Teacher shares gift of sewing with youth
There may be a lot of homemade gifts under some trees in Angus and New Lowell by next Christmas. Three girls, aged six to 10, took part in a half-day Christmas Sewing Camp for Kids this month. Over the course of three hours, they learned some basic skills and completed a project, either pyjama pants or a reversible tote bag.
For 10-year-old Kayla Carrier, the workshop was an early Christmas gift from her grandmother. Kayla’s mother Michelle says her mother-in-law is an avid sewer and quilter, and wanted to share her hobby with her granddaughter.
Kayla’s project was a pair of pyjama pants in hot pink flannelette printed with stockings in lime and turquoise.
“I tried sewing before, when I cut an old dress in half to make a skirt and sewed it all by hand, but this is my first time using a sewing machine,” she said. “It will be fun to do projects with my grandmother when I visit her.”
Kayla was very proud of her pants, and when asked whether she would save them for Christmas, she responded, “I will have to model them for the elves.”
The workshop was led by Alyssa Boutilier, who has been sewing as long as she can remember. Her grandmother died when she was a young child and she inherited all of her sewing supplies.
“My parents would find me in the basement making clothes for my Barbies,” said Boutilier. “I really missed my grandmother, and it was a way to feel close to her. After I sewed through my finger one time too many, my parents decided to put me in sewing classes.”
Boutilier’s parents signed her up for many sports and activities, but sewing was the thing that really captured her interest.
She got her first sewing machine around the age of 10 and never looked back. She went on to study fashion design at Fanshawe College in London and has remained a prolific sewer, even as she pursued a career in banking.
When she and her husband relocated to New Lowell, she discovered there were no sewing classes available in the area, and started offering adult lessons. From there, the children’s sewing workshops were a natural evolution.
“This is a dying art, and it’s an important skill. Kids need to learn the basics so they can sew on a button or hem a pair of pants. Simple alterations can be very expensive, and it’s very rewarding to know that you made a project yourself,” said Boutilier.
Her seven-year-old daughter Violet has inherited her love of sewing.
Boutilier says, “She likes to sit on my lap and learn as I work.”
In the Christmas Sewing Workshop, participants select their fabric, cut out and assemble the project. At the end of the three hours, they leave with something they can wear or give as a gift. So far, 10 children have been through the workshop. Boutilier says they all left with a completed project and a sense of accomplishment. Eight more children are booked into workshops in advance of Christmas, and there are still limited spaces available.
Boutilier says older children and teens really take to sewing as a means of self expression. Younger children may struggle with shorter attention spans, but still pick up some valuable skills.
Six-year-old Kara Karire, from Angus, used her time at the workshop to make a reversible tote bag. Her mother, Blondine, says having seen what her daughter accomplished, she is now motivated to try out the adult sewing classes.
The three-hour session is $50 per participant, including fabric and supplies. Each child leaves with a pair of thread snippers and a stitch ripper. For more information, look for Alyssa Boutilier on Facebook.
