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Teaching a child to sew
tryingsewhard   Beginner FL USA Member since 6/26/05 Posts: 42	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/11/12 6:10 PM I have a very smart and careful 5 year old granddaughter who wants to sew everytime she is here. She loves to go to the fabric store and look around. She has a lot of great ideas. How can I safely teach her to sew?
NhiHuynh   Advanced CA USA Member since 1/4/11 Posts: 593	Login to reply to this post In reply to tryingsewhard Like this post Date: 3/11/12 7:12 PM Sounds like your grand daughter is wise beyond her years. My mom put me on her industry Juki (she was a factory sewer) at about 6 or 7 years old without incident... unless you count what I did to some of the fabric. hehe You can start her with cutting the tissue and fabric with scissors that are sized for her hand, under supervision of course. You can read the instruction patterns together. Work up to sewing maybe with her on your lap, guiding her hands as you man the pedal.
beauturbo Advanced CA USA Member since 5/2/09 Posts: 1446	Login to reply to this post In reply to tryingsewhard Like this post Date: 3/11/12 8:01 PM I got my daughter a 1920's hand crank Singer 99 machine when she was maybe 4 or so. That one was pretty safe, as no electricity, and no power, just the hand crank. And can only go as fast as you can crank it. That way if she ran into a finger, at least I knew she would stop hand cranking and not just keep her foot down on a foot pedal instead. Also since it did only straight stitches, there were no fancy stitches with a lot of back and forth and reverse cycle movement to them, as I felt those might be more finger damaging to a small child too. At first I did sit with her and thread up and all, but after a while I let her use it all alone, when maybe I was not right there,right at her elbow and instead in another room, or across the room and such. I think I was not letting her change the needles at all when she was that small though, and I told her only I could do that instead. Just because I did not want loose needles all over the house, and was also worried about the dog getting into them. I was pretty careful and not wanting pins stuck in all the furniture or the rugs either too. But I think a grown up's machine like that, when they are very young, actually works much better than any kids machine. Also they can still use it as a grown up later too, even when they get an electrically powered one later, or then you can just keep it, instead for yourself then too. You could try that.
ShantiSeamstressing Advanced Beginner Member since 6/11/10 Posts: 1204	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/11/12 9:50 PM I started my daughters with some hand sewing projects from this book, See and Sew. We didn't do every single thing, more interest-led. I also started them with this kit for a felt butterfly and flower, which they can decorate. They also hand sewed lots and lots (and lots!) of sweet tiny stuffed animals from Winky Cherry's first sewing book. When they were old enough to use a sewing machine, I bought Stitches and Pins and Pins and Needles, which are like a "complete sewing course in-a-book" so to speak. I'm sure it would be easy enough to teach all those elements without the book ~ but for me, the step-by-step already-planned structure of it was so helpful (plus, the author has really simplified the concept of sewing so that it isn't overwhelming but seems like common sense: gotta love that!). I bought them each nice sewing baskets from Prym...all the basic sewing accoutrements, needles, pin cushion, (regular and magnetic), tape measure, tailor's chalk, etc. "Sew" much fun!
Sarsez Intermediate AUSTRALIA Member since 7/2/09 Posts: 580	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/11/12 11:30 PM I started my kids off with an ordinary unthreaded machine, sewing small rectangles of cardboard. The cardboard was stiff enough to support itself so the kids could "sew" and get used to what moved on the machine without actually having to have their fingers close to the action. My Elna also had an option to run in slow mode so they couldn't sew too fast either. Once they could sew unthreaded, I threaded the machine and then they sewed the cardboard with thread. Unfortunately, none of them have progressed much past this. They both like playing with the machine but they have no desire to actually make anything. My son just wants to take the machine apart! ------ 24th Nov 12 to 28th Nov 13 Fabric and patterns rules for me. Remember to shop your stash girl! Remember to keep sewing to your wardrobe plan!
Marie367   Intermediate OH USA Member since 5/28/11 Posts: 1362	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 3/11/12 11:54 PM I don't remember learning to sew. I know by the time I was your GD's age I was making doll clothes by hand. I would say teach her some simple hand stitches-a simple running stitch is great for her to start with. Get her some fabric and trims (Wright used to sell bags of trim that were great for doll clothes--I don't know if they still do, but in those days a bag only cost $.25 or so). If she didn't want to do doll clothes, she could start with simple projects--pillow cases, things for her dolls etc. It sounds like she can up with her own ideas. I think I had a little Singer that only did a straight stitch. My mom didn't let me on her old Singer until I was 8 or 9 and for good reason. That Singer was a monster of a machine! (I wish I still had it!). Newer machine allow for a slow speed but if you start her on your machine she may take it over Sounds
pyrxtc Advanced Beginner NH USA Member since 4/29/12 Posts: 19	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 8/8/12 11:24 AM they have a great sewing class for kids at Joann's too. ------ Life is about how much fun you can have with your kids !

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