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Sewing machine adds new element to the library

There is not only literature art in the CVHS Library, but there is also textile art, which means you can make your own clothes on campus nowadays.

Thanks to some generous parents, the library received a sewing machine from its Amazon Wishlist in January. School librarian Dana Adams thinks it’s a terrific gift. 

“I sew all of my own clothes with a sewing machine all the time, so I’ve always had a dream to teach students how to use it as well, ” Adams said excitedly. 

Besides her interest, moreover, the sewing machine was actually a big help for Jennifer Parker, the VAPA teacher. Parker would encourage her students to learn this classic style of making clothes, and the experience remained significant for them to further expand their learning about fashion design. 

The sewing machine is not only for class requirements, but also for other student use. Every student, no matter skillful or not, maintains the full right to deal with the textiles. Actually, in order to use the machine, students don’t need any talent for making clothes at all: the sewing machine is easy to use with simple procedures. 

According to Adams, whenever students finish a little safety training on sewing, they are ready to go. Participants can choose their favorite sewing thread and place it on top of the machine. Since the thread will go directly on the fabric, students have to find their favorable distance and line up it correctly. After all that, students could simply turn on the light, click the switch, and step on the pedal. The needle will then go up and down, and that’s how they are taught to make clothes.

“The only thing that needs to be improved related to the sewing machine is its table. It is not stable at all, and we all need a good table to work,” Adams strongly requested. 

Nowadays, more people are going to buy clothes instead of making  their own. But if students maintain curiosity and creativity, then it is definitely valuable for them to try out the sewing machine from the library.