This week the kids used all manner of pattern making techniques to create a wonderfully vibrant fashion catwalk – with cardboard human and other animal mannequins.
The process was simple enough – but the results certainly weren’t. We had scarfs, saris, hats, capes, boots – you name it! Using techniques such as scarffito (sratching into wet paint to reveal a painted layer underneath) and stenciling they first made their ‘fabric’ by covering a piece of A4 paper with their pattern design. While these designs dried they drew their mannequins – usually they chose people but we also had an elephant, a seahorse and a fish. These were carefully cut out of cardboard, being careful to include a rectangle at the bottom. This was slotted into another cardboard rectangle at right angles so that the mannequin would stand up. Then the process of making the fabric could start. I encouraged them to think of the paper like fabric – so to imagine how it could be cut, folded and even sewed into the clothes they wanted to design. I also provided other papers – such as doilies and tissue paper – to provide other elements. The cat walks at the end were amazing!
Thanks to the amazing people at Access Art for the idea!
