Culture Days St. Albert 2024
Fashion
Making Buba & Iro - sewing class
Africans & African Descendants Friendship Club of St. Albert
Sat, Sept 21st, 9 AM - 1 PM
St. Albert Further Education
#107, 80 McKenney Ave
Join us for a hands-on, practical sewing class designed for beginners, where you'll learn how to create the traditional Iro and Buba from start to finish. This course will guide you through every step of the process, with sewing machines provided for your use. Buba and Iro are traditional garments worn by women in West Africa, most especially the Yoruba people in Nigeria. The Iro is a rectangular wrap skirt, while the Buba is a loose-fitting blouse with wide sleeves. Both have evolved over time, maintaining their cultural significance.
What to Expect:
Simple Body Measurements: Learn how to accurately take measurements to ensure a perfect fit.
Sewing Machine Basics: Get introduced to the sewing machine, including how to set it up and use it to make your own Iro and Buba
Essential Sewing Techniques: Learn the basic seam, stitch, and hem techniques needed to construct Iro and Buba, tailored specifically for beginners.
By the end of the class, you will have successfully completed your own Iro and Buba, with expert guidance from the instructor throughout the process. This course will allow you to blend traditional craftsmanship with your unique personal style.
Nwando holds a Masters degree in Petroleum Geosciences from University of Alberta but she started her fashion career under the tutelage of her Mom who has inspired her to express herself through her many designs in dressmaking, a talent that was discovered at an early age of 8 years old. Nwando is the creative force behind Kiddies Vibe. Nwando's ground-breaking designs focuses on seamlessly blending the vibrant African Ankara fabrics with contemporary Western styles setting new trends and redefining the fashion landscape. Kiddies Vibe has recently featured in Toronto Kids Fashion Week in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. She has also featured in New York Fashion Week in New York early this year and many other local fashion shows. With over two decades of experience, Nwando's distinctive, imaginative, and pioneering creations have earned her widespread acclaim and admiration. Kiddies Vibe, inspired by Nwando's passion for dressing up her children in stylish and affordable clothing, showcases mesmerizing, artistic creations that captivate and demand attention. The brand offers a diverse range of children's clothing, from everyday wear to party outfits and family-themed collections that celebrate the bonds that bring families together. Whether it's ready-to-wear, made to order or customized, Kiddies Vibe's clothing and accessories will surely bring joy to every face.
Visable Mending
Arlene Westen
Monday, Sept 24th, 6:30 PM - 8 PM
St Albert Library - Forsyth Hall
Interested in visible mending or slow-stitching? Workshop will introduce the rich history of the running stitch used in various cultures.
Students interested in visible mending or slow-stitching will be introduced to the rich history of the running stitch used in various cultures around the world. Using this simple stitch and integrating a few decorative and woven stitches, students will create a one-of-a-kind sampler in the form of a small fabric collage that includes the techniques of darning a hole, needle weaving, mending with a patch and sewing with different yarn weights for added design and contrast elements. For ages 16+!
Arlene Westen is a multi-disciplinary artist, art instructor, and inveterate experimenter based in Alberta. With a Visual Arts Fibre Diploma from Grant MacEwan University and training in Tailoring Technology at NAIT, she began her career in theatre costuming. She later earned two baccalaureate degrees: one in Fibre Art from the Alberta University of the Arts and another in Studio Arts from the University of Lethbridge. Arlene has taught numerous art workshops across western Canada over 40 years, and classes on various fibre arts processes including hand-stitching and mending. Her sewing workshops explore stitching as a universal visual language, introducing students to slow-stitching, visible mending, and patchwork. This class will provide students with valuable skills in mending, fostering creativity and self- expression through hands-on techniques. Arlene teaches the art of repairing and enhancing textiles, which not only extends the life of fabrics but also allows students to create a personalized, meaningful sampler using techniques like darning, needle weaving, and patching.
