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Teach Child to Sew???

lovmygrls | Posted in General Sewing Info on

I have an almost 6-year-old daughter who is BEGGING me to teach her to sew.  I was wondering if any of you had any good ideas on something fun to make but still easy enough to teach her for her first project. 

Thanks!

Replies

  1. anneweaver | | #1

    When I was a kid (about 6 years old, actually) my mother taught me how to sew while making tooth fairy pillows and little purses.  She allowed me to use any of her scraps, and I learned which of the drawers I could pull fabric from and which were off limits. 

  2. JudyWilliment | | #2

    My best friend is about to teach her 5 1/2 year old daughter to sew, and she is planning to start with a very simple A-line pull over pinafore dress, probably in polar fleece.  The fleece is forgiving of errors, and the shape simple enough for a beginner.  It won't have buttons or zips, and only side and shoulder seams to worry about.  With some help from Mum(!) Shannon should be able to wear her creation.

  3. Rita_Scanlan | | #3

    Howdy!

    You might take a look at a Klutz book called Simple Sewing. It contains seven projects and everything needed to make them, including needles, fabric, and embellishments. Klutz says the book is for ages 8 and up, but I bought it for my 4-and-a-half year old and we do the projects together. She loves it!
    Before that book, I started her off with the lacing products, like Lace-a-Puppet, which are basically felt cutouts with holes around the edges to run yarn through. Those come with plastic needles for threading the yarn through the holes. She still enjoys those.

    View Image

    You can pick up Simple Sewing at large bookstores or online through Klutz.

    http://www.klutz.com/product_details.cfm?productID=2400

    View Image

    Lace-a-Puppet and products like it are available at toy stores.

    You might also check out the Home Sewing Association's page for kids:

    http://www.sewing.org/html/kids.html

    Enjoy!



    Edited 4/12/2002 4:42:44 PM ET by Rita Scanlan

  4. quilterqueen | | #4

    My daughter is 7 and learning to sew right now.  I decided I was not ready to turn her loose with a sewing machine.  I decided hand sewing was a good place to start.  Since I am an avid quilter she is making a doll quilt.  I cut 6" squares and drew a line along the edge.  I pin and she hand sews along the line.  She has had a few tears over pin and needle pokes and has only had me re-thread her needle three times.  She is very proud of what she is doing and I can't wait to take it with me to sewing class to show off my daughter's "first project!!"   It is not near as frustrating or difficult for either of us as I thought it would be...  it has actually created a special bond between us.  When mom's quilting, she quite often wants to pull hers out and quilt too.   I am careful not to criticize too much, but I do give her "helpful hints" that she needs to learn in order to become an accomplished seamstress.

    Hope this helps you!

    Have a great weekend!!! 

    1. sarahkayla | | #5

      My two big kids , ages 13 and 11, sew as they need to. My now 11 year old son started with an ultra suede bag for his marbles. I think he was 5 or six when he made that one. We did it on themachine. He just did an Osama Bin Laden costume foer Purim (the jewish mardi gras) It was an assignment for occupational therapy - we made it together on the serger. Part of the assignment was making the pattern.

      My 13 year old daughter started with barbie pillows when she was three - she made them by hand. I drew on dots with a permanent marker so she could know where to put in the needle. We did several projects like that. About three years ago she made a bolster for her bed on the machine. I showed her what to do & walked out of the room. I was aftraid that I would take over or become overly critical. She did fine and then made me a mini pillow from the scraps as a birthday gift that year. She wants to add cute stuff to the bottom of her last summer's tank tops. She's been working away with the seam ripper & in a couple of days we will figure out what to add to the bottom. I think I will have her do that on the serger. She also wants to add fancy stuff to the bottom of her now too short jeans. she thinks that I'm doing it... i think that it is a great project for her to do. I have had her do the finish work on the tank tops I made her for this summer. I think that it is similar to teaching kids how to cook - they don't have to make the whole meal... they need to learn the skills in a safe & comfortable way. I'm trying to teach both skills in terms of problem solving rather than as a bunch of rules. I think that in the end that will work better... what purpose is this serving -- how do you get to what you need in the best way given your current skills as well as incorporating a couple of skills just beyond what you can do now...

      have fun with it...

      sarah

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