With two more Citizen Schools trainings under my belt, the semester calendar mapped out and lesson plans written, I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the teens and I will soon be up to.
With six packages from generous tatters, a donation, my own box of de-stashed thread and shuttles, and several clever supply ideas from other tatters, we’ve got just about all the supplies we’ll need. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again to those of you who have contributed. This wouldn’t be possible without your support.
Last evening I met my staff partner who works for Citizen Schools full time and will be helping me throughout the apprenticeship with classroom management and planning etc. She seems to be really on top of things and I think we’ll work well together.
The classes themselves won’t begin for three weeks but before that can happen, we need to recruit some students. Next week the school will hold an “apprenticeship fair,” in which all of us who are teaching the apprenticeships set up booths to lure in inspire unsuspecting eager students to take our classes. Groups of students will rotate around to all the class options and we’ll each give them our pitch about how cool/awesome/nifty/useful/ridiculous our class will be and why they should take it. The students then pick their top three choices and the staff places them as well as they can.
So…that leaves me with the big question of how to inspire these students to learn tatting. Sure, you and I think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, but I still remember when bread came from a field of wheat and we had to pick each grain by hand…. Or so I probably will seem to these teenie boppers. They want the new fads, the latest and greatest, not a hundreds-of-years-old dusty lacemaking technique. Are you feeling my insecurities yet?
Just in case you aren’t, let me be clear. I’m afraid to be “stuck” in a room with 18 13-year-olds who all wish they had got into the gardening or robotics apprenticeships and weren’t “stuck” with me for twelve weeks.
Therefore I need to inspire them from the beginning to want to tat, that tatting is awesome, and that they can do it. I’m just making a wild guess that putting my hair in a bun, dragging in a squeaky rocking chair and lap afghan to demo tatting wouldn’t be the best approach, however much it might give me some warped amusement.
All right, all you tatting geniuses on the interweb, what do you think I should do? I’ve been racking my brains for three weeks and not coming up with anything very interesting, so it’s all up to you now (no pressure). The pitch is about five minutes, and is ideally:
- Engaging
- Uses props and interactive activities
- Builds up excitement for the apprenticeship
- Is easy to repeat several times to different groups of kids
Got you thinking caps on? Great. Leave comments below with your ideas. pretty please with sugar on top
Ready, set, go!
(I said please)
Since tatting has such a long, rich history, maybe try explaining to the students that it’s likely something that many of their ancestors did (depending on where those ancestors originated), and is thus an opportunity to learn a little about their history/culture. (Personally, the fact that I am of Polish ancestry makes me just tickled to pieces over the fact that Jan Stawasz turns out such amazing stuff.)
The biggest thing people are impressed with when they see me tatting is that I must have a lot of patience to do such a thing. Patience is easily a useful skill for these kids, both now and in their futures as adults.
I would have a sample of what they might get done after just a few classes (ie. zig-zag chain bracelets with thick thread), what they might work up to by the end of the course (ie. AnneB’s Minor Norwegian Dragon or Totus Mel’s barefoot sandals or some of Jane Eb’s cute animals), and some photos off the web of things they might do with the skill (think Totus Mel’s masks, some of the gigant tatting by AnneB, oh, lot’s of jewlery like Marilee Rockley’s…)
You could tatt a 4 ring butterfly during the 5 minutes to give away (and have a few more available, of course) so they leave with a bit of a sample to think about it.
My older daughter is 12 and I’m a girl scout leader for a troop of 12 to 14 year olds, they all love jewelry and hair clips…and the more unique the better. Though unique seems to need to be within the range of what others are wearing, just not the same as. My suggestion would be to present small tatted items as potential jewelry…butterflies on earwires, small rosettes on hair clips (these are very popular with my daughter, especially with a jewel or pearl center). Also, some small motif in their school colors as earrings and a matching pendant. The idea of being able to design ones own jewelry will likely also appeal, definitely show Marilee Rocklee and Totus Mel’s designs. The fashion designer urge has not yet ended at age 13…if anything it’s at it’s peak.
You might wander through the local mall’s accessories boutiques (Clair’s, Icings or whathaveyou) to check out current trends and popular colors. Here, feathers are popular right now…so glueing a feather or two behind a motif on a hair clip seems to up it’s cool factor at present. That may not be the same where you are.
Card making is also popular with my daughter and her friends, so motifs on cards would be an idea (in bright/trendy colors).
The history of the art also may appeal as it makes the items seem quite exotic and appealing to a young teen…along with the idea that it was a court pastime (showed off ones hands nicely and was considered an elegant pastime for a lady) and was done by queens etc. At 13, girls still like the idea of royalty and the elegance aquainted with that even if they have now outgrown the “princess” stage.
maybe some tatting thats really small, and then really big. maybe wear a tatting cuff or bracelet thats attractive. maybe some exciting photos of janes work, and then some of tat mans work, showing the guys that men also tat, and can design great works of art.
I agree with Julie R. and to add to her ideas you could also show them some blinged shuttles and show them that they can also have fun decorating their shuttles up to make them pretty!!!
well, all the good ideas that I came up with while reading your post, have been stated very well by the previous comments, so I simply add my agreement, to using tatting as adornments, earrings, hair clips, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and beads, lots of beads.
These are some really good ideas; much better than I had come up with. Thank you for the suggestions, and I welcome any more. I’ll get started on some of this tomorrow.
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I learned to tat when I was about 13 or so. I wish you the best time with these kids. May God bless you as you impress their beautiful young lives. ♥
I agree with Julie, having 2 grandaughters, they are not really interested in learning old skills, UNLESS they can wear i.e in hair, jewellery etc or give to friends to wear,
Hi Heather, I work with young people all the time and also have done round robins trying to get them engaged in 5 mins. We’re also currently working with a group of young people who are designing and exhibiting their own fashions. I agree with the others and I’m sure you’re already doing this, but you have to start with their interest. I’d be tempted to even start the 5 mins but asking them something like, what’s your favourite fashion item? who’s style do you like? if you could design anything what would it be? and working on from there. Also, I assume you’ve got boys in the group too so it’s important not to be too female focused. Our lads are designing clothing based on their favourite computer games. Good luck. I’m sure it’ll be brilliant!
I found this the other day on revelry.com and it seems ‘tailor’ made for preteens , it is a competition asking for submissions for a handmade basketball net.
They give you all the dimensions, instructions and support you need to do this with the craft of your choice and material as well. It is specifically for the encouragement of craft and design. Go to http://molteninetworks.tumblr.com/call
I’m so glad that jewelry is now a big part of tatting today, because that is what will greatly appeal to the youngsters and ‘draw them in’. It may be the spark that leads them into learning more about tatting! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and maybe they could manage a simple heart pattern for earrings! Also, larger heart motifs (big thread) could decorate a heart box.
And I’d like to think that making Christmas ornaments – especially snowflakes – would also appeal to them for hanging on the tree or in a window in their room! It’s always fun to add a crystal (or acrylic) suncatcher on the bottom ‘point’ of the flake, or in the center if there’s space there.
I am pleased that you have mentioned the crochet hold in a separate post. You might have youngsters who knows how to crochet, and it would be much more natural to them. And, as you may know, I’m a big proponent of teaching the chain first, with two different thread colors. After the knot is mastered, they can concentrate on the ring.
After reading about your very serious vision problem, I am astounded at the amount of tatting and blogging that you do, not to mention just getting through each day! My hat is off to you for your exceptional accomplishment in creating this blog and your tireless work in promoting and teaching tatting!
Heavy thread , and it will work up fast for them. A necklace or wristlet, and there have been wonderful ideas so far – hair clips are really in around here. I am teaching a class at a local center here that is a place for terminal people to gather, and tatting is coming up. Tatting on burlap is a wonderful surprise.
I wish you all the luck, and know that you will do wonderfully, as with all you do. The minds at that age are thinking a step ahead, and lots of samples with freebees handed out once in a while ~ ~
Tatting on burlap? Please describe this in more detail.
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