Sew & Repair
Madison teens collaborate with local artists on projects that revolve around sewing and mending.
On several occasions, former Bubbler Artist-In-Residence, Bird Ross, went out into the community to work with Bubbler Teens in a series of sewing workshops. Backpacks are a easy and useful object to make. Who wouldn't rather pick out your own fabric to make a personalized bage versus just choosing what is on the shelf at the store?
One teen loved two designs so much that she asked Bird Ross to teach her how to create a reversible backpack.
On several occasions, former Bubbler Artist-In-Residence, Bird Ross, went out into the community to work with Bubbler Teens in a series of sewing workshops. By far, the project that garnered the most excitement and never got old was making pillows. Pillows are a very simple and intimate object to create and can be given as a thoughtful gift or kept as a comforting object.
Create and cutout a design template.
Use the template to cutout your fabric.
Use a sewing machine to start attaching both sides of the pillow.
Stuff the pillow to your preferred firmness.
And finally, hand-sew the pillow shut on the final side.
And did we mention that due to Bird Ross working with these teen groups, some of the site staff have started their own pillow making companies with family members?!?
Bubbler Artist-in-Residence Bird Ross guided participants through sewing and problem-solving projects that focused on the concept of making repairs.
In their first session, Bubbler Teens and University of Wisconsin-Madison students partnered up to make sewing kits.
Bubbler Teens also learned to operate Bird’s sewing machine. Using recycled fabric, participants designed, stuffed, and stitched their own pillows.
Bird also encouraged participants to think about repurposing and problem-solving. During one session, Bubbler Teens were given survival scenarios such as living on a desert island or escaping from a volcano. Each teen worked with a partner using miscellaneous supplies to build tools to help them survive.
