Do you also love this magical time when, as if by magic, delicate snowflakes fall silently from the sky? At the Vienna Children’s University the beautiful crystals come from the computer and the embroidery machine. Christmas with “TurtleStitch”: We watched it.
Busy activity in the “Docks”, the event space of the Children’s University Vienna: the children are busy cutting paper – and their parents are just as busy. But paper cutting is just an easy introduction: later in the workshop it gets a lot more difficult.
And actually, when artist Andrea Mayr-Stalder explains to the children what “TurtleStitch” is and how it works, it’s not just the little ones whose eyes widen. Programming and embroidering together – no, even adults don’t know that yet.
About wonder about two worlds
Like, what? We also wonder where does this come from? This question comes as no surprise to artist Andrea Mayr-Stalder. “In the beginning – that was the late 1990s – I was amazed: an embroidery machine with an operating system,” she says: “It seemed to me as if two worlds had collided here: textile design and coding.”
After some experimenting, an international education project was born; Published on the Internet in 2014 at turtlestitch.org as an OER offering – i.e. freely accessible teaching and learning materials. Ultimately, TurtleStitch is “a program or app that allows you to define the thread path of an embroidery machine,” Mayr-Stalder explains.
Turtle migrates according to programming
“Oh!”, “Wow!”, “Look!” you hear loudly from the rows of spectators when Mayr-Stalder uses programming codes to move a turtle in such a way that a snowflake is created. Stumbling, catching, back, forth and around the corner – with every space the turtle moves further in the computer system, the snowflake grows with another crystal arm.
Little Romy (4) has been watching the whole thing in silence, waiting, with a finger in her mouth – but suddenly the little one bursts out loudly: “That looks like tortoise persimmons!” Everyone laughs. But luckily it only looks like this on the computer. After the short explanation, the children take action: each family can now run a turtle on their laptop and make their own personal snowflakes.
There is talk and discussion about what the flake pattern should look like – and young and old do not always agree on this. Then we move on to the next station: choose fabric, hoop it and go to the large or small embroidery machine, depending on which one is free at the time. The children are interested.
Zack, and the masterpiece is done
Ida (7) is already sitting at the table and cutting out her flakes. Now pull another ribbon through – and the masterpiece is ready! Mom Manuela, dad Michael and sister Romy are also enthusiastic about the process that hangs on the Christmas tree of the children’s university.
We want to know what she liked most about the workshop. Ida thinks for a moment and then whispers with sparkling eyes: “May we take home the beautiful pendant with the snowflake!”
Children’s University Vienna makes contact with researchers possible
Karoline Iber, director of the children’s office at the University of Vienna, also laughs about it. “Snowflakes are very suitable for connecting art and scientific questions,” she says, “there is a lot to learn about, for example, geometry and the properties of water.”
The Vienna Children’s University has been bringing science and children together for more than 20 years – and thanks to the new location ‘Dock’ not only in the summer, but now all year round.
What “Dock” stands for
The name “Dock” was not chosen at random, but stands for “democracy”, “economy and financial education”, “computer and coding” and “climate”. In addition, there are mainly workshops and events for children, but adults also learn something new here. Iber: “The best thing is when children were with us once – and come back as adults.”
“We make topics that are important, that concern them, that are in demand at school and that are being researched, understandable for the children in workshops, etc. and enable them to come into contact with researchers,” reports the director. One of the big topics next year will be “children’s right to play and leisure”.
“Researchers have turned their curiosity into their profession,” the teacher continues. “And our experience shows: every child is curious! Let’s see who it still is when we grow up.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
