Many of you will already know the Sew a Softie Workbook No.1: Kandinsky Inspired Softies to Sew with Kids.
Well, I have a newsflash for you!!!
The Sew a Softie Workbook No.2: Square Zenki Softies to Sew with Kids is coming out on March 25!!!
And if you haven’t heard about my Sew a Softie Workbook Series yet, I’ll fill you in.
After continually receiving emails from teachers saying they wanted to introduce sewing into their art curricula, I decided to create a series of sewing workbooks that could help. Don’t get me wrong. These workbooks are great for anyone wishing to sew with kids, but in this series, I do have my eye on what art teachers wanting to sew with a class might need. The first thing to know about these workbooks is that all the projects are zenkis and that means: they are fun, simple to sew and above all else, creative.
Zenkis: perfect projects for sewing with kids
A zenki is a softie/stuffie made from only two pieces of felt and requires nothing more than a simple running stitch around the torso. The zenki design is famous for minimising difficulties and maximising creativity and (take note teachers), makes sewing with a group of kids both doable and enjoyable… even if you have no previous sewing experience. And…yes …zenkis aren’t just any old softies…they come with personalities and quirks…don’t ask me how, but they do! Anyone who has ever made a zenki for themselves can testify to this peculiar fact.
So be warned: zenkis behave (and misbehave) in unpredictable and amusing ways.
The amazing ever-changing square
The second thing you need to know about the Sew a Softie Workbooks is that they show you how to create your very own original zenki-style softies.
Whereas the first Sew a Softie workbook was all about looking at the paintings of Kandinsky and discovering all sorts of imaginative shapes to make zenkis from, the Sew a Softie Workbook No.2 is here to show you that the humble square is a seriously creative ever-changing dude.
And that’s no empty hype. It’s absolutely true.
The Sew a Softie Workbook No.2 shows you how the square can be a way of seeing. Every softie in this workbook offers you a slightly different take on what this means. The zenkis in this workbook, via their elegant spokesperson, Pink Rhino, all want to say in their differing ways: If you can draw a square, you can create wonderful softies very easily. You don’t have to copy us. Of course, we will be thrilled if you do! That’s why we’ve put aside our time to come together here. To show you what is possible. To inspire you to discover square zenkis that don’t yet exist.
These workbooks are for anyone who wants to sew with kids
Zenkis in general, and Square zenkis in particular, are very big on the right of yet-to-be-created zenkis to exist. And in a nutshell, that’s what this workbook is really about. It’s for teachers and parents and grandparents and you. It’s for anyone who wants to sew with kids. And of course, if you’ve never ever sewn before, I’ve got you covered: all the Sew a Softie workbooks include my personal tips on sewing supplies, helpful hints for teaching sewing to kids and more.
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So, March 25 is a big day! The Sew a Softie Workbook No. 2: Square Zenki Softies to Sew with Kids arrives in all its zenki glory. Check it out.
Never argue with a pink rhino!
Pink Rhino would have loved to give you all a tour, but I told her you were quite capable of checking out this workbook for yourselves.
Nevertheless, she’ll be up on the look inside to open your eyes to the fantastic almost endless creativity of squares. Well, she insisted. And I never argue with a pink rhino. They are crazily stubborn critters and almost always get their way!
Hope you all enjoy my latest Sew a Softie Workbook No.2: Square Zenki Softies to Sew with Kids every bit as much as Pink Rhino does.
Happy sewing, Trixi