My goodness 2015 went fast! It’s January and time to think about Spring Sewing sessions and Summer Sewing Camps. The Camp Fairs are right around the corner…..

This year I am excited to again be at Tower Hill School for most of the summer. I will be offering 4 camps and your sewer can join me for either a half day or a full day. Many of my working parents let me know that they needed a full day of camp so now your wish is my command!

I will also be running 2 sewing camps in August at Tatnall and they will also have the option to join me for a half day or a full day. And, finally I am running 2 camps at Cab Calloway Summer School of the Performing Arts for campers that are in Kindergarten through Second Grade. It’s gonna be a busy summer but sew exciting!!!!

Here’s the link to click to my summer camps. Register early for best selection!

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Summer is often the best way for your kids to experience the joys of sewing. Classes are small and the atmosphere is more laid back than during the busy school year. Kids can choose a variety of sewing disciplines based on their interests. During the week they will be gain confidence in their ability to finish each project and use their creativity to personalize their projects based on their individual personalities. Wherever you may live be sure to investigate your local sewing shops or schools for sewing camps in your area.

Until next time,

Ms Bobbi

I love to teach kids how to sew using very simple projects. Felt is a great fabric for this purpose. Brightly colored, it doesn’t fray and has enough body so the kids can hold the fabric easily while learning to stitch. Felt can be purchased by the yard but can also be purchased in the craft section of Joann’s or Michael in 9 and 12 inch squares. Besides a pair of scissors and a few pins you will need squares and  rectangles and a few assorted pieces or remnants of felt in different colors. Add some favorite colors of floss, a size 18 or 22 chenille needle, buttons in assorted sizes and colors, and some sequins and you’re set!

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  In my last post, I talked about the running stitch, the overcast stitch , and sewing on different kinds of buttons. Using these stitches, cut the felt into squares and rectangles and start having some sewing fun! Cutting 1 piece of felt and cut into 2-6″x 6″ squares. Cut some shapes from the felt remnants and pin on one of the squares towards the middle. Your applique’ is ready to be stitched with a running stitch or an overcast stitch. Add a button or two and maybe even try to stitch some sequins on to finish your design. Put the two pillow squares together with the design facing out and pin leaving a small space in the middle of one of the sides of the pillow. Using a running stitch, stitch around the outside of the pillow about 1/4 from the edge of the pillow until you come back to about 3″ from where you started to stitch. Stuff the pillow lightly with fiberfill and finish stitching the pillow closed. So cute!

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  Now cut several rectangles. Fold the rectangle into 2 even sections and top section about half way down. The top section can stay square or can be rounded  or pointed for the flap. Decorate the flap or the back and/or the front of the pouch. Now add a snap or a button for a closure. Super simple and the kids love them!

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  Remember, sewing is fun and it is a learned skill! Let your kids experiment with colors and stitches. There is no right or wrong. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! If you need help with the how-to’s of embroidery, click on the link to “The Amazing Stitching Handbook for Kids” by Kristin Nicholas featuring 17 embroidery stitches and 15 fun and easy projects. This book is published by C& T Publishing and is part of the Fun Stitch Studio Series. Beautiful illustrations in an easy to read format. Great projects and lots of information including a list of sources for supplies, glossary of terms, and a guide on how to make the embroidery fit your own personality. This book is a wonderful addition to your sewing library and one I’ll be using this year as a text in class. Be sure to check it out!

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  Shop “The Amazing Stitching Handbook for Kids” Now!

Whether you have sewn for your entire life or are just starting out as a new sewer, Halloween is the perfect time to unleash your creativity and make your own Halloween costume. It doesn’t have to be perfect because it’s a costume. It’s a project to try new techniques and/or perfect old ones. And better yet there is no right or wrong way of doing things! Create and enjoy the ride!

I tell my students to browse in the retail Halloween stores and look in books, magazines, and the internet to get an idea of what they would like to be. Make sure you pay attention to the details that you would like to incorporate into your costume. When you have decided on a costume to make you can approach making your Halloween costume in several ways.

The first approach is to check the pattern catalogs in your local fabric store to see if there is a pattern for your costume that you’ve chosen to make for Halloween. If you are a new sewer just make sure that the pattern isn’t too complicated. I like to tell my new sewers to purchase a pattern with no more than 10-12 pieces unless you’ve consulted your sewing teacher or other experienced sewer. Look at the fabric, trims, and notions on the back of the pattern envelope for the costume pieces that you are making from the pattern and purchase these items. Prepare the fabric, find the pattern pieces needed for your view, cut it out and have some fun sewing up your costume. Make sure that you ask for help if needed. Embellish your costume to make it your own. Remember, you are the designer and it’s what you like that really counts!

Now, if you have this great idea in your head but can’t find a pattern then you have to go a different route. Think of the designers on shows like Project Runway and the steps that they must follow to get from a drawing or an idea in their mind to the final project. Break the design down and see what you will have to do to get the look that you want. Look for patterns that have the shapes that you have in mind and substitute these patterns to make your costume. Or, if you have a Goodwill store or a Salvation Army store near you, they are usually treasure troves of great pieces that can be adapted to make any costume. Alter and embellish them and your costume will be smashing!

To summarize, decide on what you want to be for Halloween, decide on how you want to go about it, and get going sewing. And remember, the best thing about making your own costume is when someone complements you on your costume you’ll be able to smile and say “Thank you, I made it myself!”

 

As I plan my projects for the coming year, I am also thinking about the tools and equipment I will need to make these great projects. After our initial discussion of how to use the sewing machine, I always spend a fair amount of time on identifying the tools and equipment my sewers will be using in our classes. Besides a good working sewing machine and an iron and ironing board a beginning sewer will need certain tools and equipment to help them sew their projects. Sewing tools and equipment are also called sewing notions. You will find most of the items listed in the notion section of the sewing store. The sewing tools listed below are not the only tools that should be in your sewing stash but they are the basic ones, in my opinion, to get you started on your sewing journey. More tools will be introduced to you as you gain confidence in your sewing ability and move into trying new sewing skills which require new notions and tools to complete them.

So, let me tell you what’s in our beginner sewing tool bag:

Scissors

Good scissors are essential to any sewer for accuracy in cutting anything from threads to fabric. I prefer Gingher scissors but they are fairly expensive for my kids to purchase so I recommend Fiskars because of the ease of finding them in most sewing stores. Do not cut paper with any of the scissors or shears that cut fabric! Paper scissors are a must! For your tool kit you will need:

• small pair of scissors with approximately 5″ blades, preferably with rounded points, for snipping threads and clipping curves
• Paper scissors for cutting paper patterns
• 8″ Shears, for cutting out patterns

Pins

For myself or for my adult sewers, I recommend glasshead pins because they will not melt under the heat of the iron. For the kids and in my classroom I use a Long Pearlized Pin by Dritz. The kids like the colorful heads (which will melt) and their fingers are able to manipulate the long 1 and 1/2″ bodies.

Pincushion

Pincushions are a must to keep pins off the floor and not scattered everywhere on the tables. I usually have my young sewers make a square pincushion during the first lesson because it demonstrates the beginning techniques that we will learn. However, there are the traditional tomato pincushions in the sewing stores as well as several designer pincushions introduced each year.

Hand Sewing Needles

Hand sewing needles come in a variety of sizes and lengths depending on what you are trying to stitch. I usually recommend to my new students to get a variety pack of needles until they can familiarize themselves with the uses of each needle and decide on their favorites to use and have in their stash. With my younger students I usually use a general purpose sharp needle. However, if they are having trouble threading the needle I will let them try an embroidery needle (used with embroidery floss) with a bigger eye.

Tape Measure

A tape measure is a must for measuring the body or any other object for that matter and for measuring grain lines on pattern pieces to ensure the patterns are on the fabric correctly.

6″ Omnigrid Ruler for Measuring OR a Seam Gauge

I love the omnigrid rulers for ease of measurement. The increments are clear and concise. The ruler is 1″ wide. I also have these rulers in a variety of sizes and use them constantly!

Seam Ripper

This is a very valuable tool in your box of essential tools! They come in a variety of sizes and shapes; some are even erogonomic for your comfort. For my beginner sewers I recommend the inexpensive blue seam ripper.

Fabric Markers

There are so many fabric markers on the market. Different markers help you achieve different things. For instance, if I am doing heirloom lace work, I need a water erasible blue marking pen. However, for everyday marking, this home economist likes either a chacoliner or a tailor tack for her markings. A chacoliner has a wheel inside of its body. When the wheel is moved across the fabric it leaves a line of chalk to mark your fabric. I prefer yellow or white for best removal. The Chacoliners are by Clover and I sell them online. My most favorite type of marking for fabrics are tailor tacks.one with a double thread that is not knotted, several stitches are made, the loops are cut, and then the 2 pieces of fabric are slightly lifted apart and the threads cut. Sounds more difficult than it is to do but there are no markings left once the thread is pulled from the pattern piece. Try it!

Safety Pins

Safety pins are great to have to help thread elastic and ribbons through casings. I also like to use them to temporarily hold elastics in their place while fitting a garment. I usually have a box of safety pins in my stash for my sewers to use.

Thimble

Thimbles are great if you are hand sewing and don’t want to get your fingers pricked by the motion of the needle. I use a leather thimble because it feels less cumbersome. If you purchase a metal thimble, be sure to get one that fits the size of the finger you will be protecting.

Sewing  Basket, Drawstring Bag, or Plastic Box

Most of my sewers love choosing a sewing basket for their sewing tools. Bright and colorful, the baskets usually are in the notions section of most sewing stores but become plentiful around Christmas. In the schools I either carry the tools for the kids in my bag or have them make a drawstring bag and put their name on it for easy identification. A plastic box is also  suitable storage space for the sewing tools and notions that they will use during class. These are the tools that I require my beginner sewers to purchase for their use.