The last two days of camp have been so much fun!  All campers have completed at least two projects.  I am so proud of all of them!

This is a big, huge TAA - DAA moment for this 7th grader.  She finished her robe and it is simply beautiful!  The workmanship is very professional-it took a long time and a lot of work, but it was well worth it!

Look at that neat and even stitching!

This is a project to be proud of!

Then we have this super cute bat stuffie.  One of the things that makes this so fun and special is the fact that there are pipe cleaners inserted into channels in the wings making them posable.

This camper worked hard selecting just the right fabrics for her quilt and for her backing.  Such a great job!

This camper brought in her favorite stuffie and wanted to make an article of clothing.  Without a pattern, she decided to make a robe.

It's just sooo cute!!  And it fits perfectly!

This 7 year old worked really hard on her backpack.  She has no prior sewing experience and it turned out really well.  Can you tell she is thrilled!!

Another young camper with no prior sewing experience finishes a backpack in no time.  Great job!

This 7th grader made this pillow for her grandparents - it is a special food item that they love.  Isn't that sweet?

O.K.  I have to admit that I simply love these jammies.  I have been wanting one of my students to make some jammie pants since I started teaching sewing.  Now they have been made and they are as cute as I had envisioned them - maybe cuter because of the fabric that was chosen!

They have these perfect little pockets on the sides - Gotta love the contrasting fabric!

Today was even busier than yesterday.  New projects were being started, other projects were being finished or worked on and the energy level was super high!

These two campers were so proud of their pillows.  Look at that super cute fabric and buttons that they chose!

Those same two campers immediately started new projects.  They both decided on back packs and jumped right in.  This camper did not even want to take a break. She worked straight through!

Today almost all of the campers chose to sit on the couches.

Break time did not last long today.  All the campers were excited to come back in and work on their projects.

You may recognize this pattern - it is the owl pillow that has been done by a couple of other students over the course of the past year.  This particular camper chose to change the pattern to turn the pillow into a bag.

Isn't it so cute?!  I love her fabric choices and I love her ingenuity.  Note the owl fabric handle for her owl bag - so fun!

This bag is so perfect!  Great fabric, great construction, great idea - well done!

All students learn to iron and amazingly enough, they like it!  This camper is working on her back pack.

In order for seams to look nice, ironing is a must.  These campers are getting really good at it!

This camper is also making a back pack.  She is waiting to use the iron to put the finishing touches on the lining.  Tomorrow she will make the outer bag and start adding the casing.

This camper decided to make a quilt as her second project.  Just look what colorful fabric she has chosen.  Isn't that such a fun and happy quilt top?!

What you see on that chair are the legs of a pair of pajamas.  I can't wait to show you the finished project - the fabric is just so cute!  See you next time!

Today was our first day of sewing camp and we started out in an upgraded space!

Check out how much space we have!!  Let's Go Crafting's Sewing Studio now takes place in a very sunny, large room with lots of storage and lots of space to spread out and work.

We have better storage for all our fabrics that is much easier to access for our students.  They can see everything available and can pick what ever they feel is perfect for their project.

We have added to our fabrics and now have all the tools and notions organized in those little green drawers.  The tools are much easier to take out and put away!

Even more cabinets for supplies.  And take a look at those mirrored doors on that huge cabinet!  The students can now see themselves in the things they make.  I love, love, love our new sewing studio!!  And after this morning of camp, I love it even more!  The students had a great time and it was so much easier for them to help themselves to the supplies and tools that they needed.

Brand new sewers practicing using a sewing machine.

The first part of camp was super busy - new students were learning how to safely use the sewing machines, and more experienced students were picking their projects and their fabrics.  Snack time occurs about half way through the morning and is a great time to chat and have fun relaxing.  There are two main areas for the students to have their break - at the patio table and...

on the couches.  At this time of the morning, it is very nice outside.  Shady and cool.

First finished project for this camp.  This student turned her practice square into a little pillow with such cute buttons!

This student came to our sewing camps last summer and didn't quite have time to finish her robe.  She is back and should finish up tomorrow!  Camp today was a huge success!!  Tomorrow should be even better!

We have been having such a good time and working on so many great projects lately in our sewing classes.

Lately, our 3rd graders only want to work on tiny, palm held, felt animals.  These can actually be quite hard to put together - the pieces are super tiny and have to be hand sewn carefully.

Isn't this the cutest little puppy?!

The exact opposite of those tiny projects is this summer robe.  This student is doing a fabulous job of putting together her robe - she is quite a bit farther along than this photo shows - she has inset both her sleeves and sewn up the underarm seam.  Not much longer now and she will be totally complete.  WOOHOO!

This student worked so hard on his stuffed dog!  Doesn't he look proud!

I had to show a close up of that cute face!  I love the fabric and color combinations and the eyes are just precious!

These small pouches come together really quickly - both students completed their pouches in two sessions.  Great sewing!

Carefully chosen and cut fabrics to make a...

Beautiful Pillow - monogrammed and everything!

When our students need to do any hand sewing, you can most often find them out on the front patio enjoying the weather and friendship.

These animal pillows are so much fun to make!

Any fabric and colors can be chosen to individualize them.

And lest you think it's all work, work work...

A little levity to make you smile :o)

They are playing around with a knitted pillow sample that had not been quite finished.

Maybe it shouldn't be a pillow, maybe it should be a hat!!

And the knitting continues!!  Our students are having sooo much fun and creating so many great projects!

When we knit, we all sit together at the picnic tables at the local elementary school.  As  you can see, they are just having such a good time.  Nothing better than knitting and chatting with friends!

This is a first project for this third grader.  She has worked so hard on this and she is now having such a nice tension and getting a great fabric.

Lots of collaborating happens in these classes.

One of our third grade students knits quite a bit at home on her own.  She decided that she wanted a bag and created one.  How fabulous is that??!!

Doesn't it look just great?!  It's the perfect size for her, just what she wanted and it hangs exactly where she wanted it to hang.  What an accomplishment!

Here is that monster in all it's glory.  I love it!  The color of yarn she chose is so festive and happy.  This is her first project and it came out simply marvelous!  Now she is on to her next project - a teddy bear - a perfect knitter, always something on her needles!

As promised earlier in the week on our Facebook page, here is the free pattern for a Small Fabric Elephant.

Isn't he just the cutest?!  And you can whip him up in an afternoon.  Any fabric will work, so any little remnant that you have lying around can be used.

I hope you like it!!

The last couple of posts have been dedicated to our sewing classes and I wanted to share some of the fabulous knitting that has been going on.

This brand new knitter has just finished the first leg of her bear.  She worked so hard on this!!

We also had a fun finish today - this 4th grade student finished her squirrel stuffed animal.  Isn't it so cute!  This project took quite awhile and comprised many new skills - increasing, decreasing, gathering and more.

Just look at that fun tail!  It is made similar to a pompom but in many sections to create the length.

This is also an impressive piece of knitting.  There are over one hundred stitches on these circular needles and the third grader knitting this has already finished about 25 rows - you do the math!!!  She has informed me that she is now going to change colors and add both a white stripe and a red stripe.  I cannot wait to see how this turns out!

We are starting up a new session in sewing today, but I wanted to share with you what we have been up to for the past couple of weeks!  There is soooo much that these students have been creating, I think I will have to break it up into a couple of posts.

I am continually amazed and delighted at the fabric combinations that the students choose.  This backpack is completely lined and so fun to make!

This third grader decided he wanted to make a quilt.  He chose to make all of his squares 2 inches and chose a pattern of flowers.  This is very precise work and takes a lot of patience and determination.

But he stuck to it and finished!!  Instead of making a quilt, he turned it into a pillow.

A close-up of his work.  Isn't it the best?!  He did such a good job measuring, cutting and sewing - way to go!!

This 5th grader is quite the accomplished sewer.  She has made many things and is ready now for the next step - a more complicated pattern.  She has chosen to make a summer robe.  There are many steps in making a garment before one can even get to the sewing.  The first thing she needed to learn was how to prep her pattern.  She did a fabulous job!

Now that the pattern is ready we need to pin it to the fabric and cut it out, transfer the markings, then learn to read the instructions.  Sometimes, just deciphering the instructions can be a bit like learning a foreign language!  Once all this is done...it's time to sew.

Here we are, she's just finished sewing and stuffing her pillow and now it's time to hand sew the opening.

Ta Daa!  This pillow is to the exact dimensions that this student wished it to be.A cute little blockhead pillow - look at those cute triangles at the top - such a great embroidery job done!

And the back!

I must go for now, but will share more of our sewing in the next post :o)

Our students started January with such enthusiasm it was had to keep up with them!

This 6th grader finished her back pack and as you can tell, she is so thrilled!  I LOVE the animal print with the orange - it's just the perfect combination.

A finished headband!  I am always amazed at the color/fabric combinations that these students use and they always turn out so cute!

This 3rd grader has so much patience!  His bunny, as you can tell, is super tiny.  It cannot be sewn on the sewing machine, it must be sewn by hand.  His stitches are so perfect and so small - isn't his bunny cute!  Now he is working on a quilt - 2"X2" squares that make up flowers.

Don't let this zippered pouch fool you, it took a lot of patience and determination to create and finish it.  The face was created and hand-sewn one piece at a time with teeny tiny hand stitches.  Then came the addition of the zipper.  If you have ever put a zipper in you know it can be hard work.  This student made it look so easy.

Another cute little backpack - the straps are just the perfect addition!

I just had to take another picture of it closeup.

This student used her hand as the pattern for this cute little elephant.  The project started out as a pillow, but after it was sewn together she decided that it looked like a "3-legged elephant".  I must say that I totally agree with her!  Note the cute little eye and the hair.

This is the other side of her elephant (so cute!) - do you see the tassel tail?  That tail is just perfect.

Lots of hand sewing taking place outside.  I can't believe this is January and it's warm enough to sit outside!

Adding a nose to her bunny stuffed animal.  This one should be finished next week.

Such a cute bee pillow!  This student worked so hard on her pillow.  The wings are fleece and while they look perfect on this pillow, they were kind of a bear to work with.  She persevered, with lots of ripping of stitches and re-sewing and finished up yesterday.  I absolutely LOVE it!

Don't you love it too?!

We came back after the holidays ready to knit.

At first this second grader wanted to make her knitting into a kerchief.  Later, she decided that it should be a blanket for one of her stuffed animals.  Doesn't she look so proud of her finish!!

The whole class of students knit and talk.  They help each other, encourage each other and get silly together.  Such a healthy and happy way to spend the afternoon!

This bag is so festive it makes me smile every time I look at this picture.  That button is just precious!

You just gotta LOVE those eyes!

I can't wait for class this Wednesday!

Today was a really amazing day in sewing class!

This super cute fleece owl was finished.  Don't you just love that zebra print fleece?!

Do you see those cute earrings?  This student made these tassels out of embroidery floss to embellish her stuffed animal.

This student is working hard to finish her project.

And she was sooo successful!  I hope she has a chance to use it tonight.  Notice the zebra print again - boy this is a popular print.  I must remember to get some more soon for these creative kids.

Preparing the outer layer for her drawstring backpack.

After sewing up the seams, ironing is needed to keep everything looking neat and pretty.

Working on handwork together makes it more enjoyable.

I love this flannel print.  His stuffed dog is going to be so soft and cuddly!

 

This past sewing class was super busy!  Lots of students making great progress on their projects.

The student working on this is doing a fabulous job.  She has cut all the felt pieces herself and is just about done with the applique portion of the face.  Next up - inserting a zipper!!

This 1st grade student will finish her owl pillow in the next lesson.  We shall see what she wants to create after that.

Just one more wing, some antenna, and then stuffing.

This 3rd grade student wanted to make a really tiny little stuffed bunny.  The smaller they are the harder they are to put together.  This one is done totally by hand and his stitches are superb!

I can't wait to see this project completed!

2nd grade pillow case.  I just love the fabric choices!!  The zebra fabric is fleece and is so soft.

This is a really fun pattern to make.  Over the summer in camp, several students made this one.  The original pattern is for a smaller stuffed animal, but I enlarged it 200% so that it is pretty big.  The kids seem to like it much better :o) 

This coming week's class will be super fun!!  There will be lots of finishing of projects and lots of new projects started.  I can't wait to see what everyone will choose!

Knitting is so much fun when you are with friends!

       

We always have so much fun and get so much done during knitting class!

We are really busy in our sewing classes!!

We have been finishing up projects.  This is a pillow case made by a 5th grader.

This third grader planned, cut and pieced this patchwork pillow all by himself.  Here he is fixing a wayward seam.  He has learned how to make invisible stitches to mend.

The completed pillow - isn't it gorgeous?!

Look at that proud face!  This student did such a great job on this sachet.  All students start with this project so that they can learn how to sew  straight seams that are equidistant from the raw edges and they also get used to the machines  they will be working with.  They learn what the right side and the wrong side of the fabric means, they learn how to use an iron, how to make invisible stitches to close it up and to sew on a button.  This looks like a very simple project, but in fact, it has a lot of specific skills that the students use for future creations.

This 2nd grader picked such cute fabric for her backpack.  This is only her second sewing project ever!

It fits perfectly!

This student loves the color orange and was so excited to discover orange fleece in my stash of fabrics for the students.  Fleece is not an easy fabric to sew on, but he persevered and was very successful.

Another lovely patchwork pillow.  These seem to be so popular.  The students love to go through all the fabrics to pick just the right ones that appeal to them.

The couch is a very inviting place for students to do their hand sewing and seam ripping.  Sometimes you can find many of them sewing (or ripping!) here, just talking away.

I can't get enough of looking at these stitches.  They are VERY nice!  She will be pleased with this project when she is finished!

Onto the next project!!

The front of this student's patchwork pillow is complete.  Here she is using the front as a pattern for the back.

I just love how each of these pillows is completely different and reflects the individual personalities of each student.

So much fun and so many great projects being created!

The new session of knitting has started and everyone is having a great time.  I just love how excited each student is about their own projects as well as those of their friends.

We meet at the picnic tables outside of the classrooms.  The fresh air is so nice!

Sometimes the tabletop is the perfect place to knit.

What shall we make now?  There is a lot of teamwork and discussion that goes along with this class.  I love how they all work together and help each other out.

This student worked so hard and his bag came out really well!

Once this student was done with is first project, he decided that he wanted to make a toy for his  cat.  He had no problem with the increase and decrease stitches that he needed to learn to complete it.  Mind you, he had never done these before and he picked it up very quickly - so quickly in fact, that he finished this in just one week!  Now he is working on a scarf - pictures to come.

This 3rd grade student is very talented in many different fiber related techniques.  She just finished a crocheted scarf and started a new one.  It's amazing to me how easy it is for these kids to learn these different crafts!

So....this 2nd grade student started out making a stuffed toy.  She knit away and then cast off.  Once she had sewn up the first side, she put it on her head and a new creation was born.

Aftern the pom poms and buttons were added, then a mouth, the decision was made!!  Her knitted project became a hat.  But, all good monsters need a nose so one had to be sewn on.  What a fabulous first project!  Next up for this 2nd grader is a knitted bear!

Our new classes for this school year are up and running and full of excitement!

New sewers always start with a simple project to learn how to control the sewing machine - not an easy task - just ask them!! Controlling the speed is one of the hardest skills to master at first.As you can see, we are having a blast in sewing class!! Stay tuned to see what these students come up with next time!

Well...today was our last day of Weaving Camp.  We had such fun finishing up our projects!

Most of the campers turned their pieces of woven fabrics into bags.

Though I did not get a picture of the finished bag, this fabric is very lovely.

This camper decided to leave her weaving as a blanket for her yarn octopus she created in an earlier Let's Go Crafting camp this summer.

You can clearly see the Loop Stitch, Beaded Danish Medallions, and Leno Stitch on this piece of weaving.  Isn't it so pretty?!

  

We had a great time this week and I am sorry we are finished!!  It would be great just to keep creating and creating and creating!

Our last camper is warped on her new project and has started weaving.

Here she has done her even weave and is learning the loop stitch.

More loop stitch.

The first stitch we showed the campers (after evenweave) is the loop stitch.  It adds interest and texture and the campers loved it.

After the loop stitch, we learned how to do Danish Medallions.  As you can see this camper wanted to add beads to her medallions - what a great effect!

More Danish Medallions with beads.  This camper chose to use her yarn that she dyed earlier this week.  I think it adds such great contrast.

This camper finished her piece.  The new stitch you see is the Leno stitch.  I think it looks a lot like lace.