Extra Hints & Tips
A good rule is to not leave the sewing machine unattended at any point in the program.
In general, teen girls and boys were reluctant to use the sewing machine, but felt very proud of themselves afterwards. This is a great way to boost confidence and teach life skills. Westerville received a great response from teens and parents and plan to offer more sewing programs following the success of Denim Pillows.
Teens will likely find "Bling your Jeans" the most enjoyable part of the program, so a larger amount of time should be set aside for this activity. If teens aren't able to finish decorating their pillows before the program is finished, they can pick out some notions they liked and finish at home.
Note: Cleaning up after the program can take a while because teens like to cut up notions like faux fur that create a lot of mess. But as Mickie Stiers at Westerville says: mess "is proof of a fun program."
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