Hmong Textile Arts at Harding High School http://www.hmongnet.org/class/harding99

Student Group #3

Marie Lee, Wang Vang, PaHoua Vang, Mai Pashear Lee, Arola Roy Yang, See Her, Vang Chang

About our group

How we made the bookmark

The bookmark that we chose has a lot of different colors. The colors include: red, green, purple, pink, blue, orange, and yellow. The design of the bookmark is like the designs on our Hmong costumes. This bookmark was made by Wang Vang.

I used the color red first in my bookmark. I used the color red first because it matches with every other color. The direction I took was diagonal. The needle I used to make this bookmark was thin and medium length. At first, it was kind of difficult, but once I got the hang of it, it became very easy.

Tus cim ntawv ua peb tau ua muaj ntau tsos xov. Xws li: liab, ntsuab, xiav dub, liab dawb, xiav, kua taub thiab daj. Yam paj ntaub ntawm tus cim ntawv no zoo xws li pai ntaub nyob ntawrn Hmoob tej khaub ncaws. Tus cirn ntawv no yog Vab Vaj xaws.

Kuv siv txoj xov liab los pib rau kuv tus cim ntawv. Kuv pib txog xov liab ua ntej vim tias nws phim lwm tsos xov. Kuv tau xaws nqis hav thiab nce toj kuv tau siv rab koob yiag Was los xaws tus cim ntawv no. Thaurn kuv xub pib mas muaj ntsis nyuab rau kuv, tab sis thaurn kuv yoog tau lawm ces kuj yooj yim heev.

Made By: Vang Chang I started in the middle line as a triangle by connecting all of the little six squares into four big triangles with red thread. Outside I made the same pattern, but just colored them with green thread. Between the big four triangles, I colored that part with yellow thread. The bright color went along four big red triangles upward. Within the big green triangle in the middle, I colored them with purple, then orange at the end of the green triangle. All of the colors used were: red, green, yellow, purple, and orange.

Made By: Wang Vang The first color I used was red. I used red to make the design zig zag. Then I used purple, pink, blue, orange, and green for the inside. After that, I made the flower within the square. Then I designed the outside. At first, I didn't know how to start it. I was looking at some samples that I liked. My mom helped me get started on it. It was hard at first, when you get the hang of it, it's easy. It took me five days to finish it. If I could've sewed everyday, then maybe I would have been able to finish it within two or three days, but I didn't sew everyday, and I didn't spend many hours on it. I made this design because thought it was pretty. The sample didn't look like this. I made some different design, and changed it a little, I had fun making this dpsign. If I have the time, whenever that is, then I'll make a bigger and better one. Maybe I'll even make one for Hmong-costume clothes. But I'll just see what happens.

The interactions we had with the elders

They taught us what to do and how to start it. We talked about the Hmong culture and how much it means to us. Yes, we think that it's different because our moms and grandmothers have different techniques from the elders, although it was pretty similar, too. Yes, it was a good experience that the elders came to our school because not a lot of our parents teach us how to sew. We learned a lot from the elders.

Cov niam tais tuaj qhia peb pib peb tej paj ntaub lawv tau qhia peb txog peb tej kev cai ua noj haus thaurn ub tib si thiab lub neej yog ib qho tseem ceeb rau peb. Ua rau zaum no peb tau porn hais tias peb niam thiab niam. tais tej kev txawj sib txawv ntawm lwm tus xaws paj ntaub tej kev txawj. Nyias txawj mus nyias yam tiam si tej paj ntaub yeej zoo sib xws thaurn xaws tiav los. Yog ib qho zoo tshaj plaws cov niam. tais no tau tuaj qhia peb xaws paj ntaub zaum no vim ib txia niam. thiab txiv tsis txawj qhia tej me nyuam xaws paj ntaub peb txawj lawm ntau heev.

What I learned from "Hmong Textile Arts"

There are certain kinds of materials needed to do the sewing:

• fabric
• colored thread
• needle

You have to pick out a pattern of design to do the sewing. There's a lot of variety of patterns; therefore, there isn't just one that you can choose from. The elders taught us different techniques, and they taught us how to become good sewers. They taught us how to put the colors together when sewing so that it'll match.

Muaj ntau yam ua peb yuav coj los siv xaws paj ntaub xws li:

• ntaub
• ntaub tsos xov
• koob xaws

Yus yuav tau los xaiv tus quav paj ntaub coj los ntsia xaws ua yus daim paj ntaub. Nws muaj ntau ntau yam qauv tiam si tsis muaj ib daig yus yuav tsis nyiam li. Cov niam tais ntawd tau qhia ntau yam kev txawj rau peb koj peb paub hais tias yuav ua li cas thiaj txawj xaws kom zoo. Tsis tas li ntawd yus rhiav cov xov kom sib phim coj los xaws thiaj zoo nkauj.

What "Hmong Textile Arts" at Harding means to us

It means a lot because it gives the Hmong students a chance to learn more about their culture. It also gives the guys to have hands-on experience, since a lot of them were beginners at sewing.

Txqj kev kawm ua paj ntaub no yog ib qho txuj ci zoo pab rau peb tag nrho cov tub ntxhais. Thiab qhia txog peb Hmoob lub neej. Tsis tas li ntawd tej tub kuj tau los xyaum xaws tib si thiab cov xyaum tshiab los yeej txawj lawm ntau.

Other comments

We really enjoyed working with the elders, and this was a really fun experience for us.

Peb, rnuaj kev lom zem heev thaum peb kawm xaws paj ntaub nrog cov niam tais thiab ua rau peb tau dhau ib yam ua peb tsis tau kawm txog li.