my project---

okay-- so for tomorrow -i will be sharing with you guys about my actual event---

the website is listed on the side of my blog---but i linked this title to it as well--

My D-Day calendar is at 2 1/2 days approx.

--so what I am writing now is the itinerary as I have it

--Featured Demonstrations--
---
"easy and unique distressing techniques 101"
"hemming/embellishment station"
"learn to use a sewing machine- by making a drawstring carry-all bag or purses from scraps/ old table linens etc"
"bracelet making"- included (pony bead extravaganza, introductory hemp bracelet macrame, and assorted glass beads for easy stringing)
"crafts from recycled/repurposed felted wool"
"wall hangings made from fabric samples"
"silk-screening" (PLEASE DEAR GOD)
"budding designer corner- for kids 3-12"- to include- fabric stamping, bracelet making, and multi-ethnic puppets"
"


------also not to be missed-- a powerpoint :/ presentation from the head of Mountain Pathways. about the school- Mountain Valleyfest- and god knows what else.


---and the opportunity to "walk at will"-- down the runway to show off new creations


---------so I am waiting anxiously for the screenprinters to arrive-- hopefully they will-- if not it will be me buying a billion iron things
---------powerpoint -argh---got worked in somehow, but we'll just let it go--(its for the school, its for the school, its for the school)...



----so the whole, no such thing as bad press-not so true
--I was misquoted a ton in a glorified yardsale ad that offered a whole lot I had not intended nor have the capacity to-- Including -but not limited to.. stating that the money was going somewhere it is not, telling people they can get in for free by donating buttons, and what else- um about everything-- retraction is due tomorrow-BUT

--the idea for the seminars I am offering are in fact purposeful

-These events offer the community a way to reuse clothing to limit textile waste, but are also an opportunity to build community- So I went from my theme of this being a family oriented day by incorporating small but manageable and fun seminars to introduce people to the idea of how to be creative and proactive. The fact is, it would be great to make this a flashy event with designer help and produce amazing and odd creations, but as far as I am concerned, those things are technically limited in helping people truly take something away from the experience. Getting young kids involved in the 'design' and creation of bracelets and puppets, may seem like a glorified babysitters trick, but what is happening is that the kids are being allowed to make small decisions in colors and the look of things they will own. Giving them a purposeful creative opportunity increases their sense of pride and self-expression and will hold their attention not only for the afternoon, but will help them begin to see their world as a place to be manipulated- or 'changed' by them too. Their sense of ownership is heightened.As children invitably take pride in what they do and own, they keep things longer, focusing more attention on what they have and its tangible worth. They will also see and participate in the exchange of things no longer needed, for something new. To see another child light up and the prospect of picking up 'their old clothes'- emphasizes in a very visible way that things do not just disappear, they move on to some place new. Trading them with friends is a great way to move something along, as opposed to it sitting in a landfill.
But because all people in attendance will be seeing the positive effects of these exchanges and revitalizations, it is not even entirely necessary to emphasize where the clothes are not going.The point is for this exercise to seem natural in its process. The more people enjoy it, the more they will continue to walk within the spirit of it. Allowing people to create bags/purses on a sewing machine, basically allows them to quickly see something unnecessary, just turn into something useful- by the touch of their own hand. It emphasizes the idea that sewing in itself is not just for certain people, but something anyone can do. If I can do it- Anyone can. It is not just about the extraordinary events or things that we can give each other in one day, but is about the ordinary things in our lives that can be seen in an extraordinary light. Creation of something from nothing is amazing, but is technically miraculous. However, the creation of a new skill which allows one to constantly shift ideas into actions, is not in itself miraculous. It is however a longer lasting party trick. The idea of both adults and children having fun while engaged actively in a clearly environmentally friendly activity, is whole-heartedly a physical manifestation of the fact that doing what is good for the earth is connected to doing what is good for ourselves and the environment we have built for one another.