Ceramics and tailoring studio

– classes are conducted by an occupational therapy instructor
Małgorzata Lewandowska, MA
(graduate of the Faculty of Revalidation and
Resocialization of the College of Pedagogy
Special in Warsaw in the field
oligophrenopedagogy)

A)
CERAMICS has been part of human history since ancient times and reflects changing customs and rituals of civilization - people made votive objects from clay that expressed their religious feelings. Utility ceramics appeared at a time when humans began to farm. The invention of the potter's wheel was a huge step forward in the popularization of ceramics.

CLASSES in the ceramics studio develop participants' creative sensitivity, develop interests and individual abilities, improve manual dexterity and motor coordination. Ceramics also involves painting and decorating made and finished objects with ceramic paints. Participants constantly improve their acquired skills.

MATERIALS used in the pottery studio

• clay
  Clay is a unique raw material that can be shaped with your hands, with little or no tools. This creates beautiful objects that can be hardened into stone by subjecting them to high temperatures. Working with clay puts us in contact with the elements. Water and air provide plasticity to soft, workable clay, while fire fixes the shapes we create.
  Clay encourages us to leave a trace of ourselves, we want to squeeze it in our hands and give form to our ideas and dreams.
  Clay is a unique material from which you can create all sorts of things, from everyday objects to giant outdoor sculptures.
• plasticine, modeling clay, plaster, salt dough, paper pulp
• grains and groats from which pictures are made

STAGES OF WORK in the ceramics studio

• Occupational health and safety in the ceramics workshop

Creating a painting – ceramic mosaic

• clay preparation (crushing and pouring water)
• making clay
• modeling of individual elements (e.g. balls, snails, cubes)
• drawing or mapping designs
• conversation over the selection of elements needed to create the pattern
• arranging the image under the supervision of a therapist
• painting a given pattern
• joint discussion of the work done

Working on a pottery wheel

• description of the working mode on the potter's wheel
• clay preparation (crushing and pouring water)
• kneading clay (venting clay)
• demonstration of work on a pottery wheel
• participant's work on the circle under the supervision of a therapist
• discussing the work done by the participant
• cleaning of the workplace

B)
TAILORING

During tailoring classes, participants acquire the ability to hand sew, sew on a machine, cut fabrics, select materials and colors, and properly iron various types of fabrics, as well as master skills useful in everyday life, such as sewing on a button, simple sewing corrections and alterations, etc.

Participants learn diligence and accuracy in performing activities.

STAGES OF WORK IN THE TAILORING STORE

Occupational health and safety in the tailoring workshop
learning basic hand stitches
learning to sew on a machine
sewing small forms, e.g. pillowcase, needle cushion, kitchen apron
sewing decorative fabrics using the patchwork technique

PATCHWORK – a technique of creating images or geometric patterns by sewing fragments of different materials. Patchwork is not, as some people think, ordinary sewing, but the real art of selecting colors using often complicated tailoring techniques. Creating a patchwork is an extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming activity. Beautiful, original and unusual decorative fabrics, bedspreads, pillows, as well as bags and clothes are created from leftovers and unnecessary scraps of material.

STAGES OF CREATING A PATCHWORK: After selecting the design, individual pieces of material, properly cut, are arranged according to a previously prepared pattern and then sewn together. The stitched pieces create the top, decorative layer of the patchwork. The quilting of the fabric emphasizes the contours of the patterns and adds charm to patchworks. Appliques can also be used for patchwork decoration. In order to highlight the texture, give volume and warmth to the patchwork, the middle filling layer is made of polyester. The bottom layer of the patchwork is a uniform fabric that provides smoothness and durability.