Craft

We have had a particularly productive and successful term (and end of term 2) so far in craft. Highlights include competition entries, namely the Beanie Festival and The Alice Springs show, an excursion to Hermannsburg Potters, and many completed projects. It’s such a joy to hear students bellowing over the playground ‘Bindiiii!!! When do we have craft next??’ expressing their enthusiasm for the projects they are working on. The confidence in the students has grown exponentially over the year as they fine tune their new skills and see the results of their hard work.

Class 1 were awarded the ‘Judges Choice Award’ for their knitted ring-neck parrots in The Alice Springs Show! This term students are working on their knitted recorder cases. Skills students are learning and revising in this project include knitting and changing colour, dolphin stitch, finger knitting, blanket stitch and sewing on a button. We are on track to have most of these completed by the end of this term!

Class 2 are continuing with their knitted friends this term. We had a quick knitting interval at the beginning of the term to create chopping boards due to their great success in Class 1! The class thoroughly enjoyed the physical, tactile process of filing, sanding and oiling their unique chopping board designs and approached their knitted dolls again with increased enthusiasm.  Students who have completed their dolls are knitting mittens for next year’s winter. It’s great to see the creativity the students are demonstrating through the colour choices of their dolls (see Simon’s very comical ‘carrot man’.) It has been hard to get pictures of the finished dolls as they very quickly make their way home!

Class 3 have been continuing with their cushion covers this term which are looking beautiful. Again, the students are choosing some excellent colour combinations while others are opting for a classic rainbow design. In the coming weeks, students will begin to create the second side of their cushions using treble stitch. We are hoping to create skipping ropes at the beginning of next term too for classes 1-4.

Class 4 have wrapped up their pencil case cross-stitch project, and those students who finished early worked on crocheted slippers at the end of last term (while it was still cold!). This term, we are working on embellished homework bags. Students are designing and stitching a unique embroidered strap using new learnt techniques. Students will then craft a textural linocut design to be printed on the front of the bag. Earlier this term, Class 4 also created a wall hanging in response to the statement ‘Peace Has No Borders’ for an exhibition that was part of the ‘Alice Springs Peace Action Think Tank’. They wove, stitched and wrote inspiring notes for the wall hanging and the finished product was truly inspiring. 

Class 5 have completed their knitted socks and felt elephants, and are about to design and create their own terracotta Greek hydrias in line with their main lesson content. In preparation for this ceramics project, we visited Hermannsburg (Ntaria) to meet two Aranda artists from Hermannsburg Potters. Hayley and Anita showed us where clay was traditionally collected on the banks of the Finke river and Hayley spoke to the students about her creative process and the steps it took to create her beautiful masterpieces. We can’t wait to commence the ceramics project this week!

Class 6 are demonstrating some serious perseverance with their dolls which has become a longer project than we all anticipated! We have learnt so many new skills through this project and their attention to detail is unwavering. We are aiming to have the dolls completed by the end of this term and are looking forward to carving spoons in Term 4.

Class 7 have been working on linocut designs this term. Students have used decorative initials from medieval texts as inspiration to create a design that incorporates the first letter of their name. Students have sewn up their own tote bag designs on a sewing machine and printed their linocuts onto their bags. We have commenced a ‘moveable toy’ woodwork project to finish the term which will set the students up with skills to engage in a larger woodwork project next term. 

Class 8 have completed their pyjamas and feeling pretty proud! Earlier in the year students created their own bespoke textile designs which were printed onto fabric in Melbourne. Students then measured themselves and created their own pyjama ‘pattern blocks’, made a ‘toile’, and used their bespoke fabric to create their final pair of PJ’s. Next week we are beginning a ceramics unit which draws inspiration from pictorial elements from the French Revolution learnt about in main lesson. Students will build on their anatomical drawings of hands from earlier in the year to create a lifelike fist punching into the air.