An Opportunity to Teach

I love borrowing girls when I can.  I have all boys, and all their playmates are boys.  It's a house full of boys most of the time! But I am blessed to have a friend who has two daughters.  With new opportunities for summer fun to keep the kids busy, it worked out that we would do a kid trade once a week for an hour or two.  Can you guess what the girls wanted to learn?  Yes, to sew!  While my friend coaches one of my sons, I work with her girls.

The first thing I taught them was the mechanics of how to use the machines.  Once we learned to thread the machine and wind the bobbin we practiced lots of straight lines of stitching.  I was in awe of how wobbly those first lines were!  You forget that sewing neatly really is a skill that must be practiced.  These girls were anxious to take it even further right away and really wanted to make skirts.  So to the fabric stash we went.  Both chose quilting cottons.  I didn't want to use patterns with them just yet so I measured their hip width and had them cut out rectangles with about 4 inches of ease, in a length they were happy with.  I reminded them, "See how those math skills you are learning in school are coming in handy!"  The girls and I finished the waist with a simple elastic band and each of them chose how they wanted to hem their skirt.  One added lace to the bottom and the other decided on the gathered twist ruffle.  See how different each style is.  Wouldn't our world be a boring place if we weren't all created to be so unique!!! 

In 3 sessions the girls completed these two skirts.

We had great fun with these first two simple projects and are on to the next, using patterns.  I will keep you posted on those.  Hope you all are enjoying a sunny Father's Day weekend, even if it is raining in your neck of the woods!