Anna and Morgan, students at The Agnes Irwin School in Bryn Mawr,were selected as winners in the GenHERation pilot program. Anna was awarded The Handwork Studio $250 scholarship for an essay she wrote about creating a nonprofit organization to increase access to education in developing countries. Morgan won The Handwork Studio Design Challenge, which involved submitting a sketch of an article of clothing that promotes female empowerment. Her chic suit submission was inspired by the evolution of women’s clothing and will be made into a pattern that will be used at The Handwork Studio’s summer camps. We are so honored and grateful to have been a part of this amazing opportunity!

GenHERation is a female empowerment startup for millennial girls that was founded by Katlyn Grasso, a junior at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. GenHERation -provides girls the opportunity to work with national corporations and nonprofit organizations to implement their own advocacy campaigns to address community issues. Currently, GenHERation is running a pilot program with more than 200 girls in the Northeast area of the country. For more information about GenHERation visit www.genheration.com.

 You may have noticed a photo of Ben Franklin on our Facebook Page last week and thought, "Hey, is that Ben?" Well, you were right and we're excited to annouce that we've partnered with the National Constitution Center to bring a life-sized handcrafted replica of Ben Franklin to their museum. He is our new best friend here at the studio and we are extremely proud of how this project came together.

In typical Handwork Studio fashion, it was a true team effort to make Ben come to life. This fiber-friendly rendering of Ben Franklin was handcrafted by The Handwork Studio staff, students and some close friends. The students needled felted and embroidered patches on his coat and used a WonderKnitter tool to create his hair. April Johnston, Project Runway All Star and Fashion Bootcamp instructor, created the patterns for his clothing and constructed the coat and pants. Philadelphia Fiber Artist, Melissa Madonni-Haims yarn-bombed his chair. The project was led and managed by The Handwork Studio's very own Miss Alexis and Miss Julia. See below for a full slideshow of Ben's progress from concept to completion!

The most entertaining part of this project so far was loading Ben into the car. He is very heavy and reliant upon the chair he was designed to sit in. Miss Alexis was able to get him our of the chair and into the car. She mentioned that it was hilarious to see people pointing and smiling as Fiber Ben Franklin took his first road trip down to the National Constitution Center.

Very soon, Ben will be installed for your viewing pleasure at The National Consitution Center - so stay tuned to the blog and our Facebook Page for updates on when you can visit him downtown!