THREADY, SET, SEW • Final Stitches Of Summer
August 07, 2018
Ragtime Fabrics Sewing Camp Teaches Kids Basics
By DEREK BLYER
Daily News-Record 8/7/18
HARRISONBURG — Instructors at Ragtime Fabrics sewing camp won’t have to worry if camper Drew Wiley was impressed with the first day of the weeklong affair.
“Can I stay here all day instead of just 12:30?” the 10-year-old from Harrisonburg asked, after learning how to make a decorative heart ornament complete with a ribbon loop hanger.
Drew was one of roughly a half-dozen youth gathered Monday at Ragtime Fabrics in Harrisonburg for the sewing supply company’s final camp offered over the summer.
The weeklong camp is open to children ages 8 to 18, and instructors said it has hosted the camp for about five years.
This week’s camp focused on making fashion accessories, although students will complete other projects as well.
“It’s primarily about having fun and learning something that isn’t related to SOLs,” instructor Kathy Roletter said referring to the Virginia’s Standards of Learning standardized tests for students in public schools.
Roletter leads the camp along with fellow Ragtime Fabrics employee Sylvia Aamodt.
Participants first learned how to set up their bobbins, use their foot- controlled pedals, and test their stitches before starting any projects.
Once they learned the basics, they practiced on sample cloth scraps.
For some campers, that was enough to whet their appetite. “My mom heard about it looking up the best summer camps online, and when she asked me I said, ‘It sounds like a lot of fun,’” said Drew, as he finalized his heart ornament.
Other projects campers will tackle this week include making a cellphone- holding charging pouch, a six-pocket bag that could hold a variety of school or sewing supplies, and multiuse pouches.
After completing this camp, participants can attend more advanced courses Ragtime offers, instructors said, which include quilting classes. “It is important to have fun first and foremost,” Roletter said, “but we also want them to be able to take home something as a sense of accomplishment.”
ABOVE: Instructor Sylvia Aamodt of Ragtime Fabrics helps Sophia Piper, 8, of Weyers Cave, during sewing camp in Harrisonburg on Monday. BELOW: Camp instructor Kathy Roletter shows Drew Wiley, 10, of Harrisonburg, how to make a seam.
Sylvia Aamodt, instructor for Ragtime Fabrics, helps sisters Sophia and Gabriella Piper, both 8, of Weyers Cave, during sewing camp on Monday.
By DEREK BLYER
Daily News-Record 8/7/18
HARRISONBURG — Instructors at Ragtime Fabrics sewing camp won’t have to worry if camper Drew Wiley was impressed with the first day of the weeklong affair.
“Can I stay here all day instead of just 12:30?” the 10-year-old from Harrisonburg asked, after learning how to make a decorative heart ornament complete with a ribbon loop hanger.
Drew was one of roughly a half-dozen youth gathered Monday at Ragtime Fabrics in Harrisonburg for the sewing supply company’s final camp offered over the summer.
The weeklong camp is open to children ages 8 to 18, and instructors said it has hosted the camp for about five years.
This week’s camp focused on making fashion accessories, although students will complete other projects as well.
“It’s primarily about having fun and learning something that isn’t related to SOLs,” instructor Kathy Roletter said referring to the Virginia’s Standards of Learning standardized tests for students in public schools.
Roletter leads the camp along with fellow Ragtime Fabrics employee Sylvia Aamodt.
Participants first learned how to set up their bobbins, use their foot- controlled pedals, and test their stitches before starting any projects.
Once they learned the basics, they practiced on sample cloth scraps.
For some campers, that was enough to whet their appetite. “My mom heard about it looking up the best summer camps online, and when she asked me I said, ‘It sounds like a lot of fun,’” said Drew, as he finalized his heart ornament.
Other projects campers will tackle this week include making a cellphone- holding charging pouch, a six-pocket bag that could hold a variety of school or sewing supplies, and multiuse pouches.
After completing this camp, participants can attend more advanced courses Ragtime offers, instructors said, which include quilting classes. “It is important to have fun first and foremost,” Roletter said, “but we also want them to be able to take home something as a sense of accomplishment.”
ABOVE: Instructor Sylvia Aamodt of Ragtime Fabrics helps Sophia Piper, 8, of Weyers Cave, during sewing camp in Harrisonburg on Monday. BELOW: Camp instructor Kathy Roletter shows Drew Wiley, 10, of Harrisonburg, how to make a seam.
Sylvia Aamodt, instructor for Ragtime Fabrics, helps sisters Sophia and Gabriella Piper, both 8, of Weyers Cave, during sewing camp on Monday.
