Success Story"Its Sew Fine" Sewing Expo continues to impact over a decade later



"Its Sew Fine" Sewing Expo continues to impact over a decade later

Author: Ruth Chowning

Planning Unit: Bullitt County CES

Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

Plan of Work: Youth and Adult Financial, Parenting, Life Skill, and Practical Skill Development

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

Sewing and handwork can bring great satisfaction to someone who makes a project. When very little cost is associated with a project and personal creativity a part of the process, the level of personal satisfaction and fulfillment is found to be greater.  Pin Weaving is a low cost, personally creative method of using the heritage skill of weaving.

 The "It's So Fine for Home and Family" Sewing Expo committee brought Shirley Adams to Kentucky to be the featured speaker on Clothing Construction using 3 basic garment patterns in 2010. As the inventor of the Pin Weaving concept, she taught the easy "Fiber Dance Pin Weaving" lesson to 25 Expo registrants and Extension Agents enrolled in the educational class. The Extension Agents took this skill back to their counties and taught it over 25 times in the years to come reaching over 200 clientele.  Shirley Adams and the Extension Agents for Family & Consumer Sciences shared this new concept and skill with the University of Kentucky Textile Specialist, Marjorie Baker.  Upon the Specialists guidance and support, this method of Pin Weaving was developed into an educational lesson and became the focus for the 2022 Plan of Work of KEHA State Cultural Arts chairman.  

The Bullitt County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, the agent who recruited Shirley Adams to the 2010 Sewing Expo, assisted the new University of Kentucky Textile Specialist to teach and develop the program for the 2021 KEHA State Cultural Arts Chairman training.  Fifty-five Homemakers attended the training learning the technique of Pin Weaving and taking home a kit to create a project and use in the teaching of this pin weaving method state wide.  After the class, the buzz of excitement from the Homemakers could be heard in the Thank-You's and talk that continued long after the class ended.  A program that began 11 years ago has brought new skills, high levels of satisfaction and the continuation of a heritage skill in a modern, low cost manner.






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