Champion Sewing Pupils

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31780, 10 September 1968, Page 3

Champion Sewing Pupils

Champion sewers seem to abound at St Mary’s College, Christchurch, and it seems more than a coincidence that they are all taught by the same teacher, Sister M. de Pazzi. The two latest additions to her already impressive list are 15-year-old Allanah Horgan and 16-year-old Christine Cunningham. Allanah won the “Tea Dress Contest” in Auckland on Friday and Christine won the award for the best-sewn garment in the same contest. For their contribution to the competition, St Mary’s College was awarded a sewing machine. The “Tea Dress Contest” was organised on a national scale by the Tea Council of New Zealand in an effort to find an original fashion gar ment suitable for teen-age wear. Allanah won the first prize of a sewing machine and a trip to Australia for two. Christine did not go forward to the final but her garment was selected from the regional finalists to be sent to Auckland to compete in the award for the best-sewn garment. The sewing machine prize was col lected by a pupil of the sister school, St Mary’s College, Auckland. As well as winning the two major prizes in the national final, Sister de Pazzi’s pupils made up five of the six re gional finalists in Christchurch two weeks ago. When the D.I.C. held a sewing contest last year, 500 girls took part and five of the eight prizes were won by St Mary’s girls—all pupils of Sister de Pazzi. Sister de Pazzi attributes her success to being a hard taskmaster and setting very high goals for her pupils. Apart from two short courses, she has had no particular training and passes off her expertise with the needle and thread as “one of God’s gifts.” Sister de Pazzi is also the commercial teacher at the college. The photograph shows from left, Allanah Horgan, Sister de Pazzi and Christine Cunningham.