Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., class teaches kids to sew by making ribbon skirts

Sewing is a skill that you will have for a lifetime and it comes with many lessons. Some say it builds patience, care and focus.

Kunsi (grandmother) Glendice Yuzicapi from Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation, near Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., wants her granddaughter Serenity Dumont to learn how to sew so she can pass it down to her children one day, just as she was taught by her own grandma.

Yuzicapi said her grandmother used to make blankets, dresses and even socks for her and 14 other grandchildren she looked after.

Yuzicapi and her granddaughter are attending a class in Fort Qu'Appelle aimed at teaching children and teens how to sew by making a ribbon skirt.

"My granddaughter is learning how to sew a ribbon skirt and she's doing pretty good on her own. I'm just guiding her along the way," said Yuzicapi.

"For me, teaching my grandchildren how to sew, it makes me feel proud." 

Rayne Longman said right away she signed up her 12-year-old daughter Kylee Longman because she loves ribbon skirts.

"She could eventually make her own skirts — she has a very big imagination for doing her own design — so I think it would be a good hobby for her to learn," said Longman.

Harder than it looks

Rayne, from George Gordon First Nation, lives in Regina and travelled about 70 kilometres to Fort Qu'Appelle so her daughter can attend the class — something she said is a bonding experience for the pair.

She said she doesn't know how to sew and as her daughter learns, she learns as well. Maybe now, she said, she will invest in their own sewing machine to carry on the skills Kylee learned at the class.

"It definitely takes patience and it's harder than it looks for sure," said Rayne.

Kylee said she thought it would be cool to learn to make her own ribbon skirt, so she can wear them to powwows she attends in the summer, as she is a fancy shawl dancer.

She was having a good time, she said, but also felt frustration at some things, like her machine breaking down on her a few times. 

What advice does she give to other young girls wanting to learn how to sew?

"I think one of the rewards is definitely having your ribbon skirt and knowing that you did it... you have to be really patient because stuff happens while you're doing it," said Kylee.

Emily Cyr, front manager of Becky's Place, the craft store hosting the class, said because there's lots of leftover materials in the store, employees decided to give back to the community through skirt-making classes for kids.

They decided to aim it at children eight to 18 years old because they wanted to bring out their creative side with a little encouragement, she said. 

Cyr said Tuesday's class was the group's second, and with two daughters of her own, she loves teaching the kids.

"It's fun watching all the little girls, they get so frustrated and they just want to get done," said Cyr.

"Once they have it done, you see how confident they are in their skirts."