Tuesday, July 10, 2012

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.



38 comments :

  1. How lovely,Rachel did so well. It's so pretty too. She has a good eye for colour. It's always a joy to do things with children that we enjoy too. xo

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  2. Tell her that everyone is proud of her! And, of you, Mommy! It is hard when they want to make something we know they are too young to start with. As you said, you would like this to be something you will enjoy together for the rest of your life! And, this is something she can actually use when she is sewing with her mommy!

    Beautiful, she did a wonderful job!

    Blessings,
    Donna

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  3. Beautiful job Rachel! :) And great job teaching and being patient Mom. :)

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  4. It's so lovely you patiently explained her how to sew... I can remember my excitement when I learned a little crochet from my grandma and using a real sewing machine when much older

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  5. How great - I just did exactly the same process with my five year old (we made a skirt for barbie) and had the same frustration and the same resolve to throw away the toy machine and use a real one! She did a great job (we persisted with the toy machine so ours was much more shoddily made!). Aren't you bursting with pride?

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  6. So beautiful! Can't wait to see her next project!

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  7. Very good job and very cute! My 6 year old likes to sew too. So far she just hand sews but she threads the needle and knots the end!!!

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  8. So. Hard. To. Not. Take. Over!!
    Very well done for resisting the urge.
    Seems like you were both learning.
    You have both done a marvelous job.
    I suggest you give her magazines to fire her imagination although she seems to have it on the money already from the looks of that drawing.
    Enjoy
    Lush
    London, UK

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  9. Wow that is so cute. I hope she keeps it up. It's going to be so much fun when she is about 9ish. She will be whipping up her own skirts.

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  10. My girl is six, and we just started using the machine, too. Such fun!

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  11. Aha! The seeds have been planted for a lifetime hobby!
    What a beauty. Lovely colour combo and the sweetest mouse stitches ever.
    Found you via the 'jean corsage' post. Will be reading lots more!!
    Z xx

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  12. That is so awesome! My favorite thing to sew as a young girl was hair scrunchies. They are super easy, she would probably love them too.

    Here's a link to an easy tutorial. http://www.ikatbag.com/2009/06/operation-summer-hair-rescue-part-1-how.html

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  13. Sashiko, it is beautiful that you had so much patience with teaching Rachel to sew - what a lucky young lady to have such a talented Mum teacher her. As I was reading your post I was trying to remember how old Rachel was, then I read that she is 6. I have a beautiful 5 1/2 year old daughter who is very keen, so the pin cushion is a great idea! I will be watching what you & Rachel do along the way, so that I have some idea's on what to teach my daughter Ava. Thanks, Roz

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  14. That is SO great! She did a fantastic job for her first project! I wish my daughter loved to sew. I taught her, and she does a very nice job, but she hates every minute of it! :( Oh well...we run together instead :)

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  15. What a beautiful pin cushion, Rachel! I am looking forward to seeing more of your projects :) I have a daughter named Rachel, she is 7 and likes to make sewing projects sometimes. You have a wonderful, talented Mommy! ;-)

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  16. What an adorable pin cushion. I see a future sewist!
    I love to sew with my daughter - she is 21 now! Yikes! We have had so much fun over the years sewing and designing everything from curtains for her closet door to prom dresses. We just made her a quick maxi dress for her summer events. You can check it out over on my blog: Feastsandfabrics@blogspot.com

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  17. this is just gorgeous Rachel. I am so thankful it was featured here today at Sachiko's site! My 5 year old (turning 6 soon), has been really wanting to 'help me' sew lately, and I have been wondering what age was a good one to let her start trying to operate a real thread and needle, let alone a machine. I am happy to know your 6 year old could do it, and that you were able to have the extra patience required to teach her. Good for you!!! And great for her! :)

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  18. Please tell her that her pincushion is absolutely beautiful! I wish my first sewing project was as near as that! Hope she will find a creative outlet she likes and will enjoy for years to come!
    Love,
    Josée

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  19. That is so sweet! Thank you for sharing that experience with us!

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  20. That is lovely! I can hardly wait until my daughter is old enough to try sewing.
    Rachel did an excellent job on her pincushion, and I love the fabrics she chose. =)

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  21. Absolutely beautiful. Don't ever throw it away. Someday she will love that you saved it for her.

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  22. Oh I love it-She did a wonderful job! hope it has created a life long love of sewing. xo Diana

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  23. She did a wonderful job! I think I was 8 when my mother let me sit at her sewing machine (I still have that machine and use it all the time) I was 8 and she let me sew the side seams of my summer shift dresses that she made for me to wear to school in May and June (No AC in those days and girls had to wear dresses to school!!)

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  24. my 9 year olds just finished their first skirts for 4h. i know i worried way to much about making it perfect. they enjoyed the planning and shopping, the actually sewing of those long seams was hard, but they were very proud to take a twirl in the finished product.

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  25. Beautiful! Good job to both of you!

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  26. How sweet. She is such a cute girl. Way to go to you! I bet she will always treasure the time you spend teaching her.

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  27. Just wanted to pop in somewhere and say "hi". I've been reading through your blog enjoying and crying, some things were especially touching for me today. I ruffled up a shirt today with my sewing machine because of the beautiful stuff you posted. My girlies all liked it. Blessings to you and yours. Thank you for posting your memories and your sewings.

    April

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  28. Beautiful job! I still haven't given my daughter a chance to try and sew something - shew has only practiced on scraps. After seeing this, I think maybe it's time to do that...

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  29. What a great thing to be able to share with your daughter. I have started teaching my grandchildren to sew. Just hand stitching at this point.. They are still a little young 4 the machine.

    Great post and another quilter in the making.

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  30. Great job--my daughter is six and I let her sew on my machine--she sits in my lap and guides the fabric in and removes the pins. She is SO itching to use it on her own.

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  31. She did such a great job! My six year old is itching to sew on my machine. Usually she sits in my lap and pushes the fabric through and removes the pins.

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  32. Wow, so nice! Good job!
    Greetings from Italy!!!
    :-)

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  33. Awwwwwww... how sweet! Glad to see there is another soon-to-be quilter. :) :)

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  34. This is adorable! That would be so sweet if you guys could share that throughout your lives!

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  35. Thank you everyone for such nice comments and emails! Isn't it interesting how we learn more when we try to teach someone? I really had to fignt the urge to not take over the project.

    Although, I was so glad I didn't finish the pincushion for her, because the look on her face when she finised it was so precious.

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  36. I bought that same Hello Kitty piece of junk for my 6 year old.. I guess I will get her out the one I got on clearance which sews great from Target for $25.. YOu've inspired me to let her try on a real machine! I've been nervous about her getting her fingers!

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  37. This is the sweetest post. My 9 year old has sewn a few things and is always wanting to do something else. I need to slow down and let her sew more. This pin cushion is going on our list of projects. Thanks

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