After they'd left, I sent their mother an email and asked if they might be interested in learning how to sew. Both girls had gotten American Girl dolls for Christmas, and doll quilts seemed like a good way to get started. Mom asked, and girls were enthusiastic, so sewing classes started last week. I have big sister (9) while the other is at class; Mom then takes her to class and brings little sister (7) back, so I only have one at a time.
We're starting out on easy four-patches, with a method I saw somewhere many, many years ago that works really well for beginners: start with two squares right sides together, sew down the opposite sides, slice down the middle, finger press, nest the seams and sew down each side again. Cut in half and, as we've been calling them, the Magic Squares appear. They're using four-inch scrap blocks, most of which are from my first quilting days, a pre-cut eBay purchase.
I thought they'd spend the first 90 minutes picking out ten pair of fabrics, then we'd move on to sewing next weekend, but both girls blew through their fabric choices in a matter of minutes, so we got right down to it.
I set up a thick Post-It jig to keep them at a quarter-inch seam. Big sis caught on right away and finished all 20 four-patches. Little sis sewed a little, looked for Archie (who was wisely camped out in one of his undetectable hiding places), sewed some more, then Facetimed with her grandmother and great-grandmother in Texas to show them our progress. She made six four patches and got the rest halfway done, and it was time to go.
They both seemed eager to keep going, so I'll try to keep up momentum to the finish. I'm not the best teacher -- so many things are just in my head -- but they don't seem to mind!
2 comments:
It is so empowering to kids to be allowed to do "grown up" things like this. I hope you all have a wonderful time together working on these projects. And how much more fun to do this than sit waiting for the other child to finish their lesson!
I was introduced to sewing and quilting about twelve years ago. I was living in a community in Germany with military wives that gathered at the local Arts and Crafts shop every Thursday night for sewing and chatting. Once I left in 2008, I didn't do any sewing or quilting, but tried to stay in touch with the quilting community via a blog I had started. Life "happened", and I quit blogging in 2011, and I lost touch with all of this. You were one of the blogs I subscribed to back then. I recently signed in to my blog, and saw your post this evening. Some blogs I can no longer access because of some unknown reason (I have to contact the blog owner for permission?), but I'm glad yours isn't one of them. I love the way you explained how the four patches were made. I have a 10 year old granddaughter I would love to teach to piece. Maybe I can now try. If I can remember how to work this doggone computerized sewing machine I bought while I was quilting all those years ago. Thank you!!
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