From page to plush: this year's fashion and interior design students were tasked with creating a stuffed monster from a drawing provided by students from outside of the class. FCE instructor Julie Hietpas enjoyed an activity in which each student would learn sewing skills while bringing dreams to life.

“The first-grade students drew pictures of the monsters after studying them in their curriculum,” she said. “Then my students chose out of those pictures, and we learned a basic back stitch and blanket stitch, and then we practiced for a day or two. Then they made a pattern, cut out the felt, and then we spent the next week or two sewing the monsters.”

This year was different in that Hietpas opened up the opportunity to the special education department, and specifically to teacher Bruce Schreiber.

“Mrs. Hietpas came to me because normally they do it with one of the elementary schools, and what happened was they didn’t have enough kids for the size of her class,” Schreiber said. “So she asked me if we would be willing to do the project with them. So she came down, explained it to me, and that’s what we did. The kids really loved it because we were telling them to draw a monster and that they were going to make it for us, so they were pretty excited about it.”

Senior Katie Hermans also enjoyed the whole experience and working closely with younger students to give them something memorable.

“It was so special when we were done creating the monsters to hand it to the students in person and see their surprise and reactions,” she said. “I think this experience brought joy to the students, especially since it was their creation brought to life.”

The process of crafting the physical stuffed monsters started with being creative with the fabric and design of the creature.

“We were given the task to try and mimic the design the kid created as much as possible but also to stay creative with it and be something that a kid would be happy to receive,” junior Justice Resop said. “We took the drawings and created outlines for them, so we could cut out pieces to help us sew which made the whole process easier.”

Throughout the entire construction of the creatures, sophomore Gabrielle Alby realized that despite the size of the assignment, the lessons learned were significant.

“It was just a small project, but I learned that you could really do anything,” she said. “It showed how you could take something so small, but then make it into something big for somebody else.”

An example of the huge impact Wildcats were able to make was with one of Schrieber’s students, junior Danny Kempf, who had a passion for dinosaurs.

“When we decided what we were going to do for his monster we made it into a T-Rex,” Schrieber said. “It was green and had big blue eyes, and bumps on its back, and after Amallia

made his monster, he couldn’t believe it. He kept looking at it and inspecting it, and looking it over. I think some of my other students really didn’t understand the whole process but once they understood that it was theirs to keep, they loved them.”

Kempf came up with the idea for his own monster, and with the help of his teacher, they drew it together. Kempf’s drawing was then ‘brought to life’ by freshman Amallia Lloyd and when she was done, she gave the newly stuffed dinosaur to him.

“I really liked its blue eyes,” Kempf said. “I keep it in a special place under my bed.”

This project gave kids an insight on the vast and unique nature of creation.

“It's getting to show your creative side of things, your own style, your own way of how you see things,” Alby said. “We do a lot with interior design and fashion so it is cool to see how everyone creates their own things.”

Senior Claire Nigl appreciates that the school provides the necessary resources to give back and use their talent for others.

“West gives you good materials and good life lessons to go out into the world and help others, and that’s what the world needs,” she said.

While the world is ambitious, students here at West can make just as significant of an impact, especially to those who deserve more recognition and appreciation.

“Especially with our kids, they don’t get opportunities like everyone else and just to get others involved,” Schreiber said. “To see some of my students’ strengths and see what they are all about is always something we are open to.”

With the unusual nature of this school year, it is special to see that classes have included all Wildcats. Alby learned that while not everyone has the same opportunities, everyone is just as capable as expressing themselves and their ideas.

“It was an understanding of how we all have our own creative ideas,” she said. “That makes us all connected, and sharing our imagination with each other was a cool experience.”

Not only did this project provide a unique experience for students, it also taught them to think of others before themselves.

“I think making projects like this brings the giver happiness, and I think you live a fuller life if you give up yourself,” Hietpas said. “I think the kids had more joy in giving their creations to the students than they would have if they had kept them for themselves.”

Resop agrees, truly believing that her part in creating these monsters for other students meant something more and added her to the bigger picture.

“It’s more beyond the learning,” she said. “We are giving and sharing and doing something for the community and others. That is a really good quality to have, especially out in the real world.”

By Emma Olson and Abby Eaton

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue VIII

May 27th, 2021

Design project stitches together student imaginations of all shapes, sizes