to understand the importance of each step that was taken along the way.  This young artist came into the studio not knowing exactly what she wanted to create.  However, she left with the belief that she can both make and master, if she just puts her mind to it.