English teacher Ms. Jennifer Bevington is starting a sewing club here at Benilde-St. Margaret’s where students will be given the opportunity to make their own clothes and gain a new skill. The main objective of the sewing club is to foster a culture of sewing within our school community and to help people learn and build on their skills.
Bevington is known for rocking homemade attire to school and making fashionable clothes most people couldn’t fathom creating with their hands. Bevington’s sewing journey began many years ago. During the pandemic, Bevington wanted to learn to sew cute facial masks matching her outfits, so she turned to her mom for guidance. Her mom has been sewing for as long as she can remember and quickly taught her daughter the art of sewing, handing down an old sewing machine. “After using masks as an introduction, I started sewing my own clothing and I just haven’t looked back ever since,” Bevington said.
Bevington loves sewing because it gives her a sense of freedom and creativity. She describes a change in her relationship with clothes and shopping. When you know how to make your own clothes, you become interested in how clothes are made and how you can recreate them. “You have the freedom to really make it your own. And then when you get really experienced, you can start combining different ideas, and just customizing things. Your imagination is really the limit,” Bevington said.
Students interested are very excited to learn this new skill and spend time with friends. Sophomore Maizie Adams has many friends who plan to join the sewing club and are very excited to jump in. Specifically, Adams wants to learn how to make a blanket because she thinks it would be very fun and the most practical thing to make while she is a beginner. Even though Adams has never touched a sewing machine or any other sewing materials, she is sure that sewing club will be a great experience. “[Sewing is] something I feel like I should learn,” Adams said.
Obtaining materials is crucial before anyone starts the learning process and growing your skills. Sewing requires sewing machines and fabrics. But do not fear, the club will be providing basic fabric essentials for members to learn how to sew and make first projects, and Bevington has three sewing machines for the club to use. Members of the BSM community have donated fabric and other supplies to be used by the sewing club. However, sewers should feel free to buy their own cloth if they feel inspired. “We’ll help people figure out where to find fabric and what they’re looking for, so if they have a larger project they want to tackle, they can bring in their own materials as well,” Bevington said.
The sewing club will be an exciting addition to the long list of extracurricular activities available to BSM students. Anyone who might be interested should consider joining as it will be a fun and skill-building activity. Sewing club might just change the way you view your clothes and broaden your horizons for the future.