I have come to realize that sewing with boys is a whole lot of fun! I used to worry if I had the right fabrics or projects to dazzle the boys the way my other projects make the girls excited to get started. Now I know that with boys you have to brainstorm a little to get their creative juices flowing.
I always try to empower my students. Whether it be how accurately they sew or whether they cut all their loose threads, I always tell them that it’s up to them to create a terrific and satisfying project. I encourage my students to put down on paper the ideas in their head. “All you have to do is draw it and it can be made into a real project”, I say. For instance, I had a young boy with an idea to make a fidget spinner (the fad at the time). On a big piece of drawing paper we sketched out our idea and then cut it out, creating a pattern, and then pinned it onto some red fabric and cut it out. We sewed it together and filled it with stuffing and then we embellished it with black circles to make it more realistic. It looked terrific!
This summer I had twin boys that were very into reptiles and fish and other moving animals. They wanted to create these ideas using fabric and a sewing machine. We Googled the images to be sure I understood what they were thinking! We brainstormed a bit and came up with a plan. Using large drawing paper, the boys sketched out their ideas, including all the nuances of the real inspiration such as fins, claws spots, teeth and eyes. Then we chose the right fabrics and felt pieces and began cutting, sewing and stuffing. We finished things off with buttons and rhinestones for the eyes and teeth. They were very pleased with their finished projects. I guess I was worried for nothing!
What do you do with boys in a hot pink sewing studio?
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