MY FAVORITE THINGS—or some sewing gift ideas for you

Unlike Julie Andrews/Maria VonTrapp, I do not make playclothes from the draperies in my room!  However, I do have some favorite sewing items that would make practical, personal gifts at the holidays and for birthdays. 

If you don’t sew, you might need some ideas of what to buy for a budding sewing enthusiast on your gift list.  Good sewing equipment and notions help to encourage kids (and adultsJ) to keep on sewing. 

Here are some of my favorite things: 

·        Pins—“invest” in some good pins with glass heads.  The glass heads can stand the heat of an iron in the case of accidents, plus the longer length works well on most fabrics.  Great stocking stuffer for less than $10.

·        Chalk roller pen—a great way to mark fabrics, it makes accurate and removable markings.  Marking pens can be good but sometimes their marks don’t come out, or they reappear!  Another stocking stuffer idea.

·         High quality trimming scissors—my favorites are 5” Gingher trimmers.  They have nice pointy tips which I like for snipping when I have to “unsew”.  They are easy to control when trimming seams, grading seams, and trimming threads. 

·        High quality shears—8” shears are a necessity in the sewing room.   My favorites are, again, my Ginghers.  (If you have a leftie in the family, be sure to get shears designed for a leftie.) Shears are different from scissors—shears have two different-sized holes for the fingers and thumbs and are for cutting out fabric, allowing the shears to rest flat on the cutting surface and not lift the fabric out of line; scissors have two same-sized holes and are used for trimming, not cutting out. 

If there is already a good pair of sewing shears in the family, consider purchasing a micro-serrated pair.  These have blades that grip fine or slippery fabrics better for a good accurate cut. 

·       1 yard (or more) of silk organza—Silk organza is a terrific all-purpose fabric to have on hand.  Its many uses include:

§  A see-through press cloth—serge the sides of ½ yard of ivory silk organza for a terrific sewing aid

§  A stable underlining for wool, silk, or other fibers

§  A seam stabilizer—use the selvedges of the silk organza as a low-bulk stabilizer at zippers or shoulder seams

·       Pressing equipment—a tailor’s ham is needed, and it’s not just for tailoring.  Any garment that has shape built into it by using darts or princess seams will look better if pressed on a ham.  If a ham is already available, consider a clapper, a sleeveboard, or a tailors point presser.

·       A good iron—be sure that your sewing giftee has an iron that steams well, doesn’t spit, and has good controlled heating.  There are many variations on this theme, but everyone needs a good basic iron before moving on to more elaborate options.

·       A rotary cutter and mat—Quilters love these but garment sewers can use them, too.  I use mine for cutting bindings or even cutting out an entire garment.  Buy as large a mat as you can afford and will fit in the sewing space.  You won’t regret it. 

·       A good sewing light—I got a tabletop Ott light with a nice discount coupon a few years ago.  It is terrific when I do handsewing at my sewing machine area.  It also folds up so I can fit it in a suitcase to take when I go to motels—where the lighting is notoriously poor for sewing. 

·       A good basic sewing machine—I am often asked about buying sewing machines for kids.  This is tough.  You don’t know if the sewing bug will last for a while and you don’t want to spend too much until you do know.  On the other hand, a poor sewing machine can be a reason to quit sewing!!!!  My advice is to buy the best you can afford, using my other guidelines below.  (If you don’t need the machine in a few years or want a better one, you can trade this one in for credit or cash.) 

I WOULD NOT buy a machine that is promoted by the chain stores as being great for kids or for beginners. 

You DO NOT NEED an embroidery machine or a machine that has 258 built-in stitches. 

You DO NOT NEED a brand new machine. 

You DO NEED a good basic machine that does a balanced straight stitch, a zig-zag and perhaps a blind hem or edge-finishing stitch.  It would be nice if it makes a good buttonhole, too. 

You DO NEED a used or new machine that is being sold by a reputable dealer who will back up the purchase with good service. 

Ask 4-H sewing leaders and other people who sew where they get their machines serviced and where they recommend that you shop.  Private purchase or buying from somebody on-line is much more risky.  Unless you are a qualified sewing machine mechanic, beware of deals that seem too good to be true!!!  If you don’t buy from a reputable dealer, you may get a gem, but you also have to be prepared for the possibility that it may be a clunker.

These are a few of my favorite things.  Do you have any ideas for perfect sewing gifts for kids or any age person who is learning to sew?  Please use the comments section to share your ideas with the rest of us! 

Happy gift giving!

Linda

Dealing with Disappointment

As a leader we sometimes have to help our 4-Hers  deal with disappointment. Our 4-Hers spend a lot of time, effort and money on their project and they want to be recognized for their efforts.  We encourage them to enter their sewing projects in Fashion Revue, the county fair, and the Farm Show and  the PA Make It With Wool Contest. Sometimes they receive an award or recognition and sometimes they don't. Many youngsters have not had any experience dealing with the disappointment that comes with not winning.  As leaders we are dealing not just with the disappointment, but sometimes we even feel a little guilty! We think we should have suggested this, or insisted they change that--you can drive yourself crazy thinking about all the things you should have done, could have done wish-you-would have done.

I have learned a few things in my 20 plus years of being a leader and one if the most important is to prepare the 4-Hers for disappointment. I strongly encourage my students to participate in Fashion Revue.  I talk a lot about the EXPERIENCE of Fashion Revue: how much fun it it, how much they will learn form the workshops, how nice it is to meet other 4-Hers who love to sew and are as interested in fashion as they are, how inspiring and motivating it is to see all the other outfits, how enjoyable it is to model their outfit, and how proud they will feel when someone says "I like your dress!" If they happen to win an award, that is just icing on the cake, but I encourage them not to expect it.

I repeat the words of Doris Thomas, who was the extension educator in Lancaster County when I was in   4-H. Every year at Fashion Revue she told us "another day, another set of judges, another winner". I repeat those words to my 4-Hers because I believe them.  I want my students to know that every judge has a slightly different outlook on what is stylish or fashionable, what fits well and what is too big or too tight and the exact definition of good construction. One judge will love your purple shoes and another will think they are a bit over the top. One likes the machine hem and another thinks you should have done it by hand. And just because these particular three judges did not give your outfit an award does not mean that you did not do a great job or that your outfit is not terrific. And as leaders we sometimes have to remind ourselves of this too.

Learning to "lose gracefully", deal with disappointment and to look at every experience as an opportunity to learn are important lessons, for the 4-Hers, their parents and leaders.

THINKING AHEAD and CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING—THE LEADER’S ROLE---PLUS, A TECHNIQUE TO ELIMINATE SHADOWS AND THE NEED FOR A SLIP

Even if we teach groups of kids, we are teaching individual 4-H’ers to sew. It is a rare group that is all sewing the same project. That may happen in the beginning projects, such as the 4-H Sewing Camp that Maureen and I are planning for this summer. Every child will make a draw-string totebag. Basically the only individualization will be that each child will select his/her own fabric. The rest of the project will be the same for each child—no fitting or bedazzling! Even so, we’ll find individual quirks—varieties in sewing machines, varying aptitudes, speed and quality issues.

When the kids get beyond beginning projects, though, look out! All of a sudden, there are varieties in fabric, pattern, fitting challenges, on and on. As the leader, we have the responsibility to anticipate and plan ahead on behalf of the 4-H’er who is looking to us for guidance. This year, I had the perfect example that I would like to share with you.

I have observed, too often, that kids sometimes choose fabrics that, while opaque, still show shadows of legs. You know, when the sun or a bright light is behind them, you can see the shadow of their legs. Call me Victorian, but I like to avoid that. When I was very small, we wore slips to take care of that. You can still wear a slip to take care of that. However, often the slip and the skirt/dress don’t move together, and the slip ends up sticking out. For that reason, I try to anticipate shadows and, if warranted, add a lining or underlining from the outset.




In the upper left quadrant, you can see the faint shadow
of the tool that I placed behind the fabric.
That would be the shadow of legs when the dress is worn.


This year, one of “my kids” chose a wonderful, buttery soft, rayon knit that she found at Fabric Mart to make a dress with a circle skirt. At some point we realized that we were going to have shadows. 

The solution: add a tricot lining/slip to the skirt only. (We found white tricot at GorgeousFabrics for $5/yard, in case you don’t have a local source.) She cut the lining exactly the same as the fashion fabric, assembled all four panels, and then basted the fashion fabric and the lining, wrong sides together, at the waistline.




The skirt lining was assembled.
Here you see one of the serged seams.



When the pattern instructed to attach the skirt to the bodice, she attached the lining/fashion fabric duo.



Here, the unlined bodice is on the left, the lined skirt is to the right,
and the seam with both fashion fabric and skirt lining runs from top
to bottom of the photo. She serged the edges of all the layers.

We hemmed the fashion fabric skirt using a double needle hem, because it was a knit. Now we had the tricot sticking out.  

Notice the double needle hem in the fashion fabric.
Now the lining hangs below the hemmed skirt.

  


Pins at finished hem length in fashion fabric.
Lining was to be 1" shorter.

We were aiming to make the lining one inch shorter than the dress. While she was wearing the dress, I used pins to mark the place on the tricot where the fashion fabric was finished. 

Dissolving stabilizer was used to allow good tension
on the light weight, single layer of tricot lining hem.

At the ironing table, she marked a cutting line ¾” above the line of pins, using an air erasable marker. Then, she serged the single layer of tricot, cutting at the purple marker line. Of course, we tested tension first, and found that we just could not get a tight enough stitch in the light weight tricot. An older 4-H’er, who is headed to fashion school this fall, suggested that we sew over a tissue paper stabilizer. It was a good idea, but I was worried about the tissue staying in the serger stitches. I remembered some wash-away stabilizer that I have for my embroidery machine. She put a strip of the stabilizer on top of the tricot and that solved the tension problem! 







Using a double needle to hem the tricot.
She turned under the serged edge and
top-stitched with the double needle
to hem the tricot slip/lining.

After the tricot was serged, she turned under the edge and top stitched the ¼” tricot hem, again with the double needle. The stabilizer was still in there and it helped to make a nice stitch possible. Beautiful! Now she just needs to soak her hem in water for about 15 minutes and all of that stabilizer will disappear—like magic!

Alas, all of that wasn’t magic. It was the result of thinking ahead so that she won’t have to cope with a slip at Fashion Revue and wherever else she wears this special dress. It was the result of solving a problem—not following pattern instructions word for word, but thinking about possible solutions that would be do-able with her skill set and which would not take too much time. It was the result of thinking through the steps of the solution from beginning to end before we even began the sewing.

Our jobs as 4-H sewing leaders are varied, but this creative problem solving is probably one of my favorite parts of the job. I do sometimes worry that I won’t think of everything ahead of time, but I try! The fact that one of my older sew-ers came up with a creative solution shows me that she is learning this, too. That makes me proud.

How have you been thinking ahead for your 4-H'ers?  Are they thinking ahead for themselves?  Please share with the rest of us!

Happy sewing--and don't forget the Fashion Revue registration deadline for your region!

We have a question from a reader, Sharon:
My one 4-Her has chosen Simplicity # 2689 as her project for Knits. Does this meet the criteria? It is a dress except for length - she is making the tunic. Does that meet criteria or does she have to make pants to go with the tunic? If she has to make pants, could they be from cotton/corduroy, etc.?
Where could she fine suede cloth or faux leather to make the belt?

Hi Sharon!
The Simplicity pattern does meet the criteria for the Knits project.  She can make just the top or she can make the top and coordinating pants and the entire outfit will still be considered a Knits project--the pants do not have to be made from a knit.
Another options would be to consider the outfit as two projects: a Knit project for the top and a Separates or Coordinates project for the pants, depending on the difficulty of the pants pattern.

Do you have the Textile Science Leader's Guide? It is available at your County Extension office or you can find it on the Penn State Extension website--here is the Link. It is a great help in understanding the skills and concepts that are taught for each project and it gives you ideas for what kind of garments can be made for a particular project. I would be lost without this booklet! I also look at the classes in the Farm Show catalog to get ideas of what kind of garments to put in a particular project. I save my catalog from year to year as a reference.

As for the faux leather or suede cloth,  Gorgeous Fabrics has some leather skins. Fabric Mart has a couple colors of faux suede, which may or may not suit for this situation.  We haven’t seen other skins or faux stuff on-line lately.  There are definitely places to get Ultrasuede at full price. Vogue Fabrics has it for $70 per yard.  For a belt you don’t need much, so that may be a possibility. 


We hope this helps! 
Maureen and Linda

PA 4-H FASHION REVUE IS ALIVE AND WELL!

The State 4-H Fashion Revue Committee is busily planning the 2012 State Fashion Revue.  Seven Regional Fashion Revues will be held, allowing 4-Hers in every county to participate.  At the Regional Revues, judges will select the maximum 60 participants in the state event.  State Fashion Revue is held each year during State 4-H Achievement Days at Penn State.  It’s not too late to start some 4-Hers on their sewing project for this year!  Get in on the fun, the excitement and the learning!

Maureen and I have worked with many 4-H sew-ers who participated in Fashion Revue, including our own children.  We know it was important for us, our own children, and the many youth who participate each year.  Fashion Revue is a great way to supplement the club-based sewing program by:

      Challenging and developing new skills and knowledge in textile science

      Broadening the interaction of 4-H youth from across the Commonwealth

      Recognizing 4-Hers demonstrated abilities in textile science

      Acquainting 4-Hers with the faculty, programs, and facilities of the Pennsylvania State University

      Helping youth learn more about the types of garments best suited to them

      Helping youth select suitable and enhancing accessories to meet their wardrobe needs

      Developing poise, confidence, maturity and pride of their garment choice

      Helping youth learn how to complete an application

The contest provides an opportunity for 4-Hers to compete against other Fashion Revue regional winners, to model on the Eisenhower Theatre stage, to improve life skills in cooperation, responsibility, and decision making, and oh-so-much more!

The details:   

      Anyone who creates a wearable item may enter their Regional Fashion Revue (sleepwear and swim wear are usually not permitted—ask your regional chair). 

      Junior division is for youth ages 8-12 (as of January 1 of the current year) and Senior division is for those 13-18.  Only senior division winners move on to the state competition.

      Volunteers are needed and appreciated at the regional events.  To volunteer, contact your county or multi-county 4-H educator.  This year, some regional events will be totally volunteer-led.  Many thanks to those folks who have stepped up.  You are special people!

      A committee of volunteers and paid staff organize the state event.  If you would like to volunteer to help this year or in the future, contact Sandy Hall (sph3@psu.edu).

The state event is a terrific learning opportunity for our 13-18 year olds.  To ensure that State Fashion Revue continues for youth in Pennsylvania, even though our own children are no longer age-eligible, Maureen and I chair the Friends of Pennsylvania State 4-H Fashion Revue.  This committee works to raise the funds from donations to ensure that funds are available for future Fashion Revues.  We contact businesses, individuals and 4-H alumni who provide cash or prize donations (sewing-related items) that supplement the member registration fees, making the state event possible.  We have added a tab at the top of our blog home page which links to the Friends fund-raising effort.  Please help us to spread the word!  We can also use the help of enthusiastic folks who are willing to help with this fund-raising task.  Contact us at linda@lebaweb.com if you would like to join our committee.

If you ever have questions about Fashion Revue, 4-H sewing in Pennsylvania, techniques, working with kids, please use our Leaders Helping Leaders tab to connect with other leaders who will answer your questions.  In addition, we will post updates regarding regional Fashion Revues and the Friends group on those tabs.  We want you to get the information that you need and to share what you know with others. 

Let’s support each other so that we can keep youth learning how to sew and create their own fashion in 4-H!

Linda

P.S.  If you are reading this, you have found our blog!  Yeah!  Please bookmark it so you can find it again.  Then, forward this site’s address to your friends and others who sew with 4-H’ers so they know how to find it, too.  We just started and we want as many people to find it as possible!

How Much To "Help"

The question of how much help to give a 4-Her on their project is one that has been asked by leaders since the first project was started! There are many new skills to learn in a Clothing and Textiles project, beginning with pinning and pressing, operating the machine and ripping. These skills take a long time to master. A young child can become very frustrated when they have not developed the fine motor skills necessary to complete the steps in sewing their project.  So I help when necessary. But I only help—I don’t DO!
 

Learning how to pin can be a challenge!

I am a hands-on leader when it comes to working with young children in the 8 to 10 age group. Some youth this age need just a little help and others need a lot, depending on their experience and abilities. When teaching a new skill, I demonstrate it on their project and then watch while the student tries. I show the skill again if necessary and then give them some time to complete the task. If they are becoming frustrated and are unable to complete the task, I do some more demonstrating. For example, I will show them how to pin their pattern piece to the fabric, and let them try it. I walk away for a few minutes (some children get nervous with an adult watching) and then check back to see how they have progressed. Sometimes I make suggestions or corrections and demonstrate again and then give them more time to try again.  If they have not made much progress when I check back again and are getting frustrated, I do some more demonstrating and some encouraging. By then the pinning is usually done. Yes, I did some pinning on the child’s project while demonstrating, but not so much that the child feels that they did not do the work.

By the time they are 11 or 12, they are working much more independently and are pinning, cutting and sewing accurately without help. Usually their projects are a little more complicated and they need help understanding the pattern directions, and I am teaching them techniques that are not always included in the directions. I use the demonstration method again, sometimes on a scrap sample so that they can translate the new technique to their project. 

A leader helps to guide the fabric. 

I don’t do any actual sewing on the 4-Her’s project. However, sometimes a beginner may need some help at the machine even after they have practiced sewing. When this happens, I stand behind the child while s/he is sewing and I put my hands beside their hands on the garment and help them guide it through the machine. This also helps me determine if the student is trying to pull the fabric through the machine or holding it back, a common mistake for beginners.

Sometimes I do help with ripping, and I do it because of a lack of time rather than lack of skill. My club meets in the evening on school nights, and I hate to see a student spend 45 minutes ripping out side seams when they could be making progress on other parts of the project. Usually I have the 4-Her rip a few inches and then I will complete the ripping while they work on another step of the project. Another option is that we both start ripping at different ends of the seam and work towards the middle—but this needs to be done with care and only works on long seams.  Removing stitches (ripping) is part of sewing for all of us and a skill that needs to be learned, too, so I don't want to deprive them of learning that skill but I save them from overload!  (Note from my co-blogger Linda:  "I tend to rip for/with the member only if I gave them bad instructions or they are completely overwhelmed.  Otherwise, I think that ripping teaches them to be more careful the next time.  I work with older 4-Hers where this philosophy works well.")

I want my 4-Hers to enjoy sewing. I want them to come back next year and make another project. I don’t want them to be frustrated, impatient, or wonder why they ever started the project. I want them to be able to complete each step with a minimum of help. But if they need some occasional hands-on help while working on their project, I will give it to them. That is what a leader does!

~~Maureen

Project Shopping

I think every leader has had the experience where an 8 year old beginner in the Clothing and Textile project comes to them with their project chosen and the pattern and fabric purchased. You find she has chosen a skirt with a zipper, waistband, pleats and a lining. And the fabric is a slippery polyester!

To avoid this situation, I have found it is very helpful to go to the fabric store with my students when they are choosing the pattern, fabric and notions. In our club there are 27 4-Hers enrolled in the Clothing and Textile Projects and it can be a challenge to meet with all of them! I choose two or three dates that I will be at the fabric store and they meet me there on the date that suits their schedule. I am there to help them choose their pattern and fabric and to answer any questions. I can also act as an advisor when there is disagreement between the child and the adult about the appropriateness of a particular pattern or fabric. 

This year, I made a form to help them with the shopping process. It makes it easier for each 4-Her to check that they have all the notions and supplies that they need for their project.  The form can be printed out and given to each 4-Her before they come to the store. Students complete the section about their measurements before they shop.  I prefer that a parent/guardian take the measurements at home. I remember being very embarrassed by this as a young seamstress—I would have been humiliated to have my measurements taken in front of my friends!


Here is the form (Just click on it to print for yourself):

The rest of the form is filled out at the store and when it is completed they should have everything they need for the project. There is a place to fill out information about the fabric; the fabric fiber and care is something that we often forget to record and it will be needed if they are going to participate in Fashion Revue! I remind the 4-Hers that this form can be used as a reference when completing these forms—I know that sometimes they are lucky if they can find the pattern envelope by then!

I encourage my 4-Hers to look at patterns online and to let me know what they have in mind for a project. Ideally, a student begins sewing at age 8 and will spend about 3 years as a beginner, 3 years on intermediate projects and 4 years as an advanced seamstress. If the student follows this progression, these are the projects I encourage them to make:

• Beginner—pillowcase, apron, elastic waist garment
• Intermediate—shift or sundress, elastic waist garment and top, simple garment (one or two pieces) with a zipper
• Advanced—Projects with increasing difficulty where students will learn a new technique each year.

I remind them repeatedly that they need to think simple—the project will take more time to complete than they realize! A simple project done well is better than a complicated project done poorly!

Make sure that students have chosen a pattern that is appropriate to their skills. For example, when I suggest an apron as a project, I mean a simple apron and not a difficult apron! If the student or the parent does not have sewing experience they may not be able to gauge the difficulty of the pattern by looking at the photograph or drawing.

Happy Sewing,

maureen

A Great Weekend at the State 4-H Leader Forum!

 
I am now somewhat recovered from the Leader Forum held this weekend at the Penn Stater at State College. It is a true adrenalin rush for me--but then I am always pooped afterward! I so enjoy being with other like-minded youth-oriented adults. 4-H and its philosophy of Learn by Doing and Making the Best Better are so much a part of me.

Of course, leading two workshops--Sew-lympics and the Sewing Leaders Roundtable--was a great pleasure. Maureen and I are committed to helping us all to maintain the 4-H Clothing and Textiles program here in Pennsylvania. Meeting so many of you on Saturday fuels our fires. We hope that the leaders who attended got some ideas that will help them stay energized in their home clubs and counties, too.

The Sew-lympics workshop had two purposes:

1. 1.  To refresh/teach club leaders' sewing skills and knowledge
2. 2.  To give you some activities that you may adapt, use as is, or use as inspiration to make completely new ones in your own club.

We were happy to hear people say that they may use the materials at some regional fashion revues, with some clubs that don't currently offer sewing projects but do have children who wear clothing (the 4-H clothing projects do have things to offer even those who don't sew!), and in some community clubs. We invite you to use them or modify them any way you wish. Please, share your experiences with others, too. If you do something that works really well, or something that completely flops, share that with us, so that others can learn and use them well in their clubs. (See the Leaders Helping Leaders tab at the top of this page!)

We promised that we would supply electronic copies of the Sew-lympics events, but it seems that I can't post pdf's on our blog (we have a lot to learn about blogging!) I have posted three seven all ten of the activites at the bottom of this page. I am working to convert the rest to a blog-friendly format. They should be here by Wednesday!  Finally, I am finished! 

When they are all posted, I will send copies/links to everyone who requested them at the Leader Forum.  You don't have to wait for those copies/links, though; just click on them (below) and print!

Thought for the day: If you have a full sewing group, that is great! If you could work with more kids this year, let your newspaper or radio station know, or spread the word at a local fabric store, or tell the people at your church, or tell the principal or guidance counselor at the elementary school, or tell the school parent group, or....! Let's get as many kids sewing as we can!

Yours in 4-H,

Linda

Alpine Skiing--Pins p.1

Alpine Skiing--pins p. 3

Alpine Skiing--Pins p. 2

Curling p. 1

Curling p.2

Archery--Sewing Accurately

Swimming--Fit and muslins

Cross-Country Skiing--Tailor's hem

Backstroke--Using Back-tacks

Weight Lifting--Pattern Weights

Slalom--Woven or Knit?

Javelin--needles p. 1

Javelin--needles p. 3

Javelin--needles p. 2

Skeleton--Boning p. 1

Skeleton--Boning p. 2

THE PERILS OF CHOOSING A PROJECT--avoid my disasters!

Choosing the right project is a challenge for those of us who sew with kids—or with anyone who is still learning, for that matter! The key is to make sure that they have some challenge or new skill, plenty of repeated skills, and an end-product article or ensemble that they are excited about wearing. A few times this process has gone terribly wrong for me and my charges. Fortunately, we came out of it on the other side—stronger and wiser!

Scene One: my daughter's first year in 4-H. My daughter had been sewing by my side since she was four, but she hadn’t really done any garment sewing. I would say what she had been doing was “playing”. Now, we parents know that a child’s “playing” is their work—they are working to make sense of the world and how they fit in to it. She had done that—but I hadn’t really taught her to sew yet. Yes, she could control the machine, knew about back-tacking, could thread the machine, and she was motivated. I think I was more motivated, though. I thought my 8-year old could handle a simple sleeveless dress— no darts, no zipper, but facings at the neck and armhole.

Boy, was I wrong!I had decided that I would make a dress for her from the same pattern at the same time, so that I could demonstrate every step for her. Then she would go to her machine and do what I had just done—in my dreams! We had our respective dresses cut out, and we started to sew. I don’t remember if she had even stay-stitched yet, but at some point early in the game, it became clear that she was panicking about the project and that she didn’t really understand how the facings would go on, be trimmed and understitched, and create an edge. I realize now that I was asking for just too much abstract thinking from an 8-year old. In addition, I was asking her to use fine-motor skills that probably weren’t “there” yet, either.

How did I solve it? I admitted that I was wrong. We back-tracked and started with the more traditional first-year sew-er project in our 4-H club. She made a simple pair of pull on pants—from inexpensive cotton that had a small print in it (which helps to camouflage tiny errors in our sewing, by the way!). It was perfect! There was a little bit of curved seaming (at the crotch) but mostly straight sewing; she learned to make an elastic casing and insert elastic, she learned how to finish seams and hand hem using a catch stitch. That was a plenty-long list of new skills for one young girl. (I finished the pretty little dress that she had begun and she wore that to Fashion Revue for the times before and after competition, when she wasn’t in her just right pants and the cute little purchased sweater set that she wore with them.) Please pardon the photo quality--taken before I had a digital camera.

Finding the right balance between your enthusiasm (or your reluctance to get too complicated), your student’s enthusiasm, budget, goals, etc. is a challenge. When it is your own child, it may be easier to read skill levels and aspirations(although some people say that they can’t sew with their own kids—that would make me sad—sewing has been a wonderful bond for my daughter and me).

Scene Two: A few years ago I worked with a young lady who bit off more than she could chew (with my acquiescence—I hadn’t completely learned the lesson from my daughter’s dress, evidently), and we almost lost her from sewing because of it. Thankfully, her mother talked to me about her daughter’s concerns and we broke down the project into manageable chunks that seemed more reasonable. We decided that she didn’t have to make the top that she had been planning; the wool jacket and slacks would be more than enough for the project. I changed my “charge-y” style a bit to suit her personality. I encouraged and praised more than I had been and we got through the tough time. That was four or five years ago. I am pleased to say that, each year since then, she has chosen more and more advanced articles/ensembles and has learned to break down seemingly daunting projects into more do-able pieces. She is headed to fashion design school in the fall, thanks to her talent and our willingness to work together to choose appropriate projects for her—adding a few new skills each year that have added up to some outstanding ensembles with excellent workmanship.

Some points to remember:

• Assess the skills and experience that the child already has--it's good to repeat and reinforce skills that have already been used in previous projects.
• Discuss what new skills you think would be a logical addition in the next garment(s)--you want to add at least one or two new skills, but not too many!
• Discuss how all of that can be manifested in a particular garment that the child will be excited about wearing.
• Keep the lines of communication open so you know if there is trouble in paradise.

The goal is to have happy sew-ists who are building skills and the confidence that they can do it again in their next garment—perhaps with you helping them less and less with each project.

One of my great satisfactions is seeing the kids that I have worked with remember and use a skill that they learned last year (or last week). So gratifying!

More another time about a logical progression of skills and some specific suggestions of things to make. In the meantime, you might like this chart that will help you with that task: Sewing Skills Progress Chart

Teach ‘em to sew—you’ll learn and they’ll learn!

Linda

Starting the Projects

The first meeting of the intermediate sewing group went well. Two members cut out their garments. Other members are still shopping for fabric and some of them will be going to Fabric Mart.

At our next meeting the beginners will be learning how to operate a sewing machine and practice stitching. We start by sewing on a piece of paper without thread in the machine. Students learn  how to start and stop the machine, how to control their speed, how to back stitch and to raise and lower the presser foot. Then we put thread in the machine and practice sewing!