For the past five years, I, along with five other ladies at Third Baptist Church, Toledo, OH, have been involved with the youth in the community in what we call our Summer Sewing Students. One week after school is out for the summer until one week before school starts again, every Monday from 10:00am until 2:00 we teach the children to sew and other needle arts. My volunteer help is Ruby Radford who opens the morning for us with an inspirational message to the children to wake them up and also prepares lunch. Euneda Liddell, a retired teacher who brings wisdom and thoughts on living to all of us. After they open up the morning and get us going, I then explain the project for the day, whether it's new or a continuation from the previous week. My sewing teachers are ladies with years of experience in sewing or needle work: Marilynn Gardner, Ruth Penamon, Clemintine Bourn. There are parents that come with the children which we all appreciate. They chip in and help where ever we need them: Beverly Liddell Smith, Tamara Mabrey and Cynthia Dye. This years project were picture quilts or quilt art. Once the children knew what I wanted them to do this year, it was hard to get them to stop working and break for lunch. The ages range from five years to thirty something in a class of fourteen. The thirty something is in between jobs as a chemical engineer and decided to come down to the church to be with us. (We loved it.) I have posted the end results of the children's work with fabric. I hope you enjoy their imangination and color combinations.
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