Teaching children to sew

Do any of you have advice on how to teach 8 + 9 years old to sew?

We are going to make Christmas stockings. Hopefully I'll be teaching them
in pairs, but I have no experience of teaching other people's children and
some of them are strong characters! Is that polite enough....

How do I handle them - at arm's length I know.

Now wondering why I was so keen to help )

--
Janner

"Quite often lately I have the feeling I don't know what's going on..." ---
Snoopy!

"You have to have a Dream!"


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003

Do any of you have advice on how to teach 8 + 9 years old to sew?

We are going to make Christmas stockings.

Use felt.
Lisa in Florida

I taught 2 of my kids (so far) both hand and machine sewing. For machine
sewing, after pointing out the important stuff we know like putting the
presser foot down, and how to push the pedal (it's amazing how easily we do
these things that it is second nature, but beginners don't know how!), I had
them sew on lines drawn on paper (no thread) to get the hang of steering.
Next came large squares, to practise pivoting. There is a book (I think
there is a series of them, actually) called I Teach Myself to Sew (or
something), but we just used paper.

My kids both used scissors to cut pieces out, or I cut them with the rotary
cutter. DD#1 is now mature enough to handle the rotary cutter (she's 11,
going on impossible), but I did get her a Klutz glove and automatically
retracting cutter.

Have you picked out a pattern? Is it piecing or whole cloth? Stitch & flip
crazy quilting style on a foundation would be simple to do, then cut it to
size/shape, and put the backing on.

Use lots of patience, take deep breaths, have chocolate handy. And remember,
if it doesn't turn out the way the pattern shows, it's ok. It's the process
that's important!

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
de-fang email address to reply


"Janner" wrote in message
...
Do any of you have advice on how to teach 8 + 9 years old to sew?

We are going to make Christmas stockings. Hopefully I'll be teaching them
in pairs, but I have no experience of teaching other people's children and
some of them are strong characters! Is that polite enough....

How do I handle them - at arm's length I know.

Now wondering why I was so keen to help )

--
Janner

"Quite often lately I have the feeling I don't know what's going
on..." ---
Snoopy!

"You have to have a Dream!"


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003

What Wendy said! This is how I taught my student last year, it's how my mom taught
me and my brother and sisters, and her students in high school, and it's how I'm
teaching DD.
--
Jalynne
Queen Gypsy (snail mail available upon request)
see what i've been up to at www.100megsfree4.com/jalynne

"frood" wrote in message
...
I taught 2 of my kids (so far) both hand and machine sewing. For machine
sewing, after pointing out the important stuff we know like putting the
presser foot down, and how to push the pedal (it's amazing how easily we do
these things that it is second nature, but beginners don't know how!), I had
them sew on lines drawn on paper (no thread) to get the hang of steering.
Next came large squares, to practise pivoting. There is a book (I think
there is a series of them, actually) called I Teach Myself to Sew (or
something), but we just used paper.

My kids both used scissors to cut pieces out, or I cut them with the rotary
cutter. DD#1 is now mature enough to handle the rotary cutter (she's 11,
going on impossible), but I did get her a Klutz glove and automatically
retracting cutter.

Have you picked out a pattern? Is it piecing or whole cloth? Stitch & flip
crazy quilting style on a foundation would be simple to do, then cut it to
size/shape, and put the backing on.

Use lots of patience, take deep breaths, have chocolate handy. And remember,
if it doesn't turn out the way the pattern shows, it's ok. It's the process
that's important!

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
de-fang email address to reply


"Janner" wrote in message
...
Do any of you have advice on how to teach 8 + 9 years old to sew?

We are going to make Christmas stockings. Hopefully I'll be teaching them
in pairs, but I have no experience of teaching other people's children and
some of them are strong characters! Is that polite enough....

How do I handle them - at arm's length I know.

Now wondering why I was so keen to help )

--
Janner

"Quite often lately I have the feeling I don't know what's going
on..." ---
Snoopy!

"You have to have a Dream!"


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003

Just out of curiosity? What age is everyone starting at?? I would
think different techniques for different ages?? Also so I know when I
can start Jess!! :-)

Jan

DD#1 and DS both started hand-sewing at age 6 (Miss Fussy Rose will start
next year). DS did not have the fine motor dexterity to finish that summer,
so he completed his first (and prize winning) quilt the next year. It is
hand-pieced and machine quilted.
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/state_fair1.htm

DD#1's paper pieced quilt was machine done - she was 9 or 10.
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/state_fair.htm

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
de-fang email address to reply


"Jan Dunaway" wrote in message
news
Just out of curiosity? What age is everyone starting at?? I would
think different techniques for different ages?? Also so I know when I
can start Jess!! :-)

Jan

My student was 10, and DD is 6. I am gonna start DD off on my antique Singer, then
have her work up to the knee levered Montgomery Wards machine in cabinet. I want her
to experience as many different kinds of machines as possible, so she'll feel
comfortable with any of them.
--
Jalynne
Queen Gypsy (snail mail available upon request)
see what i've been up to at www.100megsfree4.com/jalynne

"Jan Dunaway" wrote in message
news
Just out of curiosity? What age is everyone starting at?? I would
think different techniques for different ages?? Also so I know when I
can start Jess!! :-)

Jan

I bought my daughter her sewing machine when she was 5 yrs old, and she is
now 8 yrs old. She still loves to sew and has made many things.

Lili





Jan Dunaway wrote:
Just out of curiosity? What age is everyone starting at?? I would
think different techniques for different ages?? Also so I know when I
can start Jess!! :-)

Jan


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003

In article ,
"Janner" wrote:

Do any of you have advice on how to teach 8 + 9 years old to sew?

We are going to make Christmas stockings. Hopefully I'll be teaching them
in pairs, but I have no experience of teaching other people's children and
some of them are strong characters! Is that polite enough....

How do I handle them - at arm's length I know.

Now wondering why I was so keen to help )

I've taught a couple of kids camps - 8 kids age 9 and up. I always
started them sewing on paper with no thread. I printed parallel lines
on plain old computer paper and they were simply to try and follow the
lines. Once they got familiar with that I gave them a sheet with zig
zag lines and I taught them how to pivot with the needle down. Then on
to a sheet of paper with curves. They really enjoyed this because they
could see if they were on the line by looking that their needle
perforations and they kinda felt like it was an old fashioned video game
:-) Plus they got to do something right away without having to listen
to a bunch of talking by me first.

Next came how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine.

After this I gave them strips of fabric to sew together. They had to
sew a straight seam, press it and measure it to see if it was really
straight and the right finished size.

Then came the seam ripper lesson. Taught this way, taking things out
was never viewed as a chore, just part of the process. I now do this
step with my adult beginner classes and it works just as well for them.

Finally they get to cut out some of their own pieces and sew them
together.

Take breaks. Bring a little snack and water to drink for everyone even
you.

At the final class I always give out certificates I make up on the
computer and take a polaroid picture of them with their project and that
is always a huge hit.

Stock up on headache medicine of choice...they will keep you hopping!

marcella

I've got to ask , another Jan (short for Janet) on this group and a daughter
called Jess as well? How old is your Jess, mine is 8 yrs old?

--
Janner

"Quite often lately I have the feeling I don't know what's going on..." ---
Snoopy!

"You have to have a Dream!"

"Jan Dunaway" wrote in message
news
Just out of curiosity? What age is everyone starting at?? I would
think different techniques for different ages?? Also so I know when I
can start Jess!! :-)

Jan



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.521 / Virus Database: 319 - Release Date: 23/09/2003