NH Traveling Pants Program

Inspired by The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares, teens in libraries all across New Hampshire are making connections, building friendships, and sharing memories with their own Traveling Pants program. The Pants--actually, three pairs of The Pants--are already journeying across the state. They'll land in Hampton for the week of April 16-21, and we have a few things planned in their honor.

To kick off our week with The Pants, local artist Jar Bement will lead a fabric painting workshop for Hampton students in grades 6-12. This free workshop, quickly becoming an annual event, is made possible by Jar's generous donation of her time and expertise. As fits the occasion, the focus of the workshop will be fabric painting for jeans. Painting supplies will be provided, but participants should come prepared with their own jeans. The workshop will be on Saturday, April 14, at 1:00 p.m. Space is limited, so please call or stop by the children's room at the library to register: 926-4729. Don't miss this opportunity to create your own designer jeans! (Examples of Jar's designs are on display on the bulletin board downstairs. Look for pictures online soon, too.)

On Monday, April 16, the Teen Advisory Board will meet after school to sign The Pants, work on the official "Pants" scrapbook, hang out, and enjoy some munchies. New members are welcome. Talk to Cheryl to learn more.

On Wednesday, April 18, the library will celebrate Hampton Academy's early release day with a showing of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie (PG). Open to students in grade 6 and up. Showtime is 12:15 p.m. Popcorn will be provided. After the movie, we hope to wrap up our decoration of The Pants by attaching the winning embellishment for Hampton (see contest description below).

The Embellishment Contest
What exactly is this embellishment anyway?
It is a patch, pin, buttons, beads, key chains, charms, embroidered design, or any combination of such items that is meant to represent Hampton on The Pants. The idea is to give other towns a sense of our place, our community. Now that you understand that, here are the specifics for the contest:

• Open to Hampton students in grades 6-12
• Embellishment must be no larger than 2" x 2" (with room for some writing next to it)
• Embellishment must something that can be attached securely (and easily) to The Pants (i.e., using safety pins, sewing, or ironing it on)
• Submission deadline: Wednesday, April 11 (in the children's room)
• Voting for favorite embellishment (open to the public): April 12-17, downstairs at the library
• Attachment of the winning embellishment: April 18

In addition to representing Hampton on The Pants, the designer of the winning embellishment will also receive a free copy of Forever in Blue: the Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares. Have fun! Get creative! And get your submission to Cheryl by April 11!

If you want a wee glimpse of some of the other programs around the state, check out the NH Traveling Pants Blog: http://nhtravelingpants.blogspot.com/