Your web browser might not work well with our site. We recommend you upgrade your browser.
/classroom/7095875 Customize URL
My students in East Harlem asked ME to start this class, after they did a project in my 6th grade ELA class where I made them mimic a book鈥檚 embattled protagonist who finally found a home in the world through her skill of embroidery. As they learned to make a traditional "sampler" of embroidery stitches, we discussed the unfairness of calling traditional feminine textile arts 鈥渃rafts鈥 instead of 鈥渁rt鈥, and reflected about what women's lives must have been like when such stitching was mandatory, and/or one of only a few outlets for creativity a woman might have. Many students went home and connected with mothers and grandmothers over their embroidery hoop and thread. To our delight, many students, sometimes my most quiet, began to bring from home some of their family's work to show off: richly embroidered sari's, stitched floral blouses from Mexico, and sashiko embroidered haori from Japan. When they learned that I made many of my own clothes, they were excited, and asked, Will you teach us to sew? Learning to stitch, students reflected about how calm they鈥檇 felt working with deliberateness and slowness, and how proud they were of themselves for having carried their project to completion, despite setbacks, with patience and diligence...they even said they鈥檇 been happy to watch their hands instead of their screens for some portion of every day! Now, I鈥檇 like to give them more opportunities to experience that calm, and to astonish themselves and feel proud. I plan to teach students in my sewing elective basic sewing, starting with making reusable bags and pouches, and working up to basic garment sewing. We will do hand embroidery and machine sewing with the school's three ancient sewing machines. If we get really good, we'll expand to knitting, and crocheting, or even pattern drafting.
Read more