Sewing group works towards fashion parade
Tutors Margy Meys (left), Abbey Gilligan (mid rear) and Ceiros Begg (right) take the youth sewing classes. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
A creative dressmaking course for young people has attracted a dedicated group of around a dozen sewers who have been meeting every Monday after school for the last year-and-a-half.
A Youth Council initiative supported by the Golden Bay Community Workers, its attendees are aged from 11 to 23 and meet at the high school home economics room. Their tutors, Margy Meys, Ceiros Begg and Abbey Gilligan, are all highly experienced at scouring op-shops and seeing new possibilities in abandoned outfits.
As a warm-up to being creative, they start the sessions by sitting around the table and exchanging ideas and materials. As well as learning sewing techniques like overlocking, they have acquired skills in making bags, textile arts, vamping up existing wardrobes, mix-and-matching, altering garments to fit specific body shapes, and adding funky additions and accessories. Locals have generously donated many items and the group is open to a continuing supply of fabric, buttons, dresses or just anything associated with creative sewing.
Maniana Raunigg, 15, has been turning up since the group started.
“I’ve always loved anything artistic. I’ve learned so much here about how to individualise clothing. Many of the basics I knew already, but this has helped my confidence heaps.”
The sewers plan to continue next year as well, their ultimate aim being a fashion parade of their creations at the high school hall sometime after the middle of the year, which will incorporate formal dresses being made for the high school ball. Some local sponsors are already on board with this event, and Mariposa will also use the occasion to show its latest fashions. Models will be drawn not only from the high school but also from adult sewing classes.
Gerard Hindmarsh
