DHS students find sewing project is ‘cool’

Special to the Davis Enterprise

Students in Jeanne Pettigrew’s fashion class at Davis High School have been sewing with a purpose in the first few weeks of class.

The beginning sewing students have carefully measured, pinned, ironed and sewed reusable vegetable bags for the Cool Davis Festival from unbleached muslin after cutting four to a yard from the fabric.

The bags will be given away — one per household — to festival visitors on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Veterans’ Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St. The sample bags serve as models to encourage folks to make bags of their own to replace plastic bags in the produce and bulk aisles of their grocery stores.

Pettigrew looks for assignments that both teach her students the basics of sewing and have a purpose, so the Cool Davis Veggie Bag Project was a natural fit, she said. This is the second year her students have learned some fundamental sewing techniques on the giveaway bags.

“They’re a great idea for the community,” said student Hannah Cole. “I’ve done research about the giant blob of plastic in the middle of the ocean. These cloth bags are reusable, so they won’t contribute any more plastic. And look how spacious they are for vegetables!”

This article originally appeared in the Davis Enterprise on September 20, 2011. The complete story is available to subscribers at http://www.davisenterprise.com.