Monday, April 15, 2013

:: Sewing with little girls

In the fall, my Mom and I began giving group sewing lessons to my oldest daughter (Ellie-6) and my niece (Alaina-8).  My niece is in her first competitive year of 4-H, and decided she wants to do sewing.  So I began teaching her sewing, and my sister (who double-majored in music - need I say more?!) is teaching my oldest son piano lessons.  We laugh at what a great trade it is!
 
Before we began, I checked out about 10 books from the library - not sure exactly where to start when teaching little girls to sew. These 2 books were the ones I loved most. Both a combination of hand sewing, and machine sewing.
 

We have been alternating hand-sewing and machine sewing, so they have a firm foundation in both.  I've been amazed at how quickly they absorb what's being taught.  After just a few times of showing them how to thread their machines, they can both do it completely on their own.


As a parent/aunt, it thrills my heart as I watch them begin to love something I also love.  Now I see why parents passed down their "skills/trades" to the next generation.  Not only is the first-hand experience a huge advantage, but the satisfaction gained in the process is priceless.  No, I won't force or expect any of my 3 girls to love sewing the way I do.  But I cherish it when they do.

3 comments:

  1. I might love this post even more than the one Ellie showed her first quilt. Your picts of their feet! ADORABLE!

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    1. You are so nice. And yes - you are a mother so you can appreciate the picture of the feet. =)

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  2. Such a great post! My daughter just made her first quilt top (you can view it on my blog) - her first experience at sewing and she choose one that was a bit challenging but I think she is hooked! Such a fabulous idea of using lined paper to get them used to sewing a straight line! Thanks for sharing!

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