Teaching Little Ones to Sew Lesson 2- The zigzag stitch and joining fabric together

Note: This is a series of posts about how I am teaching one of my crazythings to sew. You can find the previous one and any other ones I will post under the tab, Little Ones' Sewing Lessons

Lesson 2: Zigzag and sewing two fabrics together (20 mins)

Tonight's lesson started off with a reminder of the basics. How to thread the bobbin and put in the bobbin. Along with threading the needle and what a presser foot is verses the foot pedal. (It was a close one with the needle tonight) Then reviewing hand placement on the machine while sewing.

I knew tonight's lesson had to be short and something interesting to keep my her interest. Let's face it, it's Sunday night, the last night of winter break and we had had a busy day. I let her pick any two fabrics that she wanted to go together. Of course she picked her favorite two purple fairy fabrics. I showed her how to line them up on the edges and off and sewing we were. She was so happy to finally join two pieces of fabrics together. (One step closer to making a quilt in her eyes)

The one edge slipped a little, but it's joined. I also did not let her use pins, I did explain how pins could have helped. 

She was pretty much happy with that as the lesson but I convinced her to try out the zigzag stitch. I cut a chunk of this floral fabric, from my Grandmother's stash she gifted to me, drew two chalk lines and had her adjust the machine to a zigzag stitch. (a big moment of the night for her) I first had her do a long and wide zigzag. Then I said, Let's change the size if the stitch and she was very confused. So I adjusted the width and length to a smaller zigzag. She didn't even notice a difference until after she had completed the line. Then she was blown away by the concept of changing the length and width will change the stitch. We ended the lesson then with me being a cool Mom for knowing all this "sewing stuff."