Pass It On Down
I enjoy sewing. Am I great at it? Nope. I do enjoy it though. The satisfaction of completing a project. Picking out the fabric for a project. Deciding on a project . . . I just love it.
My grandmothers sewed. In fact, I have one of my grandmother's sewing machines. My mother-in-law sews and my mother sews. She sewed the one and only prom dress I wore (I went once. In 10th grade. It was somewhat traumatic: not in a "I was actually scarred for life" kind of way. More like, "My God that sucked and at least I now know." I never went again. No amount of friend cajoling, or boys asking could change my mind.) Anyway- my mother sewed, my grandmothers sewed. The first sewing project I did was to make a pair of shorts. I remember doing this with my Girl Scout Troop. I have no idea how those leaders kept their sanity with a room full of upper elementary girls learning to sew. I think we actually used patterns to design them. We used machines at a local high school. Wait . . . I think I remember my mom stopping by the liquor store on the way home. Just kidding. But who would blame her after that experience?!
Anyway- I learned to sew as an adult because I needed curtains. I was not paying for what they have in stores. I either don't like them, or they're way too expensive. I sewed Alexa's baby bedding. Again . . . what I liked I couldn't afford (although- due to a "small" measuring miscalculation, I ended up with enough extra fabric to make her Big Girl bedspread. Math has never been my strong suite). Once we moved to the new house, and I had a place to set up my sewing machine, I sew a lot more often.
On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, Alexa asked for a kid sewing machine. I wouldn't buy it. It was less than $20. It seems mean, but I felt like it was cheap, and it would do nothing but cause frustrations. I didn't want her first experience with sewing to be something that was completely frustrating for her and I. After doing some research, I found a sewing machine that would be good for her So she got one for Christmas. I also did some research on how to teach kids to sew, and was pretty prepared for her.
We started today. I have to say- she really surprised me. Alexa doesn't like preliminary preparations. She likes to just do a project. Forget the planning, measuring- checking to be sure you have supplies . . . she just does. Knowing this, I had prepared a couple of mazes for her, on some old fabric- to practice sewing in a straight line, and just getting comfortable with the machine. I also prepped some squares for her to practice sewing fabric together.
My grandmothers sewed. In fact, I have one of my grandmother's sewing machines. My mother-in-law sews and my mother sews. She sewed the one and only prom dress I wore (I went once. In 10th grade. It was somewhat traumatic: not in a "I was actually scarred for life" kind of way. More like, "My God that sucked and at least I now know." I never went again. No amount of friend cajoling, or boys asking could change my mind.) Anyway- my mother sewed, my grandmothers sewed. The first sewing project I did was to make a pair of shorts. I remember doing this with my Girl Scout Troop. I have no idea how those leaders kept their sanity with a room full of upper elementary girls learning to sew. I think we actually used patterns to design them. We used machines at a local high school. Wait . . . I think I remember my mom stopping by the liquor store on the way home. Just kidding. But who would blame her after that experience?!
Anyway- I learned to sew as an adult because I needed curtains. I was not paying for what they have in stores. I either don't like them, or they're way too expensive. I sewed Alexa's baby bedding. Again . . . what I liked I couldn't afford (although- due to a "small" measuring miscalculation, I ended up with enough extra fabric to make her Big Girl bedspread. Math has never been my strong suite). Once we moved to the new house, and I had a place to set up my sewing machine, I sew a lot more often.
On a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, Alexa asked for a kid sewing machine. I wouldn't buy it. It was less than $20. It seems mean, but I felt like it was cheap, and it would do nothing but cause frustrations. I didn't want her first experience with sewing to be something that was completely frustrating for her and I. After doing some research, I found a sewing machine that would be good for her So she got one for Christmas. I also did some research on how to teach kids to sew, and was pretty prepared for her.
We started today. I have to say- she really surprised me. Alexa doesn't like preliminary preparations. She likes to just do a project. Forget the planning, measuring- checking to be sure you have supplies . . . she just does. Knowing this, I had prepared a couple of mazes for her, on some old fabric- to practice sewing in a straight line, and just getting comfortable with the machine. I also prepped some squares for her to practice sewing fabric together.
All in all- day 1 was a total success. I think I'll go do some prep-work for tomorrow. She's got a project in mind, so hopefully Day 2 will be as fun as Day 1.
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