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Learning How to Sew Can be Fun and Exciting!
Sewing lets your child be as creative as they want. While beginners can have lots of fun learning, they can find it unfamiliar, awkward and sometimes intimidating. Thankfully children are like little sponges. They are very inquisitive and they learn quickly. While this is true, we need to be keenly aware of the fact that children learn differently than adults. With that in mind, when we are teaching a beginner, whether it’s a child or a teenager, we need to be patient and above all have fun and enjoy.
Creativity Helps to Grow Their Brain!
Did you know that the more your child develops his or her new skill, the more brain cells are added? It’s true! Let them be as creative as possible. The creative process allows new brain cells to grow on both sides of the brain. They will develop strong motor and cognitive skills. As they learn new shapes, sizes, colors and measurements, they will also developing excellent hand eye coordination and reinforce math and problem solving skills.
When and How to Start!
I can’t even remember when I started learning how to sew. If I had to guess, I would say I was around six years old. Six is a good age to start. Starting young benefits both you and your child. When you see that your child has a real desire to learn, that desire can be nurtured into something special. With your help, a real love for this new skill will grow into a lifelong skill.
Basic Hand Stitches.
Start by teaching basic hand stitches on pieces of square felt that are about 5″ x 8″. Below you will see several basic stitches that are easy and fun to learn (Illustration A).
- CATCH STITCH – This stitch is done from left to right. It is a great stitch for hemming and it’s fun to do.
- BASTING STITCH – Temporarily holds two pieces of fabric together with long straight stitches.
- STRAIGHT STITCH or RUNNING – Like the Basting Stitch it is the easiest and most used stitch for hand sewing and hemming.
- WHIP STITCH – This stitch is used to sew two pieces of fabric together. It’s a decorative stitch and is usually made to be seen by using bright contrasting colors.
- BACK STITCH – It is used to sew two pieces of fabric together, usually seams. This is the strongest hand stitch.
- Button Stitches: CROSS STICH or PARALLEL STITCH (to name a few). There are many creative ways to sew on 2-hole buttons, 4-hole buttons or even 5-hole buttons.
- BLANKET STITCH – This is a beautiful decorative stitch that is used to finish raw edges and stop fraying.
The Most Used Stitch
While there are lots of great stitches to master, your child will need to start with one basic stitch: The Straight or Running Stitch. As mentioned above, this stitch is the easiest and most used stitch.
- Start by teaching your child to sew a straight line with evenly spaced stitches. First, cut a piece of felt about 5″ x 8″. Thread and knot a needle. Needles come in different sizes, but for small fingers that are just learning, try to use a long needle such as a Darning Needle or Dritz Doll Needle. Thread the needle with yarn or embroidery floss. Darning Needles are extra long with long eyes, so little fingers will not have a problem threading.
- One of the ways children and teenagers learn is by observing. So, first, show them how it is done. Then, help them use the needle to pickup evenly spaced pieces of felt at once. Try three to four bits of the felt at a time and then five or six, and so on. Since the needle is long, the result will be a straight line. With practice, they will become comfortable with the needle and maneuvering the needle in and out through the fabric.
The Sewing Machine
- Make sure that your child is comfortable. The machine should be placed on a sturdy table and at a comfortable height. Your child should be able to easily reach each part of the machine without stretching. Use a pillow if you need to.
- Their arms and thighs should be parallel to the floor. For small children, put the foot pedal on a sturdy box or platform so that the foot pedal is within reach. When I am teaching a small child I use a TV/Monitor Riser. It’s very sturdy and is about 6 inches off the floor.
- Help your beginner become very familiar with the parts of the machine. This will help to reduce any anxiety they may have and make it easy for you to teach. I found it best to start from the bottom right, then up and over to the left and then down. I always save the the needle area for last because my students find this to be the most intimidating part of the machine.
Use this chart that labels the components of the machine so they can refer to it as often as needed.
Tools and Safety First!
Teach the importance of safety. Many of the tools needed to create a finished project can be dangerous if not handled properly. Some of those tools consist of needles, pins, scissors, seam ripper, rotary cutter, and of course the Iron. As the teacher, we must show them how to have proper respect for such tools and how to handle them without getting hurt. Teach them to:
- Always tell a grownup when they are ready to use the machine.
- Always hold the scissors facing down when walking.
- Pick up pins when they are dropped on the floor.
- Alway let a grownup know when they need to use the Iron and when they are done.
Tools are important and they make sewing projects simple. Let’s get familiar with some of the tools you will be using with your child:
Paper/Craft Scissor: Used to cut patterns, tissue paper, tracing paper, etc.
Fabric Scissors: These are usually heavier than paper scissors. Never use them to cut paper or anything else.
It is a good idea to color code your scissors. Your child should easily be able to tell the difference between Paper scissors and Fabric scissors.
Nippers: Used for cutting threads and making notches on fabric
Pinking Shears: (Optional): Until your child has progressed and learns different types of seam finishes, pinking shears can be a great alternative. However, Pinking Shears are very sharp and heavy. You will need to assist them until they are very comfortable using these shears.
Rotary Cutter: This tool saves a lot of time. I find it to be very precise when cutting out fabric pieces and blocks (squares) for quilting. Be advised! This is a very sharp blade. I suggest using a safety glove while learning to use this tool.
Safety Gloves: These gloves saved a lot of my students fingers.
Seam Ripper: They come in different colors, sizes and types. Find one that you and your child are comfortable with.
Pins: I like to use long pins with large colorful balls on the end. They are easy to handled for little fingers and when dropped on the floor they are easy to find. I use a magnet to easily pick up fallen pins.
Pin Holder or Pin Cushion: Make sure to keeps pins in a cushion or a holder. It is easier for little finger to grab them.
Fabric Marker / Fabric Chalk / Fabric Pencil: You can teach you child several different ways to cut out fabric from a pattern:
- Pinning the pattern to the fabric can be difficult and awkward for little fingers
- Using pattern weights and cutting around the pattern can also be challenging for beginners
- Tracing the pattern with a fabric marker, chalk or pencil works well. I secure the pattern to the fabric and then trace around it. Then I lift the pattern and cut around the traced area. This works great when there is only a single layer of fabric. If the fabric is doubled, remember to secure the two pieces with pins before cutting around the traced area.
Tape Measurer and Ruler: For measuring
Seam Gauge: This is a handy tool for measuring. And it’s great for little fingers. You can even use it to evenly space buttonholes.
Steam Iron: This is your child’s sewing Buddy! But, let them know that it comes with RULES!!
- The number one rule is ALWAYS ask permission to use the Iron
- ALWAYS…hold the Iron by the handle. When they finish ironing, ALWAYS sit the Iron standing up with the metal plate facing away from them.
- NEVER…leave a hot Iron facing down on the fabric or Ironing Board
- Teach your child that the STEAM is also very hot. I can burn if they accidentally get too close to it.
- Tell your child to let you know when they are finished ironing so that the Iron can be turned off and unplugged.
- Let the Iron cool off completely before storing it.
Container / Basket / Bin: Once you have all the supplies you need to start teaching your child to sew, make sure to have a container or box to hold all their supplies. Remember, tools are very important. So, they need to be put away properly when not in use. Teach them to put their supplies, tools and projects all in one place – as soon as they are done. This way, they will be able to find them easily the next time they are ready to sew.
A clean workspace is a safe workspace.
Practice Makes Perfect!
When I was young I practiced sewing all kinds of things. I remember sewing doll clothes, pajamas, and skirts. I also remember making lots of mistakes and starting all over again and again. When your child is just beginning, be patient and expect that they will probably need to start over again and again until they get the hang of it.
Start by practicing on paper, without a needle and let them get the feel of sewing on a straight line.
- Show them where to place their hands. Hands should be placed as far back as possible while guiding the paper and eventually the fabric.
- This is the time to get them used to pressing the foot pedal lightly and steady. With practice, they will get better and better at guiding the fabric and using the food pedal.
Print out the practice sheet and have your child practice several times and then move on to curved lines, circles and squares.
Ready to Sew!
Once your child has had enough practice on paper, switch to scraps of cotton fabric. While teaching your child to sew, do not use any type of stretchy fabric to practice. Fabrics such as Stretch Jersey and Knit are not suitable for young learners. They are not ready yet and this will only frustrate them.
You will need to demonstrate how thread the machine and wind the bobbin. Have them watch first and then try it. This may take several attempts. Be patient and make it fun.
Cut several pieces of the cotton fabric into rectangles about 5″ x 8″. Start with one piece and let them sew evenly spaced straight lines. At this point you can now teach them to use the edge of the presser foot as a guide. Start by lining up the right edge of the fabric with the right edge of the presser foot. This is a good time to teach them how to back stitch and then start sewing a straight line of stitches. Now position that line of stitches at the right edge of the presser foot as a guide to sew the next straight line. Continue this way for several line. Feel free to adjust the length of the stitch to the longest length and try Zig-zag stitches as well. Notice in the illustration that the stitch begins and ends with a back stitch. (See Illustration B)
Sewing a Seam
When you and your child are comfortable with the machine and they now have the hang of sewing a straight line, you can now move on to sewing a seam. Cut out two pieces of cotton fabric 5″ x 8″ and put them together. The needle plate measurements on it in inches and centimeters. Teach them to use these lines as guides to create a seam. They are naturally going to want to look at the moving needle. This is not good. Help them to train their eyes to look a guide such as the measurements on the needle plate, a piece of tape or a magnetic seam guide. With practice, they will get the hang of it in no time.
Decide on a Sewing Project!
Help your child pick a simple project that is easy to sew. Projects that are mostly straight lines are best. Here are a few suggestions that you can find patterns for on the internet:
- Stuffed Pillow
- Pillow Case
- Apron
- Draw String Back Pack
- Pajama Pants
- Elastic Waist Skirt
I helped my beginner sew a darling Pillow Case dress. You can check it out on my Youtube channel.
I hope you enjoyed these helpful hints on the “Best Way to Teach Your Child to Sew”.
Thanks for reading…
