SEW MUCH TO LEARN

Take a few patterns, some fabric, scissors, business advisers and kindergarten imagination and what do you get? At Queen Victoria school, you get a class where the students design, sew and even market clothes.

On any day in Mary Catherine Rolston’s kindergarten class at Queen Victoria school, the students are busy planning sewing projects, designing fabric, cutting out patterns, sewing clothes and creating promotional catalogues. The idea for the Sew Family 220 project began with student Eva-Leigh Thompson, 5, who was creating fashionable princess dresses at home with the help of her great-grandmother. When Rolston realized other students were interested in doing the same, she and teacher Brandon Sheddon developed a more expanded sewing program using the curriculum as their guide. Add Sheddon’s experience with Etsy, where the students’ articles are sold, and a little business was born. Rolston also approached Venture Cafe, which sponsored the class and led them to entrepreneur and mentor Adele Wolcott from BMO. Local businesses like Fabricland and Dollarama also donate supplies. The students market the business through short videos they create, as well as making handmade product catalogues. Not only are the kids learning skills such as sewing, numeracy and running a business, they are also giving back. Proceeds from items sold go to help build a school in a developing country.

Kindergarten teacher Mary Catherine Rolston holds the fabric for Lena Joncas-Smith, 5, as she cuts the pattern for her dress in the Sew Family class.

PHOTOS BY CATHIE COWARD, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Zoey Buffett, Bob Duong, Aaliyah Henry and Aya Radhi tie-dyed this fabric.

Aya Radhi models her creation in their product catalogue. ‘Beach Dress $10. You wear it at the beach.’

Eva-Leigh Thompson, 5, was the inspiration for Sew Family 220 sewing class and business at Queen Victoria school. She’s holding the design for her latest creation — a dress inspired by the movie Frozen, complete with cape.

Kwanku Mensah poses in a cape for sale on Etsy. ‘Wear this when you want to save someone,’ reads the catalogue promotion. A steal at just $10.

Chelsea Bai, 5, shows off the design for the puppet theatre project she is working on, and hopes to sell on Etsy. The class has created stuffed animals, pillows, clothing and more, and sold an Elvis pillow to a person in Florida.

Midian LeBlanc works with teacher Brandon Shedden sewing her mermaid doll, as Darien Hill captures the project on video.

Lena Joncas-Smith carefully measures her fabric with the help of kindergarten teacher Rolston. The business helps teach number recognition and simple measurements.

Darien Hill, sporting Spider-Man boots and a T-shirt that says I’m The Next Big Thing, is the go-to guy for video for the kindergarten business.