** UPDATE – Both workshops are now full! To go on a waiting list and/or to be notified of future events, please email the office office@engadineuniting.church **
SEWING WORKSHOPS FOR BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE STUDENTS
Following on from the success of sewing workshops held in the last few school holidays, we will be again holding sewing workshops in the upcoming July school holidays, with a fun new project to complete!
WHO ARE WE: These workshops are being run by members of Engadine Uniting Church who find joy in sewing and are concerned about the amount of fabric waste. They wish to share their knowledge of sewing with others, to enable fabrics to be reused, repurposed and recycled.
PARTICIPANT AGE AND SKILL LEVEL: Primary and High School aged children, regardless of whether they are beginner or more experienced sewers.
DATES:
Thursday 10 July 10am -1pm (morning tea included)
Monday 14 July 10am -1pm (morning tea included)
Please note that both workshops will be working on the same project, and are open to students from primary or secondary school.
LOCATION: House next to Engadine Uniting Church at 2 Chipilly Ave, Engadine.
THE PROJECT: Participants will use the sashiko style to repair a hole in denim fabric. The fabric is then made into a pouch bag using a sewing machine.
Sashiko is an easy to learn, hand sewing technique used to repair holes, tears or worn patches in clothes in a creative and fun way.
All materials provided. Every instructor holds a current NSW Working With Children’s Check.
COST: There is a payment of $10 to cover the cost of morning tea and materials. Banking details are provided at the end of the registration form.
RSVP: Places are limited, and workshops are usually full, so early registration is recommended. To assist with planning, we request registration and payment by Monday 7 July at the latest.
To register, please click on the link for the relevant workshop date below:
** UPDATE – Both workshops are now full! To go on a waiting list and/or to be notified of future events, please email the office office@engadineuniting.church **
Due to part time staffing, registration will be confirmed by email on the Tuesday following your payment.
Ability to pay should not be a barrier for children to attend. If your family is experiencing financial hardship, please let us know when responding to the question on payment.
The protection of your personal information is something we take very seriously. The information in our Privacy Policy details how we comply with the Privacy Act (1988) in protecting information we might hold about you. You are welcome to email office@engadineuniting.church or call 0412 182 839 with any questions.
PROJECT – SASHIKO BAG
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How we reported our first event in July 2024, which was followed up by another 2 days in the Sept/Oct school holidays, and more sessions in the January and April school holidays:
During the winter school holidays something exciting went down at Engadine Uniting Church, bringing together the enthusiasm of youth and the experience of older folk.
On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 July creative young folk took part in our very first School Holiday Sewing Workshop. The workshop was part of the Clothing the Loop1 series of events designed to reuse or repurpose surplus fabrics, saving them from landfill.
Each day was a 3-hour workshop with a different group of teenagers aiming to create their own travel rolls that can transport phones, chargers, cables or makeup so those items remain undamaged.
The sessions started with each teen receiving a little pack of information, scrap fabric and a Freddo Frog on arrival and picking out their favourite fabrics as they arrived. Once everyone had arrived and made their fabric selection time stopped for an Acknowledgment of Country and recognition to our First Nations Peoples. The novice sewers were taken through the anatomy of a sewing machine and how to keep themselves safe while using one before they buddied up with a volunteer sewing mentor and started practising how to use their allotted sewing machine before they started sewing their actual travel roll.
Before long the room was abuzz with the whirr and clatter of sewing machines, interspersed with the quiet noise that comes with teens utterly focused on sewing and encouraging murmurs from their mentor buddies.
The teens told us they came to the workshop because they thought it would be a fun experience. At the end of the 3 hours (scheduled for 2.5 hrs!!!) they left with a completed article, a great sense of accomplishment, new skills, a fun morning and their appreciation at having experienced, caring sewers to guide and teach.
As well as learning how to use a machine, sew in straight lines, oversewing with zig zag stitch to stop fabric fraying and a treasure trove of hot sewing tips from the volunteer instructors, the teens were informed of the negative environmental impacts of fabric waste and Australia’s position as number one country for the highest per capita fashion purchases2. They were encouraged to continue learning sewing skills so they can proactively reduce their fashion purchasing and to reuse and repurpose clothes they no longer want to wear.
We were privileged and grateful that most of the resources for this workshop were provided without cost, allowing us to make this workshop affordable for parents and carers.
- the sewing machines were on loan from church members from Engadine Uniting and St John Bosco Catholic churches
- the fabrics and habadashery were all donated
- the morning teas were (mostly) supplied by donations from church members and Book Club members.
- the sewing instructors all volunteered their time to share their joy in sewing with others. We could not have put on this event without the generosity of time and spirit from Judy, Melanie, Tahlia, Robyn, Sarah, Margaret and Loraine.
But what did the teens say about the event?
‘(I most enjoyed) Sewing straight perfectly and seeing the final product.’
‘Thank you so much for an amazing time. I loved working with my buddy.
’
‘Feeling happy with an excellent instructor.’
AND from one mum ‘I have never seen my two boys so quiet or focused on one task for so long.’
All the newly graduated sewers said they would recommend the workshop to their friends and that they would love to come back again themselves, providing a wishlist of what to make: ‘bucket hat, blanket, shirt, shirt, clothes to wear, totebags, makeup bags’
It seems that everyone had as much fun as we did so it looks like we’ll do this again next school holidays!
If you or your child has an interest in sewing and would like to either attend a sewing event or volunteer as a helper or if you have any items you would like to donate to our sewing events, please email office@engadineuniting.church.
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