Sue Silverstein and her art students are calling for old and discarded dress patters in large and medium sizes for teenage students.
Please send any you have and are willing to part with to Sue Silverstein, Bishop Gibbons High School, 2600 Albany Street, Schenectady, N.Y., 12304.
Sue is not asking for new ones, but they are not expensive if you wish to send any. I’ve sent two packages ($12 and $14), and a blog reader sent $25 for more.
(The photo above is Ja’ Zelle.)
She can use them in any style or pattern.
We went to Bishop Gibbons High School today; we had a wonderful experience there.
Zinnia was introduced to the school as a therapy dog today and got a massive reception that might have caused a lesser dog to flee. It was love all around.
Zinnia was terrific. My most significant anxiety with therapy dogs is when a group of well-meaning but excited children swarms a dog, an alarming thing for even well-trained dogs.
This was the biggest and most exuberant crowd she had ever had to deal with, and she didn’t even blink. She also got a lot of treats that slipped surreptitiously to the student’s thanks to her Godmother, Sue Silverstein.
Her tail never stopped wagging.
Zinnia was surprised but soaked it with great patience, love, sensitivity, obedience, and a lot of love. I was impressed.
I would trust her with anything, as you’ll see from the photos later tonight. The Bishop Maginn experience was excellent training.
I’m excited to be using her in a school again. (Photos to follow).
I also saw an astonishing range of art from the students in Sue Silverstein’s magical art studio. I’ll be posting those photos tomorrow. I have a lot of sorting, editing, and downloading to do.
I don’t want to overdo all these images; they are remarkable and deserve attention and time.
Maria has a blast working with the art students on their sewing, fixing and threading their machines, and showing them how to sew.
I had to drag her out of the building practically; they were all making pillows for their mothers and peppering her with questions. She loved doing it. We were there for about two-and-a-half hours.
(Maria, Zeheniah, and Jazz making pillows together.)
In the meantime, Sue Silverstein has asked me to ask the Army Of Good for women’s old and discarded sewing patterns for shirts and dresses.
The students at Bishop Gibbons are on fire to make clothes for themselves and their mothers and sisters in the art room, and Sue thinks patterns will help them learn how to sew more effectively and efficiently.
If you have any discarded or abandoned dress patterns, please send them to Sue Silverstein, Bishop Gibbons Art Program, 2600 Albany Street, Schenectady, N.Y., 12304.
I think Sue will get enough patterns in the mail, but if you wish for me to buy some new ones, you can send a small donation to Jon Katz via Paypal, [email protected] or Venmo, Jon-Katz@Jon-Katz-13 or by check, Refugee Fund, P.O. Box 205 Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.
I met a lot of girls (and several boys) who are very serious about making clothes for their mothers and some for themselves.
Many online pattern companies offer free PDF patterns. One that I like, and use often, is ellieandmac.com. They have a free sock pattern that would help the students learn how sew. They offer you tube tutorials on how to assemble the paper pattern pieces along with how to sew them. Every Monday they offer 6 discounted patterns, usually 3 kid sized, and 3 adult sized. I’ve bought most of my patterns on sale.
I use used paper from work to print out the patterns. I’m sure that a school has many piles of used paper.
I’m going to comb through my patterns to send to Sue. Thanks for letting us know of the need.
Thanks, Holly, but the free patterns don’t work for this situation, Holly, we’ve tried it before; when they are printed out they are too small for the students to use or follow. What works are the actual full-size patterns These children do not have online resources to print and enlarge, some do not have English, and many do not have computers I don’t ever tell the teachers what to ask for; they know their students best. They say they need the actual pattern, used or new, for several reasons. The teachers are also overworked and overwhelmed, they have little time and few resources and equipment. I trust them to know what they need. I’m personally getting them what they asked for.
Jon and maria, just had to tell you that your photos especially of the kids at school fill me with hope for all of us. To see such interest, excitement, happiness in these kids is a reminder that there is still so much good in the world. How easy it is to forget that nowadays. Thanks to both of you for sharing!