School sewing club stitches together creativity, friendship and fun
Close to 100 kids are part of the sewing club at Sir John A. Macdonald Public School in London
In Carolyn McMurray's sewing club room, there are cupboards overflowing with fabric, drawers filled with pin cushions, and a lot of chatter about how to perfectly knot a piece of thread.
"You need to triple knot it or quadruple knot it," says one Grade 6 boy, after threading a needle for a smaller child. "If you only do one knot, it will go through when you pierce through the fabric. You have to quadruple do it."
Close to 100 kids are part of the sewing club at Sir John A. Macdonald Public School in London, Ont., which has been going strong for close to a decade. It's so popular, McMurray has had to divide students into groups so there's some breathing room in the busy classroom.
"Some amazing project have come out of this room. We have everything from pillows to purses to stuffies. They're learning to sew buttons, to make bunny rabbits. The kids are just explosive with creativity," said McMurray, an educational assistant at the school.
'The kids just dig it'
There's music playing, and kids sit around tables, chatting and concentrating. Whenever someone finishes a project, it's announced to the group and everyone cheers.
"The kids just dig it. It's a place where time stands still," McMurray said.
Some kids know a family member who sews and want to check it out. Others tag along with friends and really get into it. Several have asked for sewing machines for Christmas after catching the sewing bug at the club, McMurray said.
For Aleigha Laforet, in Grade 4, it's a chance to help smaller kids while also flexing her creative muscle. "If you rip your jeans, you can learn to sew it back together and keep using them," she said. "It's a really important thing in life. You should know how to sew clothes."
Also in Grade 4, Brayden Rowles, has accidentally poked himself with a needle a few times, but it's easy to shrug off, especially when the end product is a pillow or other creation that he's proud of. "Sewing is amazing. My grandma knows how to sew and I want to learn like her. I want to be able to sew pillows and mittens," he said.
The club runs on donations from staff members and parents. Recently, Ben Carter-Allison's mom got Len's Mill Stores to donate $1,000 worth of products that the kids can use. The home and school association and the community also pitch in.
Lillian Morrison finds sewing to be a fun activity — and one where she can create practical things as well. "I've made two pillows. I'm working on a little bed for my Elf on the Shelf."
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