Winter Session Week five

Sewing Wise Owls and Picasso Portraits

Thinking up new ways to integrate sewing into our class is always a challenge. We come across so many great ideas, but it needs to be simple enough for younger kids and easy enough to finish in one class. Since, we both have a soft spot for owls we thought now is the time. We have many different projects for owls, but this one just seemed to fit in easy and simple enough to fit into a craft session and super cute (always a good attribute to have). So, here's how we plopped these cute hooters together. We talked to the kids about patterned fabric and solid colored fabric, seams, and why you put the right sides of fabric together when you sew it. No matter how many times you tell them why, it isn't until they actually do it that it makes sense to them. It is one of those you have to see it to believe it. It is sort of magical. Okay back to the process, so each child picked out a patterned piece of fabric and a solid color fabric. They then received a pattern piece to lay on top and either pin to the fabric or trace around the pattern piece, and the cut out the fabric. Once they cut their two pieces of fabric out they then came to the sewing station. At the sewing station they got to control the presser foot of the sewing machine (it is the pedal that makes the machine go, like a gas pedal). While they got the machine to go I helped guide their fabric to sew up the owl. We then had them turn the owl inside out, and then stuff it with some fiberfil, and some split peas to give it some weight. I then finished it off by sewing up the hole. They also got to pick out eyes with buttons, and a felt piece to go behind the button. We hot glued the eyes on for them so they didn't burn their little fingers. I love how they turned out, and the kids seemed to really like them.

On to self portraits inspired by Pablo Picasso. I don't know why, but lately I've been loving Mr. Picasso. I mean besides his beautiful paintings, I guess we have been re-inspired by him again. Looking at his life and how he got to where he did, and all of the things he tried is quite amazing. I'm a sucker for the Cubist movement, but I think that's the modernist in me. Plus, he has a way with color and emphasis which I think is an important factor learning about art, and making your lines matter. So this project dealt with seeing two sides of a face, the front side and the profile, and merging those together. An interesting idea and based off of the painting by Pablo Picasso called, "Girl Before a Mirror". We talked about silhouette and what that is, and took them through the process step by step. It was a bit difficult for some kids to understand, but in the end they all put together some great portraits. Even though they look a bit odd they are abstracted, and exaggerated portraits that make them so endearing and quirky. I think many of the kids found them silly, funny, and outrageous, and other really got into them.