We had a blast at our Summer Holiday Sustainable Fashion Camps!
We have kickstarted our new alumni program! Having started our fantastic charity over 20 years ago we are now closing the circle by inviting past students, all grown up and many working in the creative industries to return as teachers passing on what has grown from the seeds sewn here at Little Hands many years ago. They were assisted by those past and present Little Handers who are not 18 years yet, but, having gone through years of our educational program, are passionate and knowledgable about what makes a thoughtful designer.
Read what Mia, one of these young teaching assistants, currently doing her A-levels, has written about her experience working with us over the summer…
“Despite the disappointing weather that came with the first week of the British summer holidays, the hub of Little Hands Design in the London School of Mosaic was bubbling with creativity.
We commenced the first week of the holiday camps with up-cycling projects inspired by existing garments. The children created dresses that were once shorts and bags that were once shirts. I enjoyed watching the imaginative minds work, each formulating a unique project.
M. showing the correct way to iron the Little Hands’ way..
P. knows how ti encourage the kids when everything seems so new and there is so much to learn in the beginning!
A. supporting a young student – she remembers very well what it was like in the beginning!
Throughout the days the students became more confident in their skills. There was a great range in ability within the students but by the end of the week each had added a plethora of new ones to their repertoire, dutifully signed off by one of the teachers in the blue workbook. At the beginning of the week the threading if the sewing machines was a particularly daunting task, but by the end of the week each student could do it with ease, even having races to see who could do it first.
D. is studying Costume Construction and J. has just started at London School of Fashion !
At the close of the week each student had a handful of projects ranging from free design, to a mending calendar. Amongst numerous other fascinating designs, we saw a number of smock dresses and a beautifully constructed bucket hat. As well as some t-shirts with beautiful appliqué pieces that told the story of the students family, their hobbies and favourite animals.
H. loved teaching and seeing how proud the kids were when they finished a project! And E. is an engineering student and says her time at Little Hands Design has got her into being curious about how ‘stuff works’!
Looking at these ingenious ideas I was reminded of the first project I made at little hands, at a summer camp when little hands had just moved to the London school of mosaic. I remember being immensely proud with my tiered skirt made out of my mums old shirt. Although it was not completely structurally sound, it was a valiant first attempt and I wore it constantly. Following that summer camp, I became a regular student at the weekday classes and then began volunteering. When I began the bronze Duke of Edinburgh I used little hands as my skill, then for silver I spent 6 months volunteering and I plan to continue for gold. I have found this experience incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. I hope that the new students who join us for our holiday or weekday classes find as much joy and interest in the organisation as I have.” (Mia, long time LHD student, DoE volunteer and teaching assistant)
Lots of designs, fun and giggles with M. who currently works as a sculptor in London…