McClelland Academy Program

Food For Thought – Caribbean Gardens and Market

On Wednesday the 4th of September, Food For Thought MAP students went on an all day excursion to the Caribbean Gardens and market. The excursion started off with a brief explanation of the gardens and market and a little of the history, teaching  lot of people new things. We learnt that the gardens and markets are over 50 years old and we met someone who explained to us that he was a third generation farmer! We also learnt about some of the markets and stalls and about the items being sold. Each student received a small gift bag with a $5 voucher to spend at the market, a hat, some information about the gardens and market and vouchers for each ride. Everyone participated in a small train ride around the gardens and a chairlift over the gardens. Something fun that we discovered was that while on the chairlift, statues and figures of animals and people were placed in the gardens and there were even real goats! Each student had time to spend at the market to browse, buy and eat at one of the many food stalls. 

-Madison Hume

Update on the exciting activities happening in the Fashion Academy

2019 is the first year that the Fashion Academy has been running at McClelland, and so far it has been FABULOUS.

From humble beginnings during head-start in November 2018, the students and I have developed a thriving and exciting Wednesday afternoon program. 

Discussing Fashion is not a trivial pursuit.

The students have been integral in the design of the projects we take on. We have looked at what we define as Fashion, and how it has changed overtime, from something that was purely utilitarian to a status symbol and lifes-style statement. Students have gained an understanding of the necessity of presentation, and the evolution of female designers and the lasting impressions their designs have left.

We also pulled out the sewing machines, and got stitching! 

We made tote bags, that were designed, and made by the students. From measuring and cutting patterns to cutting fabric and assembling the bags, to the decoration and embellishment each piece was unique as the maker. 

Part of the styling of the tote bags included dip-dyeing and tie-dyeing; there were some fantastic results. Others opted to add a personal touch with fabric markers or stitching monograms.

Our first community project was to apply our bag making skills to support the FL@M project in their creation of care packages for the homeless. The students went to town working out the measurements for the bag sizes, the quantity of materials needed and the cost of production. The community  and ownership of this project was brilliant and the girls were so proud to see their efforts go to a worthy cause. Thank you Miss Harry for your support as well.

This semester we have been looking at the development of individual style; creating mood boards with ideas and patterns that represent our personal style. We have created different looks for fashion figures  by using watercolour and textured paper to make designer fabrics. This created great conversation regarding what sort of material might work for different types of clothing, like evening gowns or gym gear.

We have taken a look at accessories, and created polymer clay charms, and we are preparing to create a few more for our next community event.

We have created our own patterns and designs to screen print, another industry technique. We have investigated the sustainability of fashion, and how destructive ‘fast fashion’ is on the environment. We gratefully accepted a HUGE donation of exciting fabrics and materials that have been put to use in the creation of scrunchies, pencil cases and soon to be other items that have been printed with our designs. 

We went on our first excursion to SAVERS, the recycle superstore a few weeks ago, seeking to repurpose and upcycle some fashion items into personalised treasures. We are looking forward to the exciting results!  Most recently we have just had an experienced dress/costume maker in to teach us how to create a made to measure A-Line skirt, with a zip and pockets! The results’ although not yet complete are brilliant!

Annelise Scott