Bags
made by year 5 students

A group of eleven 11 year old girls in year 5 used the squares to make shoulder bags.
Each of them could choose a square to cut out from the embroidered cloth – a present from me. I talked to them about the project and showed them pictures.
The girls attached the squares with decorative stitches onto felt, then felted a frame with a bit of gold fabric ironed on, stitched shimmering fabrics of different colours around the square, and decorated the cloth with free quilting and decorative stitches (Bernina decorative stitches computer program). The piece (approx. 20cm x 24cm) was then sewn on to one part of the bag, both parts lined with cotton fabric and the bag assembled.

The girls really enjoyed the work. They did a brilliant job and learned a lot about sewing techniques in the process.

Text and photographs by Regula Heule, Germany
Translated into English by Solveigh Goett