SEWING/TEXTILE ARTS – The sewing/textile arts programs taught by the Creativity Shell are customized and structured based on the age, location and size of the class we are working with. Structured programs are designed to give confidence to the students. On the first day of class, students are usually able to finish a project and take it home. After the first month of instant gratification, students are weaned off simple projects and gradually begin receiving bigger and more complicated projects to work on. By the time the students are enrolled in their second month of our programs, their confidence in using the machine and making small items encourages them to have patience for larger more complicated items.
S.T.E.M/SEWING – The Creativity Shell is also blending S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills with our sewing/textile arts program by teaching students to sew with Electricity Conductive Threads (ECT). Students in these classes learn to use ECT to add electrical elements to their garments such as LED lights. Students will also learn to “CODE” the electrical elements of their garments and allow them to “Light Up” in sequence. In the future, some of our students plan to create clothing that can charge smart watches and other devices.
HOMELESSNESS & HUMAN TRAFFICKING – The Creativity Shell teaches vocational fashion programs to students rescued from human trafficking and homelessness in Houston. Vocational fashion programs are designed to teach practical skills to trafficking victims and help them heal at the same time. Structured programs empower the students to accomplish positive tasks while working in a creative environment with designers and artists alike. Some of the classes offered in the vocational fashion program include: fabric dyeing, textile arts, fashion merchandising, up cycling, alterations, tailoring and more. Upon completion of the vocational fashion program, students will have the basic skills to find employment in retail stores, manufacturing or entrepreneurship by owning a home based alterations business, online stores such as ETSY.com. Students are also encouraged to use sewing/textile arts skills as a hobby
PHILANTHROPY – As we teach our students to sew, we are also teaching them to give back to the community with organizations such as Project Linus. Project Linus is a fantastic organization that makes blankets to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. The blankets will be handmade by children enrolled in our free sewing/textile arts classes in Houston and will be donated to needy children nationwide. As our organization continues to grow, we plan to partner with homeless and animal rescue shelters to have our students make things to donate to their organizations.
GIRL SCOUTS/TEXTILE ARTS BADGES – The San Jacinto Girl Scouts has partnered with the Creativity Shell, to offer specialized sewing/textile arts workshops for Houston Girl Scouts! Girl Scouts attending the sewing/textile arts workshops will learn sewing/textile arts skills taught by textile professionals employed by the Creativity Shell. Students will learn machine-sewing skills, vocational fashion skills such as up cycling as well as textile arts such as fabric dyeing.
SEWING MACHINE DONATIONS – From time to time we receive sewing machine donations. Some of the machines are used in our programs, (Hint Hint, we are in dire need of an embroidery machine) and many of our machines are donated to the students in our classes who excel in our programs and do not have machines at home. We are also working on a project that will give new sewing machines to our victims of homelessness and human trafficking in which they can use to continue their sewing/textile arts work upon leaving the shelter we taught them in. Please contact sdaniel@creativityshell.org if you have a machine you would like to donate.
CREATIVITY ROCKS! – One of the biggest accomplishments by the Creativity Shell to date was the organization’s annual fashion/design show Creativity Rocks! Students enrolled in the 2015 – 2016 Creativity Shell sewing/textile arts classes were given the opportunity to sew and make their own garments and accessories to model in the show. The creative nature of our fashion show gave students the opportunity to artistically express themselves through dyeing fabrics, working with artistic themes, blending textiles and making unique items. The excitement of the students to finish and model their garments fulfilled the mission of the Creativity Shell by educating and inspiring the next generation of makers! The next Creativity Rocks will be Saturday, April 29, 2017! All students enrolled in our programs throughout the 2016 – 2017 school year will have the opportunity to participate in the event.