Sophie's Art Brownie Badge

Sophie has always been very keen on her weekly Brownie sessions and this is matched with her wishing to chose and work for different badges.  Since last summer she has been working on some badge or other and the latest is her Art Badge.

So we have been planning which of the sections of the badge requirements that Sophie wants to do.

The first thing that we did was set up a fabric printing station. Sophie had made her own printing blocks months ago because she saw me making some for my Art Textiles course so it made sense to use them again.

A few trials to make sure that the colour was just right on some spare fabric which Sophie will take along to the Brownie tester to show what the fabric looked like before cutting it up .

A great deal of concentration required now and Sophie decided what the design should look like.  That little apron she is wearing was a present years ago when she was about three!  It seems to grow with her.

I showed her how to load the printing block with a paint brush and left her to work out the rest herself.

Sophie added to the fabric using a cotton wool bud and her fingers!

She then used a template of mine and drew out a paper pattern.  She then pinned the paper pattern to the fabric making sure that she picked the best bits of her fabric (her idea to do this) and then using her sewing machine she pinned, stitched, stuffed each of the above hearts with ribbon to tie them together.  The best bit is that she also stitched up the opening with the stuffing inside without any problems on her own when I said that I would help her with this bit.

They really are very good indeed and Sophie made these all by herself I was just in the kitchen with her to be on hand of needed.  I really was not needed (don't tell me that I am on the scrap heap already?)
She is delighted with them and I was delighted at how she coped with this and problem solved as she went along.  A real slushy Mummy moment when steps forward like this occur.  Sophie is only 10 years old and has a lot of ability that I intend to nurture as she grows up.
This is only a part of what she has made for her Artist badge and she will be tested on it after Easter so I shall show you some more in my next post.
I am now on Easter holiday, I have six boxes of work and I think that I have the lurgy coming that half the nation has had.  Brilliant timing as usual.
Have a great Easter weekend where ever you may be.
xx

Sophie's first Brownie Badge - Home Safety

Sophie had a first last Tuesday when she was presented with her first Brownie Badge! It is shown above and I think that all of the Brownies worked on this together. There was quite a bit that Sophie had to do over several weeks to earn this.

* Had to prove that she understood about safety in the home. She had to know what safe and dangerous things were such as keeping tablets out of the way of small children.

*Draw a room that was unsafe.

*Sophie then had to memorise some important phone numbers such as 999, Grandma and Grandad's number, home number, where she lived.

*Had to circle dangerous things on a picture for homework.

* At Brownies Sophie had a sheet of paper with dangerous and non-dangerous things and they had to circle the dangerous things and hand it in to the Brownie leader.

*Sophie had to make a game up with our own ideas to help little children learn how to be safe at home.

Then Mummy had to sew it on.

Surprisingly difficult to get the badge straight on a fabric that stretches and has been worn before It will do.

Sophie is now working out which one she would like to tackle next.

She took this really seriously and she really enjoyed the challenge of working towards this badge. I think she will benefit in many ways from her weekly brownie sessions.

Well done Sophie.

xx