This summer we invited friends over for a sewing club. Five girls arrived with baskets of fabric, ranging from woodsy cabins to sophisticated pink and blacks.We started with 'old school' methods: tracing a simple 4" square onto cardboard-cereal boxes-to make a template. Next they traced the square onto their fabric, and cut it out, using scissors, adding a rough 1/4" seam allowance. I helped them thread needles, and learn to sew with a running stitch. My goal was to give them skills to sew anywhere, anytime.
Surprisingly, these 10 year olds didn't get to iron at home. The girls were very pleased to learn how to iron. (And, as one of these overprotective parents myself, I wonder what else I am keeping my children from experiencing.)
As the weeks went on, the girls graduated to the sewing machine. They loved the speed!
How to: Once a week, one hour of sewing, one hour of playing. One person at the sewing machine at a time. No rotary cutters in sight. Ten years is a very good age to start sewing. Learning from someone who is not your mom makes it easier.
A Bonus: I got to pass on one of my favorite things!
Has anyone else tried this? Send me your thoughts by Sept.15, and I will draw one name to receive some charm squares!
1 comment:
My experience was with middle school girls that had never sewn before. There were about 15 girls and 6 mom helpers. For a service project we made bags filled with "kid items" for the local hospital, to give to children that were being admitted or in ER. Most of the girls had a great time. And yes, most of them had never touched an iron before!
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