Girls learn sewing, cooking techniques at Miss Olivia’s Day Camp

By DELANIA TRIGG, City Editor Gainesville Daily Register

Gainesville — Ten girls spent the week learning some skills that many consider lost arts — cooking and sewing.

The students were part of Miss Olivia’s Day Camp, a week-long summer program taught by Donna Hertel, the owner of Miss Olivia’s, a bed and breakfast inn, on South Denton Street.

Hertel’s guests were girls between 7 and 12 years old.

The students spent the week doing crafts including jewelry making, sewing handmade personalized pillows and decorating mirrors with seashells.

The girls also got an introduction to cooking.

On Friday afternoon, the campers were in Hertel’s kitchen making elegant little desserts of red velvet cake tidbits dipped in chocolate. Nearby, a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce simmered in a pan, seasoned with herbs the girls picked in Hertel’s garden.

Hertel said she hopes to “rekindle timeless traditions,” with her camp.

Miss Olivia’s Day Camp is one of Hertel’s endeavors. The industrious business owner is also the proprietor of an upscale downtown restaurant — Sarah’s on the Square and Sweet Thangs, a soda fountain and candy shop near Sarah’s.

In addition, Hertel is a caterer who often prepares meals for banquets and receptions and who operates a bed and breakfast from her historic South Denton Street home.

She’s been hosting day camps at Miss Olivia’s for years.

She holds at least two sessions each season, and each class is limited to ten girls.

The classes help nurture the girls’ creative impulses while teaching them practical household skills.

Camp II includes an introduction to cooking techniques.

During the camp, Hertel talks about nutrition and kitchen safety. She explains how to measure ingredients and how to use kitchen utensils — things the girls may not have learned at home.

Armed with this knowledge, the campers try out their new skills making snacks, desserts and main dishes.

They also learn how to do basic sewing projects and simple crafts.

Break time includes daily supervised swimming in Hertel’s backyard pool.

And each camp ends with a formal tea party.

“Everybody dresses up, and I teach them about the history of tea parties and about good manners,” Hertel said.

She employs some assistants.

Katelyn Hootman, one of this year’s helpers, said she found out about Miss Olivia’s Day Camp from her mother who is a friend of Hertel’s.

Hootman said she loved working with Hertel and learned some new things during the camp.

“I really improved my sewing and crafts skills working with the girls at the camp,” Hootman said helping one of the guests sew embellishments onto a handmade pillow.

She said students in Camp II also learned to crochet.

“One of the girls is making a scarf for her mom and I think that’s so sweet,” she said.

Hootman said she liked her job as a teen leader.

“This is a summer great job. It’s a lot better than other jobs for teenagers,” she said.

Camp I is designed to teach basic cooking and sewing skills.

“Camp II is a little more advanced. The girls learn more challenging things like how to use a sewing machine,” Hootman said.

Hertel also taught her young campers about being good neighbors.

On their final day at camp, the girls helped prepare a meal for one of Hertel’s friends, took lunch to the woman and stayed to tour her home which is also in Gainesville’s historic home district.

Part of the fun of the camp is getting to spend time inside Hertel’s elegant house.

Hootman said she loved working in the spacious home.

“This is such a beautiful house. I love the big windows and the high ceilings,” she said.

The girls left the camp with more than knowledge. Each girl got to take home all the items they made at camp.

Camper Kelli Cunningham showed off some of the projects she made during the camp including a round mirror with a seashell frame.

“I’m going to put this right above the dresser in my room,” she said.

For information on future sessions of Miss Olivia’s Day Camp call 665-5558.

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