American Girl class: Josefina Time #2- Week 1

This week is American Girl class we started to discuss Josefina! We discussed the first book in the Josefina series, Meet Josefina. My daughter and I enjoyed the book together! After the book discussion, we began our first craft.

The craft for this week was a rebozo shawl. In Josefina's day, these shawls were used in lots of various ways, i.e. for warmth, to shield from sun, rain and wind, to carry eggs or even a baby. They would wrap them around their waist or arms. I gave each of the girls a piece of woven (very important that it is not printed!) fabric. The fabric I gave each girl was 2 yards long by 22 inches wide. This was the perfect size for an 8 year old girl. After they got their piece of fabric, I gave each girl a straight pin to make fringe on both short ends of the fabric. They just pulled one strand off the fabric at a time. Some of the younger girls had a hard time with it. But they did well! After they pulled off lots of strands to make fringe, they could even braid the fringe!

After that craft, we had corn tortillas for snack. Both of the moms made them at home, and they were delicious! We put butter and salt or butter and cinnamon sugar on them-- yum! We found the recipe online here. The snack was a little bland but most of the girls enjoyed it.

After snack, we began our on-going craft for the next six weeks. I gave each of the girls a cardboard loom and yarn. We will be weaving on a small scale-- it's fun! This is a great website all about weaving, (Found under the heading "Weaving tips for Elementary" and "Now here is what the children do.")
I made the cardboard looms 6 x 6" square, and I cut slits across one end (with the grain of the corrugated cardboard). Then I threaded two different colors of crochet thread through the slits. This will make it easier (esp. for the younger girls) to thread through the warp threads with their weft threads (weft threads go right and weft, haha!) I also brought popsicle sticks for them to push up on the yarn after they threaded it through the crochet threads.

 I love their individual patterns and color preferences. I'm looking forward to how their projects will turn out in the next five weeks!

 The 2:00 class...

 Working on rebezos...

 Working on weaving... You can see the snack too! I love that this girl is already wearing her shawl!

I am looking forward to discussing Josefina more in the next several weeks! 

Exodus 28:39
“Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer.

Exodus 35:35
He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

Isaiah 38:12
Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me.