Pat
July 22nd 03, 05:04 PM
I am impressed too, Cea..........I can hardly wait until my
nearly-6-year-old can start. She "assists" now, and is beginning to
understand machine threading .....and keeping hands away from needles and
other things......but I am looking forward to her doing a simple project in
the not too far distant future......Thanks.
> wrote in message
...
>
> Re: Whew! Good Site; And, My Summer Report
>
> (Pat)
> What age is the GDD you are teaching to sew??
> ---
> She's 8 & 1/2 , Pat. I started her on the Singer machine which I use
> for alterations, doing what was basically a fun, free-motion embroidery
> project, so she could get the feel of the machine and learn to control
> the fabric.
> 'We' (I had her do the whole process, from ironing to sewing on
> snaps.) stiffened a length of cheap red cotton fabric with the heaviest
> Stitch-Witchery* product, peeled the paper off, then started layering
> interesting/pretty scraps of fabrics and trims, until she was happy with
> the look of it. Pressed with paper atop to protect the iron, which bonds
> the scraps to the fabric, then she chose different thread
> colors--metallic, brights, and began free motion stitching as she
> pleased, to further embellish it and to lock the fabric scraps onto the
> surface. (I keep a plastic bag where all of the scraps from projects
> live, so she had an assortment to choose from.)
> When she was done--it was her project, so I tried to be as
> 'hands-off' as possible-- we cut out a rectangle purse, improvising a
> pattern. She learned how to make a tube and turn it, making handles. She
> got scissor-happy, whacked a hunk off one of the corners of the purse
> rectangle, and learned why one uses a pattern to put things together,
> even if the pattern is in her GM's head. Her purse was a bit lop-sided
> when finished, even after the other side was trimmed to semi-match.
> Here I will note that these lessons have not been without some pain
> and tears shed--she is headstrong, and is learning to listen the hard
> way. She burned herself with the iron; (kisses, commiseration,a band-aid
> and a reminder); she chose a hard-to work-with silky for her last
> project, despite my warnings, and learned how difficult indeed it was to
> sew. The GMa hopes this child is learning much more than sewing--better
> done here where someone who loves her can pick up the pieces.
> Back to the purse: we discovered she needed a lining to hide the heavy
> stitching, so she learned to bag a lining. This first lesson was during
> the school year, and her teachers were most impressed-- they went from
> smiling benignly at the Old Person (me) when I picked her up at school,
> to actually treating me like a teaching colleague. <G>
> Cea
>
nearly-6-year-old can start. She "assists" now, and is beginning to
understand machine threading .....and keeping hands away from needles and
other things......but I am looking forward to her doing a simple project in
the not too far distant future......Thanks.
> wrote in message
...
>
> Re: Whew! Good Site; And, My Summer Report
>
> (Pat)
> What age is the GDD you are teaching to sew??
> ---
> She's 8 & 1/2 , Pat. I started her on the Singer machine which I use
> for alterations, doing what was basically a fun, free-motion embroidery
> project, so she could get the feel of the machine and learn to control
> the fabric.
> 'We' (I had her do the whole process, from ironing to sewing on
> snaps.) stiffened a length of cheap red cotton fabric with the heaviest
> Stitch-Witchery* product, peeled the paper off, then started layering
> interesting/pretty scraps of fabrics and trims, until she was happy with
> the look of it. Pressed with paper atop to protect the iron, which bonds
> the scraps to the fabric, then she chose different thread
> colors--metallic, brights, and began free motion stitching as she
> pleased, to further embellish it and to lock the fabric scraps onto the
> surface. (I keep a plastic bag where all of the scraps from projects
> live, so she had an assortment to choose from.)
> When she was done--it was her project, so I tried to be as
> 'hands-off' as possible-- we cut out a rectangle purse, improvising a
> pattern. She learned how to make a tube and turn it, making handles. She
> got scissor-happy, whacked a hunk off one of the corners of the purse
> rectangle, and learned why one uses a pattern to put things together,
> even if the pattern is in her GM's head. Her purse was a bit lop-sided
> when finished, even after the other side was trimmed to semi-match.
> Here I will note that these lessons have not been without some pain
> and tears shed--she is headstrong, and is learning to listen the hard
> way. She burned herself with the iron; (kisses, commiseration,a band-aid
> and a reminder); she chose a hard-to work-with silky for her last
> project, despite my warnings, and learned how difficult indeed it was to
> sew. The GMa hopes this child is learning much more than sewing--better
> done here where someone who loves her can pick up the pieces.
> Back to the purse: we discovered she needed a lining to hide the heavy
> stitching, so she learned to bag a lining. This first lesson was during
> the school year, and her teachers were most impressed-- they went from
> smiling benignly at the Old Person (me) when I picked her up at school,
> to actually treating me like a teaching colleague. <G>
> Cea
>