Four years ago, as we lived through COVID restrictions, I continued to work in the Wonder Studio with students, and crafting became our safe haven. I had considered abandoning for a year, but the children would stop me in the hallway or during classes and ask, “When is Wonder Studio starting again? You need to get it up and running!” I could not disappoint them. I have been privileged to work alongside some of the bravest and most brilliant little girls who would not take “NO!” for an answer. So, I kept offering times throughout that COVID year, stopping occasionally when restrictions prevented us from meeting.
In these brief periods of time, children finger-knitted, learned to weave, sewed stuffed animals, made easels out of paper straws, beaded innumerable bracelets, decorated containers, painted bird houses, and just made beautiful messes. A beautiful mess is definitely essential to the creative process. “I need to come to Wonder Studio. My mom would never let me do this at home,” a student proclaimed as she scattered gold glitter over glue on a sign she was creating.
That year, Ava, one of my 5th-grade students, asked me to teach her to hand sew. She wanted to make a stuffed animal for her little sister. Over the course of three months, Ava started the slow process of designing, embroidering, and sewing a stuffed bunny. I thought she might abandon the project, but she did not. This was quite a feat because our Wonder Studio times were short, about 20 minutes, two times a week, and they were often interrupted by COVID closures. But Ava persevered, and in May she gave the little bunny to her sister, Caroline. This was so gratifying to me because I taught Ava a skill that my mother had taught me. It has made me want to hone my own crafting skills, so I can be a better resource for my Wonder Studio students.
Fast forward four years, and Wonder Studio is still going strong. Sewing continues to be the craft of choice for 5th graders. This year, Ava’s little sister, Caroline, is now a fifth grader. When she saw a photo on the studio wall of the bunny her big sister had created for her, Caroline immediately told me that she was going to create a bunny for her six-year-old cousin, Paige. And she added with a sly smile, “Mine will be better than Ava’s.” Ah, sister rivalry!
I had a large roll of white felt, and let Caroline’s imagination run wild. She made a paper pattern, adapted the pattern as she transferred it to the felt. She cut out elongated ears and legs, and then cut out shorter arms. I taught her how to sew using a tight blanket stitch to keep the bunny well-sewn together. She stuffed each part, and we considered any modifications. Caroline made the arms a little shorter, stitched along the ears in pink floss, and I mentioned that I thought the bunny needed socks. Caroline’s face lit up. On my way home from work one night, I stopped into a baby clothing store and bought some socks for the bunny. When I told the salesperson why I was buying baby socks, she ushered me over to the sale section. I found a pack of six baby socks for five dollars. Well worth the money, and I’m sure the five leftover pairs of socks will be incorporated into a worthy craft project eventually. Caroline chose the sock pattern she wanted and then sewed them on and began to make the bunny’s football jersey. She added a B for Bunny on the back of the jersey. Then she cut some small pieces of felt to create the eyes and nose. She went through several iterations before she chose the ones that were just right.
There are so many wonderful crafts that have been created over the past ten years at Wonder Studio. I am so lucky to be able to encourage curiosity, creativity, and imagination. The girls have made jewelry, cars, windmills, doll houses, mobiles, paintings, collages, and countless doodads made of wood, cotton balls, and pom-poms. Being able to watch a younger sister get inspiration from her oldest sister was so gratifying. The girls loved making these bunnies, learning to sew, and having time to construct something they created from their imagination. These are truly bunnies of love and persistence. I’m glad I created a space for students to explore ideas and fabricate real objects from their imaginations.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 