My baby girl sewed up a drawstring backpack! I’m so proud of her sewing skills. To be fair, I was already planning to sew it for her to keep her swim goggles and stuff in.
So yesterday I cut out the pieces using fabric that she picked from my stash (these are Flutterby Kisses and Marble Wonder in the Natural Wonder collection from Blend Fabrics).
But then today I simply ran out of time and I asked her to sew it instead. She did a wonderful job!
This pattern is totally easy, but here are some ideas for helping kids sew… and finish something to be proud of:
Choose a project that they can finish in a reasonable amount of time – before they lose interest. It helps if you have made it before.
Let them pick the fabric… kids love this step – we do too!
See if any elements of the pattern can be simplified. For example, my original drawstring backpack pattern calls for sewing the drawstring ties and side tabs from fabric. For Chloe’s version, we decided to skip those and use rope and twill tape instead.
Be available to help when needed (another reason it would be good for you to have experience with the pattern), but don’t do it for them. Pinning, sewing an even seam allowance, and trimming corners are skills that beginners must learn by doing! But I occasionally un-pick Chloe’s mistakes so she can take a break and not get too frustrated (she still does plenty of unpicking herself).
Do you have any other tips for helping kids learn to sew? Share them in the comments! And guess what? My boy sews too. See Carl’s sailboat quilt here.
Sew an organizer covered with pockets that you can hang in your closet! This easy sewing project is great for organizing sewing and craft supplies, fashion accessories, bathroom necessities, gift wrappings, and more. There are pockets on both sides plus a big interior pocket so every bit of space is used. I’ll show you easy step by step instructions for sewing this organizer and putting it to use in your home. Get sew organized today.
Are you sewing a Closet Organizer with me? I hope so! This is Part 2 of our free sewing tutorial for an amazing organizer with a coat hanger inside so you can hang it anywhere.
If you are getting started, make sure you start at Part 1 of the free pattern.
Be a basketmaker! Sure, you can sew, but did you know that you can make amazing baskets too using your sewing machine, some fabric and the same materials that you use for your other projects?
Have you fallen in love with Quilt as You Go yet? It’s a fun technique for quilts, of course, but I’m having lots of fun using it for pouches and tote bags too.
I’m so excited to share with you the pattern for our first mini quilt of 2018… Flora! This beautiful little quilt was designed by the very talented Lauren of Molly & Mama…
At my daughter Chloe’s high school (can you believe my baby started high school???), the lunch lines are so long that she has been skipping lunch! She’s always starving by the time she gets home because she doesn’t want to carry a big lunch bag as well as her heavy backpack – poor girl!
Looking for free table runner patterns? I gathered up all my favorites in one place – here are free quilt patterns for table runners for fall, winter, spring and summer!
I am so in love with the beautiful look of simple patchwork quilts with lots of squares. This is the perfect way to use up fabric scraps like I did, or you can make a beautifully coordinated quilt with pre-cut 2 1/2’’ square fabric pieces that come in mini-charm packs.
I’m also in love with the process. If you feel like quilt making is your escape from the world and sitting down to sew for a few hours makes your troubles fade away… this is the quilt for you!
Sew an easy beautiful apron with this free sewing pattern that only uses one yard of fabric! Whether you are sewing for yourself or for a friend, an apron always comes in handy and makes a great gift. This blog post includes a link to a free template that I digitized for you.
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
Caroline Fairbanks-Critchfield is an author and publisher who is passionate about the world of sewing and quilting. You can find her work in books, sewing patterns, magazines, and articles all over the web. She founded and publishes her ideas on the popular sewing website SewCanShe.com.
