Recently, one of our customers contacted me about blogging with us. As I was talking to Debbie, we began talking about our love of sewing, the lack of resources for teaching and what is the best age for teaching someone to sew. I think that Debbie has some great tips to share with us though some of them will probably not work for you. I think the best time to teach a child is when a child expresses an interest and when you feel they can understand the safety issues that are involved in sewing. If a child is interested, I try to teach them beginning at the age of 8 years old. The projects should be fun, simple and quick to complete. I want to thank Debbie for sharing her experiences with us.  Take a minute and check out her website- Very cool!

Debbie's Story:

Teaching children to sew is a subject near to my heart for many reasons.  The first is that had my mom not included me, as a young girl, in her sewing, my daughter would not have clothing that fit.  Not to mention that I had a wonderful time creating Barbie clothes with the scraps.  Next, as a "retired" kindergarten teacher, I believe children can learn anything of interest to them.  And that children should be given the opportunity to learn things of interest to them.  Young children are always interested in what we are doing, that why they are always under foot. :)  Sewing gives young children practice with many of the skills important to a young child's development such as following directions, fine motor skills, and creativity.  Finally, the fun we've had designing and sewing together is priceless.

So, how do you teach your children to sew. In our house, learning to sew is like learning anything else.  It's a part of our life.  I sew or cut out something nearly every day.  I cut at the kitchen table and sew in the basement, also the playroom.  My children are always with me and therefore always part of what I'm doing.  I don't require them to "help", but let them any time they ask.  It does take a bit longer to complete a project, but a little extra time is worth it in order to pass on the love and skill of sewing.

At age 4 the "real" lessons begin.  When some mending, usually one of their stuffed animals, needs done, I give them a threaded needle and some quick instruction on going in and out of the fabric with the needle and thread.  I'm by their side and ready to untangle threads, when needed.  The goal is to let them fix their item their way.  I don't over "teach", but let them build confidence, and get used to handling the needle and thread.  I always use a contrasting thread color, so it's easy for them to see where their stitches are going.  From this point on they have a drawer with fabric scraps, a few pins, and a needle and thread that they can use any time I'm sewing.

Also at age 4, they get to sit on my lap and "sew" with me.  The only rule is that their hands stay behind mine.  As I am sewing I talk aloud through the steps I'm using, like...sew the shoulder seam with right sides together, or guide the presser foot along the fabric edge.  Talking aloud while I sew allows them to become familiar with the language of sewing and the steps of producing a garment.

Having their hands "help" me gives them a sense of accomplishment and the pride of helping create a garment, most often for themselves. The children also get to do "reverse" when I tell them and cut the threads.  I don't use my thread cutter, so they can use the scissors.  My son has this privilege now that he's 4.

At age 5 we take another step forward, as I move my hands behind theirs.  My hands are only helpers at this point.  They are "driving" as we call it.  They tell me which pieces go where, as I match them up and put them under the presser foot.  By the way, we rarely use pins and almost always construct our  garments in the flat.  This makes garment construction easier on both of us.  They are the ones sewing, reversing, and cutting at this point.  I do a few of the seams, like attaching gathered pieces or more difficult things.  But, any straights or gentle curves are all theirs.  And, I run the petal.

At age six is a big step...sewing solo, pedal and all.  My daughter is pictured above in her first solo sewing experience, as she just turned 6.  She made a dress for her 18" doll to match her own, made by both of us, Christmas dress.  The only part I did was attached the gathered skirt to the bodice. I do stay  at her side to offer words of assistance or encouragement. This was a big step for her and she did very well.  We are both very proud and looking forward to the next project.

Like I said, we sew/cut nearly every day.  So sewing is a big part of our daily life.  The children spend time with me choosing fabrics.  They sit on my lap at the computer while we go through page after page making our fabric/notion choices. Nearly all of our fabric shopping is done online. 

We do some in store, even in consignment stores.  Yes, consignment stores are great sources of fabrics, for re-purposing into clothing.  Our local consignment store employees get a real kick out of hearing my children talk about what we could make out of men's sweaters or a pair of maternity jeans.  In fact, my daughter's favorite sweater dress used to be a women's sweater with fringed hem and sleeves.

We also look through free clothing catalogs together.  I let me choose clothing items they like and then look through my stash of pattern pieces to make those items.

When you choose to "teach" your child to sew is completely up to you. Only you know if your child has the interest and readiness to be safe with a needle/thread or machine. But having them involved with every step of the process has worked great for us.

When the children have helped choose the fabrics, design, and helped sew the garment, they love handmade even more, and have learned some useful skills in the process.  Not to mention created priceless memories with you.

Happy Sewing!

Debbie

http://www.squigglytwigs.blogspot.com

Note from The Fabric Maverick: Here are 2 great, easy projects for a beginning sewer desinged by a 15 year old for the Girl Scouts.

The merchandising department just put these 2 collections on line yesterday. If you love Retro-Mod, these collections are for you. Michael Miller Flora and Fauna designed by Patty Young and Michael Miller Lagoon. I can see these used in quilts and apparel. What a fun way to start your sewing year!

Happy New Year's!

I am writing this as I am preparing a New Year's feast. Chef Bubba is actually doing most of the work. He has been strangely absent from our blogs lately. This is because he has been dieting and lost 30 lbs. Thank God because he has been one cranky man! Now maybe we will get some delicious recipes in 2010.

I have read both Melanie's and Jenni's resolutions. I agree with both, I love Jenni's passion and Melanie's practicality, but these will not be my goals this year. I will have only three resolutions. I have learned over the 2009 year that to try to achieve more than 3 goals is self-defeating.

My New Year's resolutions: 

1. Pamper myself

2. Learn to make slipcovers

3. Add new elements to our blog

How am I going to achieve these goals? I am going to get "smart".

Let's disect resolution # 1 Pamper myself. I am going to take better care of myself physically and emotionally.

Be "S"pecific: I will schedule all my physical exams on time this and will not skip any. I will include more exercise in my life.- 10 to 20 minutes at least 3 days a week

Is this "M"easurable? Yes, I can create a calendar and exercise journal and jot down my dates and exercise times..

Is this "A"ttainable"? Yes, I will make a list of the exams I need every year and create a calendar of when these are due. I wll select exercise acitivites that I like and can fit into my schedule.

 Is this a "R"easonable goal! Absolutely, I will feel better for the exercise time and I will find out about any health issues early on. Would it be reasonable to say I would exercise 4 hours a week. No way, I would fail immediately. By doing this in baby steps, I will encourage myself to add more exercise as I progress

Create a "T"imeline. By calling the doctor'scheduler and making an appointment, I will have committed to my healthcare and by selecting the days of the week I will exercise and keeping a journal for a period of a year I will be able to measure my success. I may even lose 10 lbs or so!

You will see that the letters in parentheses spell "SMART". Use these tools to achieve your goals.

As a sidenote, I had New Year's Eve dinner with a couple of friends. As we were talking about New Year's traditions, I mentioned the food "Hoppin' John". My two friends had never heard of it. The saying is to " Eat poor that day and rich the rest of the year!" Rice is for riches and peas for peace. Sometimes a shiny coin is hidden in the dish. Here is Chef Bubba's rendition:

Hoppin' John Recipe

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
Cold water
1 pound lean slab bacon or 1 pound meaty ham hocks
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups water or chicken broth
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
Salt and black pepper to taste

Before preparing dried beans, sort through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris. Soak, rinse, and drain dried black-eyed peas. Place black-eyed peas in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinse beans.

Using the same large soup pot, over medium-high heat, add soaked black-eyed peas, bacon or ham hock, onion, and red pepper. Add water or chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the peas are tender (do not boil as the beans will burst).

Remove bacon or ham hock and cut into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Stir in rice, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 8 servings.

I wish you all health and wealth this coming year and the wisdom of how to handle it!