Teaching Little Ones to Sew-Lesson 1: The Sewing Machine

My oldest crazything has been begging, pleading with me since summer to get her, her own sewing machine. I finally broke down under the pressure and gifted my older sewing machine that I only use in the case of emergencies. I figured I could blog about this bonding experience to help other "teachers" of how I taught my crazything(s) to sew. This will be an ongoing series to happen when I have the patience of a Saint bestowed on me for the day. lol

Be fore warned, this is not a small undertaking for either of us. I believe that if we make it through to where she can sew something from start to finish on her own and not made an emergency trip to the hospital for a needle through the finger, I'll have made it into Sainthood. (I'm pretty sure the former part will happen. I'm just not sure whose finger it will be. Oh and that she will sew something from start to finish by this time next year.)

Okay, here it goes, Lesson 1: The Sewing Machine! (about 45 minutes)

Much to my crazything's dismay, we did not just, "Turn this Baby on and she what she can do." She really said this. More then once. First, I showed her how to thread the machine from the top and how the bobbin goes in. We also practiced threading the needle with the automatic threader and pulling the bobbin thread up from the bottom. (This is something I will have her practice every time until it's second nature.)

 

When she had had enough of that, we worked on pinning two pieces of fabric together. (Note to self, brand new pins are really, really sharp!) Also something to work on every time for the first couple of lessons.

Finally, I drew lines on a scrap piece of fabric for her to practice sewing straight lines on.

So, up until this point there had been no tears (except mine when a pin stuck me in the finger) and things were going well for the first 20 minutes. (Short lessons are best for us, for now.) This was the most frustrating part of the whole lesson. I knew she really, really wanted to sew something, anything! Keeping the line going straight, keeping the presser foot part way down AND keeping her fingers back was a bit much. After the second line, she really was having a hard time, even with much encouragement that she was doing fine. She is a perfectionist, like Momma.

Here are her sewn lines. I told her they were good for the first time. It all takes practice, practice and more practice.

 A few wobbles here and there.

A nice patch of staying on the lines.

We ended the lesson for the day on that frustrating note. I hope to get one or two more in before school starts up again but we shall see.

Thanks for reading!
Just a Mom who Sews