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Activities & Teaching Aids
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Dear Parent, Homeschool Mom, 4-H Leader, Teacher:
Stitches & Pins, A Beginning Sewing Book for Girls, and Buckles & Bobbins, A Beginning Sewing Book for Boys have been tailor made for busy families (is there any other kind?) by a very busy mother/daughter team. Our books are put together with instruction pages that even students can understand, followed by projects to practice skills, more instruction, then more projects that will build upon techniques and skills learned. Beginning projects are made to be completed in one sitting, and yet are fun and practical.
Here are some considerations we have found to be helpful as we have taught and continue to teach children to sew.
• Never teach sewing when a child is tired. As a beginner, a child needs to focus and anticipate this as a fun experience.
• Plan projects for your children’s skill level. Let them see success before they tackle a project that it too difficult. Save those tiny doll clothes for later.
• At about age nine, children are capable and wanting to learn to run the sewing machine. Starting them too young will cause frustration. Of course, if you have a child begging to begin, you may start them younger, just keep the sessions short.
• Let your children choose their own fabrics. Don’t even practice on something out of grandmother’s supply or leftovers. The objective is that they learn to “Love to Sew,” which means projects made from fabrics they select themselves and will want to show off. Most projects take one yard or less.
• Explain to your child that sizing on patterns is different than sizing for ready-made clothes. Many students say “I’m not that size!” and will use a pattern where the end product will not fit (usually too small). Always go by actual body measurements when selecting pattern size.
• It’s fun for your children if you, or someone else, has time to sew with them. When I taught my daughter, I would make the project to show her how, and then she would make it. We sewed together and it was fun for both of us.
• Limit your children’s time at the machine to two hours when beginning. You don’t want sewing time to be so long that it overwhelms them, and it’s wonderful to have them begging for the next session.
• Make sure your machine is working well. Breakdowns discourage children, and prevent them from completing projects.
• Do as little ripping out as possible. No one is an expert when learning. Choose projects that will forgive a stitching line that is a bit squiggly. That’s why we begin with pillowcases - they don’t fit snugly, they are always usable, and are great for gift giving!
Hopefully these considerations, along with Stitches and Pins, and Buckles & Bobbins, along with the additional puzzles, patterns, and activities on our web site, will make your teaching time at the sewing machine a pleasant experience. We want sewing to be a positive fit for you and your child. Feel free to contact us, we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
We are working on our intermediate sewing book for girls, Pins & Needles, which will include quilting projects as well as more dressmaking projects and techniques (waistbands, zippers, buttons and buttonholes, gathering, collars, and set-in-sleeves), serging, heirloom, and polar fleece projects.
Remember, the point is to learn a valuable skill, and to instill a love of sewing with both you and your child or student.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Gagnon
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