Enrichment activity sows sewing knowledge in students

As learners—whether young or old—we’re fortunate when a knowledgeable person with a passion for an activity is generous enough to share that knowledge with us.

And this past March and early April, some Keswick Ridge School educators decided to spread that good fortune to students in the form of a skill for which they have a lot of passion and knowledge: sewing.

As part of its three-week-long initiative entitled Enrichment Wednesday Afternoons, Keswick Ridge School educators taught a group of 15 eager Grade 3-through-Grade 8 students how to sew using sewing machines provided by themselves and the district.

“Hot Dog” for a good cause

Over three Wednesdays students learned the finer points of creating a “hot dog” pillowcase.

“It’s called a “hot dog” pillowcase because you make it like a hot dog and then pull and turn it out,” said Educational Assistant Elizabeth Callaghan, the lead instructor for the sewing classes. “I’m the one with the sewing experience, so [Becky] asked, ‘can we free you up so you can help?’.”

Becky—Rebecca Kaley, the school’s Behaviour Intervention Mentor—tapped Callaghan for the lead instructor role because of Callaghan’s life-long passion for sewing: “My great grandmother, my grandmother, mother, we all like to sew. I passed it on to both my daughters,” said Callaghan, who is a member of the Keswick Ridge Quilters. “It’s my happy place.”

Kaley, Callaghan, and volunteer Heather Olmstead taught students how to sew their pillowcases with cloth provided by Fredericton’s The Quilting Shed. The pillowcases will be available for purchase at the school’s Spring Concert on May 15, proceeds of which will help pay for playground upgrades to make it more accessible for all ages and abilities. Other student-made items on sale at the concert will include keychains and bracelets.

“Back when I worked at the Ville Cooperative in Marysville, there were sewers downstairs that would come in and help our daycare program—kids aged 5 to 12—do a little bit of sewing,” said Kaley. “When I heard that three sewing machines were coming, I brought my machine in and was like, ‘we can start rolling this out with children.’”

ASD-W provided three sewing machines while Callaghan and Kaley each provided one of their own, for a total of five machines.

“We prepped the fabric with pins so the sewing could start quickly,” said Callaghan. “I also had the machines threaded and in working order.”

Student response

The students performed admirably, said Callaghan, especially those who’d had experience sewing.

“They’d seen sewing at home and they could get on to it a lot quicker than some that had never seen a sewing machine,” she said.

Grade 7 student Lexi Sharp was a quick study, as she’d already taught herself how to do needle-and-thread repairs.

“It seemed pretty easy and I had just basically learned on my own through trial and error,” said Sharp. At home, “I’m basically working on pants and stuff. I’m in the middle of sewing a book together right now.”

She enjoyed working with the sewing machines because she liked how the pedals resembled car pedals, “which made it fun for me.”

Grade 3 student Carley Edmondson, who also had previous sewing experience, has impressive plans for the future.

“I’ve done some hand sewing with my mom,” said Edmondson. “I liked the learning and I now want a sewing machine at home. It might be good to make a bag next.”

And even though sewing was completely new to Grade 8 student Brayden Morgan-Weatherbee, he knows what he wants to do with his newly acquired skill: “I’ll probably do some alterations,” said Morgan-Weatherbee. “It’d be cool to be able to fix things like clothes.”

Kaley and Callaghan look forward to sharing their passion for sewing with students in the new school year.

Published May 9, 2024

Last modified June 04, 2024, 2:03 pm