4th Grade Weaving

My first experience with weaving was during student teaching and it was amazing to see a class of usually rowdy 3rd Graders settle down so completely while they were engaged in this activity. It is a tactile project that allows the students to relax and either focus on the work or engage in quiet conversation once they get a rhythm going. Unfortunately, I chose a yarn assortment that I bought from one of our only source catalogs and the yarn had a rough texture. Some of the yarn had multiple strands that did not weave smoothly but the kids didn't complain. For that I was grateful. (See Animoto below)

My Peeps!

Fourth Graders used a pattern to trace their bunny peep onto a folded piece of felt. They cut it out and stitched it together, leaving about one inch open on the bottom. They used the hole to stuff their peep, making sure the stuffing went all the way up to the ears. Since French knots are a bit tricky for Fourth Graders, I had them glue googly eyes on instead. I loved seeing all the pockets filled with peeps as they went to their next class.

Salon Des Enfants 2013

This was my last Salon Show because by this time I had decided to retire. I had such a great time with my junior high elective classes and watching them improve their skills. I was so proud of the work they did for the show. I will certainly miss that part of teaching, where I can mentor students who are exploring their personal creativity in art. (See Animoto below)

Learning to Sew

Since the kids were no longer allowed to do any holiday crafts in the classroom, and I didn't usually do such things, I decided to integrate it into my fibers lesson. Along with weaving, I wanted to make sure they knew how to sew something simple. It was a rush job because several classes were cut for various reasons, but it was something fun to do that classroom teachers were almost forbidden from doing because of the focus on testing.

Dia De Los Muertos MIM Reception

Because we agreed to create an ofrenda display for deceased musicians for the Musical Instrument Museum, we were treated to a reception and tour of the museum in November of  2012. The children had boxed lunches on the patio and then saw their work on display. It was a wonderful event including a cello concert.  

Dia De Los Muertos Ofrendas

Students worked as hard as they could to finish up their ofrendas for the Dia De Los Muertos display at the Musical Instrument Museum. Students and their parents will be treated to a light dinner and reception at the MIM followed by a cello performance. It is a gorgeous facility and we hope to get some great pics of the kids and their families that night.

Progress on Ofrendas

Fourth graders in Mrs. Pinuelas' class are spending their art classes working on the Day of the Dead ofrendas for the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale. The backdrops are tissue paper and meant to emulate the blankets of real flowers used on elaborate altars. Next we will work on decorated stuffed felt skulls. Since we only have 35 minutes twice a week, we are having to work as quickly as possible to meet the deadline of October 25th.

 

Jr. High Needlework

The last embroidery projects were butterflies that included cross-stitch, satin stitch, chain stitch, daisy stitch, and French knots. Quite a few were done by 8th grade boys and they used very good craftsmanship. I liked these iron-on patterns so much that I did many myself. In addition to the sewing skill, students learned that this was a relaxing activity to de-stress at the end of a school day. (See Animoto below)

Basic Sewing

Students experienced cooperation during this basic sewing unit because they had to help each other while tracing the bear template onto the felt. We did this because pins would have been difficult to force through the pattern. (See Animoto below)

Needlework in Progress

Students moved on from samplers to floral and animal designs. Some of the kids just didn't have the patience to complete the work with good craftsmanship but several students completed more than one piece in the time given. When I decided to retire in 2013, I made sure those more dedicated students were given hoops, fabric, iron on designs, embroidery floss and needles as a lovely parting gift. (See Animoto below)

Fiber Arts: Needlework Basics

Some of the 5th and 6th graders chose to work on embroidery samplers and it has been fun to revisit some of the basic stitches with them such as the chain stitch and cross stitch. (See Animoto below)