Creativity, Fear, and Fun at the Columbia Mini Maker Faire

By Jillian Owens

 

If you’ve read my bio, you know I have a little blog called ReFashionista.  On my little blog, I take old, ugly, used, and abused $1 thrift store items and turn them into better things.

Every girl should have a hobby.

 

A few months ago, I was approached by the nice folks over at EdVenture about hosting a sewing class for their Mini Maker Faire.    Maker Faires happen all over the country, and are where inventors, creators, crafters, designers, developers, and other clever folks gather together to offer workshops and demonstrations to the public.

Let’s make awesome!

 

I’d been wanting to teach a sewing class for a while now, so I said yes.  But I knew I couldn’t do it alone.  Luckily, The Olive Ant (another local refashion blogger) who has been working with me on starting a series of sewing classes at our public library was happy to join me on this venture.  🙂

Me & Kassie!

 

We set up our classroom the day before and were super-excited about the big event!  Three big racks were filled with refashionables just aching to be restyled and repurposed!

Image courtesy of The Olive Ant

 

Despite the optimism of the event’s organizers, I didn’t think this was going to be a big deal.  EdVenture was great about promoting the Maker Faire and our place in it, but I really didn’t think that many people would come to our room.  I honestly didn’t think there would be much interest.

I was wrong.

When the doors opened, our sewing studio was quickly filled with super-hyper kids and their parents.

Kids.

Kids?

I’m about to sound extraordinarily daft, but I thought this event was targeted to adults and maaaaaybe a few teens.  I had no idea this was a kids’ event, and hadn’t planned for it as such.  You would think that the fact that the whole shebang was being hosted at a children’s museum would have clued me in, but it didn’t.

 

This was the slowest the room was all day.

 

I grabbed Kassie by the arm and pulled her aside,

“Did you have any idea this whole thing was for kids?!?” I hissed, eyeing the room in panic.

“No!  I thought it was for grownups!” She raised her eyebrows and shrugged with a look that said, Meh…guess we’re going to have to make the best of this.

I don’t understand kids.  I didn’t like them when I was a kid, and I pretty much just avoid them as an adult.  It’s easy to do.  I’ve never babysat, and most of my friends are child-free.  If a community event is touted as being family-friendly, I don’t go to it.  Every time I see a squalling brat at Target, I feel even better about this life choice.

So how, after years of successful avoidance, had I ended up trapped in a room full of kids (mostly under 10 years old) for 8 hours?

I couldn’t just leave, as we were swamped with young sewing hopefuls, and I certainly didn’t want to abandon Kassie.  But, I had no idea how to talk to these strange tiny people!

I decided to go with what I knew and talked to them as if they were all drunk artists.  I encouraged their creativity while keeping them from maiming themselves with the multitude of sharp objects in the room.

It worked like a charm.

These kids were clever and wildly creative!

 

This mom/daughter pair created a cute mermaid costume out of a sparkly tank top and an old prom dress! (Photo Courtesy of The Olive Ant)

 

This cool kid turned an 80′s lace dress into a sweet vest with a pocket!

 

This used to be a dated denim dress, but I’m digging that hi-low hem add-on!  Very Urban Outfitters, no? (Photo Courtesy of The Olive Ant)

 

These sisters worked with their dad to make two fun summer tops! (Photo Courtesy of The Olive Ant)

 

This little lady was quite proud of her off-the-shoulder refash!

 

Kassie helped this ReFashionisto make a jacket out of a vest and pant legs! (Photo Courtesy of The Olive Ant)

 

At the end of this extremely challenging, yet intensely rewarding day, I was helping my last pupil:  a really sweet young lady who wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up.  🙂

Turning a nightgown into a fun frock! (Photo Courtesy of The Olive Ant)

 

I hate to play favorites, but this kid was kinda my favorite. 🙂 Her mom was a terrifically patient and lovely lady as well.  🙂

I was amazed how how smart, fun, opinionated, and fearless these kids were.

So much creativity was unleashed on this very special day.  I’d guesstimate that we saw over 100 people in our sewing classroom.  Major props to Kassie for being an amazing collaborator, and thanks to EdVenture for forcing me out of my kid-free comfort zone.  😉  I was thrilled that some of my of my grown-up blog fans even came by to say hi.  Such an amazing and unexpected day.

Let’s keep Making Awesome!

 

Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net or helping the underserved through her work in Community Impact at United Way of the Midlands. She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia. Any comments, questions, or crude remarks can be directed to [email protected].