Teaching DD to hand sew

[mom2princesses]

How to go about it? I want to work on this with her and would like any helpful hints to let her practice stitches! Thanks!

[Wonder Woman]

sewing clothes, quilting, or embroidery?

[mom2princesses]

hmmm...good question :P~

I myself do not know how to embroider - so I guess I am just thinking little practice projects for learning basic stitches - like sewing lines, making a pouch or something like that - is this too ambitious for a 4yo?

[Wonder Woman]

Nope, I don't think it's too ambitious. What about getting a bright plastic placemat, folding it in half, and using a hole punch to make corresponding holes along the two sides? Get a plastic canvas needle, some bright yarn, and let her use a whipstitch to sew it?

A couple of holes in the top for a ribbon handle, and she will have made her very own handbag :shrug

Good luck...whatever she makes, you know we want to see pics!

[mom2princesses]

great idea! We'll have to try that!

[Julia R]

I learned to sew when I was less than 2. My grandparents drew flowers on hankies and had me embroider them. They showed me where to put the needle in and where to pull it out. My middle DD showed an interest in sewing just before she turned 3. I did the same thing with her but we made "things". I used normal needles. They are able to learn that it's sharp and you have to be careful. My 15 month old tries as hard as she can (despite my intervention) to get hold of pins and she is very careful and hasn't ever hurt herself. Supervision is needed of course, but you can't really do a ton of damage with a skinny little needle, unless you stick it in your eye or something (she's probably beyond the choking hazard stage). Show them how to use a thimble to help push the needle through to avoid it poking your finger instead of going through. They'll poke themselves a few times, it's all part of the learning. Children should be tought to sit while sewing with needles and use the same rules they would with scissors. They may only want to work on it a few minutes at a time. I just don't let them run around the house with a needle and thread. (They try) They like sewing buttons on things early on. 4 year olds might like making simple doll clothes, little toys, bean bags, little purses, etc.... Klutz has a book out with some neat little simple projects. I didn't want to pay so much for that book though. I just borrowed the ideas and we did our own. I keep a scrap box that has all my fabric scraps in it that the kids are allowed to play with. They like time to just play and invent their own stuff. We end up with lots of funny looking "kites" and costumes. It may look like a sewn up wad of fabric to me, but they're learning about cutting fabric, sewing stitches, tying knots, threading needles, and how the cut edges of fabric fray. These are things that will help them later on with "real" projects. Here's a tip, have them work at a table and not cut on carpet, too close to their clothes, or dolls that are being "fitted". It's really easy for kids with little controll of the scissors to cut through something they didn't intend to.

I got DD1 a dritz sewing kit that comes in plastic with pin cushions, hem gague, needles, thimble-I think I got her a smaller one, scissors- not nearly as sharp as my good ones, etc..., for Christmas when she turned 6. It had most everything needed for a beginner. I did suppliment it with a few little things. She also got her own sewing box organizer thing. This is her stuff, she's not allowed to use mine without special permission, and she needs me to get her box out for her- so it's ok with me for her to sew at the moment-supervise. We have some doll patterns, but I ended up making her patterns for her Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and showed her some basics of garment construction- arm holes, pants seat, etc... She's learning to make things without patterns, so she can without reading, and they're as simple as she can handle making them. She makes lots of doll clothes, costumes, and likes to make herself tiered skirts. She is starting to sew with a machine.

[Wonder Woman]

:popcorn so,, how's it going?