Newbie ~ Sew a Straight Line~

Check it out. My 6 year old’s first sewing project...

She has been wanting to learn how to use a sewing machine for a while now. While I was deciding on some fabrics for a new quilt, she pulled out her "Hello Kitty" toy sewing machine and set up her "working" space. She had problems with the machine, and asked for help, I tried to help her... and I got so frustrated with it. (Ugh! Useless piece of junk!) I declared, "That's it! Rachel, you are learning on a real sewing machine."

When I pulled out my old machine (which is still in good condition and I keep it as a backup or for the kids to use). She was SO excited. I didn't have a sewing machine till I was much older, she is so lucky! I said, "Now, you need to learn how to thread the machine, because I can't come running every 5 second to rethread it for you."

Sounds mean? No, it's called tough love. I was trying to teach her a skill. :)

Surprisingly, she was really attentive; I could tell she was ready to learn. After practicing a couple times, I gave her some scraps to start practicing.

Very lightly she stepped on the foot pedal and the machine start making noise. Sewing noise...

Boy, she squealed when she first saw the stitches she created. That sparkle in her eyes was coming from the sheer joy of learning something new.

I was wondering to myself if I was like that when I was little and started sewing?

I gave her a permission to go through my precious scrap bins and pull out the ones she liked. While I was busy working around the house she took a looong time to going through the scraps, and started laying them on the floor. It looked like she is trying to create some kind of design and it got bigger... and bigger.

I asked her what she is doing, and she said "I wanna make a quilt like this", and pulled out one of the quilts that I made for her doll. I said, "Oh that would be bit hard for you still. Let’s start from something smaller."

I finally persuaded her to make a pin cushion. I scribbled a random design. Then she took the pencil and showed me what's in her mind...

OK... I love her ambition but I wanted to make it really simple, so she wouldn’t get sick of sewing on her first attempt.

She finally narrowed her favorite five fabric pieces. So, I did the cutting and step by step, I taught her what to do. I enjoyed the experience a lot, but I am not going to lie, there were so many times that I just wanted to rip the project from her hands and just finished it up! It took f.o.r.e.v.e.r...

But, you know what? She did it. After turning the little pincushion inside out, she stuffed it, and even did hand stitching to close the opening. She got frustrated a few times but I am so proud of her… she didn't quit. Those stitches are a work of love.

Not bad for a newbie, don't you agree?

She loved sewing with me, in fact, right after she finished the pincushion, she said, "That was fun! What should I make next mommy?"

Too bad, it was the time for me to go in to the kitchen, so I can feed the other hungry kids.

Although, I did promise her that we would sew together after I get back from my weekend away. :) How awesome it would be, if she has found something she can enjoy the rest of her life, and it happens to be something I love to do as well.