Inwardly, young adolescents experience a new depth of feeling. The practical work of ensouling a stuffed animal by molding, shaping, and transforming natural materials can help these young people find balance, wholeness, and connectedness to the world.

Creating an animal requires close observation of gestures, detailed cutting and sewing, and an imagination for creatively expressing ideas in three dimensions. We will begin by observing animal gestures in drawing. Pattern making and sewing skills will be practiced with wool fibers and fabrics. Shaping and creative details will then help to bring character to our creatures. Each day, we will set aside time to share our ideas as well as samples and experiences of our work with students. With handwork, the shared experiences of all participants (no matter the years) help us all deepen and improve our work.

Materials fee $40

Sandy Pearson, a handwork teacher in grades 1–8 at the Merriconeag Waldorf School for the past 13 years, has been instrumental in creating a well-respected handwork program at her school. She has also worked with adults in several foundation studies programs. Sandy graduated with a BS from the University of Maine and completed her Waldorf teacher training at the Center for Anthroposophy’s New England Teacher Education Program in 1996. Her special interest is studying traditional and regional crafts and incorporating them into the Waldorf handwork curriculum.

Teresita Gomez grew up in Colombia where she learned the foundations of handwork in her rich home environment. Later she studied architecture, fashion design, and engineering drafting. Teresita trained in the Waldorf approach to the arts and is presently teaching handwork at the Pasadena Waldorf School.

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