I love teaching kids to sew. Once they start on their creative sewing journey a world of opportunities seem to open up to them. Suddenly the teddy bear that has a torn arm gets fixed and buttons get resewn on a shirt. School projects that they stitch in class get wrapped for a mom or grandmother and other projects are planned and stitched with love. And once they start sewing and have mastered basic sewing skills I introduce them to the wonderful ways that they can make a difference in their own communities.

Sometime during the fall, I talk to my students about stitching for their communities. Together we choose a charity for the year and my kids use some of the classes to complete projects for distribution to that charity. Even my brand new sewers with just with the basics of sewing can take part in stitching for many of the service organizations in our community and the people that they serve. There are so many opportunities to give back and give thanks and all my kids love these service projects.

One of the service projects that we sewed for was for A. I. Dupont Hospital in Wilmington Delaware. All my fall classes sewed pillowcases for the hospital and each pillowcase had a hand written note attached. One of the moms worked at A.I.Dupont and she was able to take the pillowcases and give one to every patient that had to stay in the hospital over Christmas that year. What a beautiful day it was to learn that the 50 pillowcases that we stitched brought so much joy to the kids in the hospital. And they LOVED the handmade tags that were attached to each pillowcase. I was a proud sewing teacher!



Well after that community service was finished, months later the pillowcases would make another appearance at A.I. Dupont hospital. Allison, daughter of the mom that distributed the pillowcases at Christmas, decided to organize another group of girls, teach them to make the pillowcases, and send them to the hospital to earn her Gold Award in Scouting. Once again, as her sponsor I was beaming with pride not only because of the pillowcases but also because she was passing on her sewing skills to a new generation of sewers. Don’t you just love it?

Another great service project that we stitched was pillows for the veterans living on the campus of the VA Hospital in Elsmere Delaware. My fabric rep had lots of fleece samples that he donated for our project. The fleece was soft, washable, and perfect for pillows made to make wheelchairs and hospital beds more comfortable. We made 50 pillows in our classes and we brought sewing machines to show them how we made them and to take requests.

A small group of girls, parents, and my husband who is a team leader of the Veterans Center in Sussex County Delaware drove to the VA Hospital one Sunday in January. At first there were only a handful of curious vets pushing their wheelchairs into the recreation room to see us set up our presentation and curious about our bags of brightly colored pillows. We introduced ourselves, gave a small presentation, and then several of the girls sat down at the machines to stitch some pillows I had precut for the demonstration.

Our initial group of veterans quickly chose their favorites and sped off to their rooms to put them away. As if by magic wheelchairs of other vets started to flow into the recreation room. Soon the pillows were flying off the tables and there were lines of vets waiting to get a customized pillow. The girls relaxed and started conversations with the patients and soon the room was full of stories about the wars that they fought, their families, and their lives as a soldier. Pictures were taken, friendships were started, and a sense of gratitude was felt by all the girls as they realized the bravery of all these men and women. It was a powerful day for all of us and an experience never to be forgotten!

While most of these girls and boys are five years old (yes, I do start teaching them at 5 in my classes)and up, I have worked with the preschool kids on several community service projects. For these service projects I like to sew for places like the Humane Society, Animal friends or the SPCA. The little ones can relate to the animals and they are full of stories of their own pets. A few years back at Tower Hill School in Wilmington Delaware, all the preschool classes got a chance to practice hand stitching by making kitty toys for the cats at the Delaware Humane Society. Boys and girls alike tried their best to master the running stitch and the overcast stitch.

We also made quilted liners for the cages at the shelter. Again, using the fleece samples so generously donated by my fabric rep, we cut 9 squares to equal the dimensions of the bottoms of the cages. Each child helped stitch 2 squares together by guiding it through the machine under a teacher’s supervision. After they were stitched, several of the teachers finished the quilts. They were donated to the shelter the next month. Lots of happy four year olds doing wonderful things for an organization in need! Awesome…

These are just examples of the many service projects available for kids or adults to pursue within their own communities. What kinds of other projects would be fun to stitch for an organization? Better yet, what new projects could you come up with that might help a group in need? Get involved and be a volunteer. What better way to pay it forward and make this place a better place! Just get stitching….

Many of my young sewers were so lucky to have received a bright and shiny new sewing machine from Santa or for Hanukah this year. After asking my students about receiving a sewing machine my next question to them is “How do you like it?”

For a moment, there is silence as they stare at me. Then they blurt out “It’s still in the box!” and I am sad for them. And then I answer this exclamation with these words:

“I am so happy that you got a machine because now you can sew whenever you want. I will let your parents know that I am available to take the machine out of the box and set it up for you! We will look at the machine together with your parents so everyone will know how to thread it, use it, and take care of it. Does that sound like a plan of action?” At this point I get a smile and a nod from my student and life is good again.

So, parents please don’t let the machine sit in the box. Please get in touch with me so we can schedule a time for you and your sewers to set up your machine and learn how to use it. You can bring the machine to me or I will be glad to come to your house for the lesson. Having your very own machine is awesome! Let’s get sewing!

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Ms Bobbi

p.s. Click Here for Sewing Lesson Information

p.p.s. Click Here for Gift Certificates

 

Dear Sewing Friends,

As I’ve told you before I spend hours each week choosing fabrics, trims, and notions so that each of my students can choose the perfect kit to stitch in class. Often many of you find it hard to choose just one kit to make and would love to sew more but there isn’t enough time in class.

I got to thinking, why don’t I make extra kits and put them on my website? You get to sew more projects and it’s easy peasy for your parents (no trip to the fabric store needed).

Whether it’s hand sewing or machine sewing everything would be included and ready for you to stitch. If it’s a project from Pinterest or the Internet I’ll send you to their site for directions. If it’s from a book, I’ll let you know the title to look for on my site. My designs can include both materials and directions. Yes, this will be so much fun!

I could make some kits with a variety of fabric, some zippers, several spools of thread, some buttons and trims and you could create your own creations! I could even put together kits personalized by you! Homeschoolers could use the kits to learn how to sew. Oh, the possibilities are endless!!!!

So, my first kits will be up at the end of this week and we’ll see how it goes. Here’s to another fun year of sewing!

See you soon,

Ms Bobbi

Hello Sewing Friends!

It’s just about time to start sewing classes with Ms Bobbi and I am just sew excited!

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This year I have 3 different classes for you:

“Sewing on the Go” is my class for my students in grades 2 through 6. I’ll have some beginners mixed in with my returning sewers. I have lots of great hand and machine projects for the coming year so be prepared to have lots of sewing fun!

My “Junior Sewing on the Go” is my class for my Kindergarten and First Graders. We’ll have sewing fun mixing a lot of different types of hand sewing projects with a bit of machine sewing here and there to get you interested in the sewing machine.

And finally, my “Sewing Sampler Class” for my 4 and 5 year olds. These students are soooo excited to learn how to sew by hand and they are so proud of everything that they sew. And you never know when a sewing machine lesson might happen in a class or two…We’ll see how goes!

Click Here for Tower Hill Class Schedules and Information

Click Here for Tatnall Class Schedules and Information

If you can’t come to my classes in the extended day programs of Tower Hill or Tatnall, just give me a call and we’ll sign you up for private or semi-private lessons in my home or yours! Everyone can join in the fun of sewing!

Learning to sew and loving it!

Ms Bobbi

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

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I love the Pattern “Flower Pouches” by Valori Wells. My students loved them too! How can stitching a simple square and turning each corner back and gathering it look so cool and really look like the petals of a flower? It’s amazing and another great container for putting in a special gift for someone you love (actually makes it more special because you’ve made the pouch)!

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Start with the sewing card “Petal Pouches” by Valori Wells. Choose the size of your square from the pattern (there are 3 sizes using a 10” for a small bag, 15” for the medium bag, and 18” for the big bag). You might also like to experiment with the size to fit your gift. You’ll need 2 fabrics and ribbon for your gathers that fit through your casings. Note: I preferred to cut a larger piece of ribbon for the bags to have longer pieces to tie)

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The directions are easy to follow and the finished project so adorable. Make in a variety of prints and solids including some Christmas prints for the holidays! You can find the Sewing Card “Petal Pouches” by Valori Wells on my website in the Marketplace under Cool Stuff for Kids! Happy Stitching… Bobbi

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time for my young students to spend the next few weeks leading up to Christmas and Hanukkah making gifts for family and friends. I decided to share a few of these on my blog.   The Fleece Pouch is a project that I use in all my beginning classes. It is simple enough for my kindergarten crowd and all the kids get to practice a straight stitch, running stitch, and sewing on a button. As an extra I add on an applique’ when time permits. The kids love this little cutie!  

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  The pouch was inspired by the Sewing Card from Valori Wells called “Little Wallets”. The pattern was a little too hard for my younger kids so I traced the shape of the pouch and then folded the bottom of the pouch back up on itself about 3 and ¾” and continued to trace the pouch. I now had a simple pattern to cut out for the kids.   While most of the pouches have been from fleece I thought that for Christmas these would be perfect fashioned from Christmas colored felt. I also gathered some embellishments for my pouch like sequins, Christmas buttons, floss, and ribbon.   The first step was cutting out my pouch. Next I decided on an applique for my flap. I pinned the holly in place, stitched around the leaves, and then added beads for holly berries and a ribbon. (You could add any embellishments of your choice). Next I added my button about 2” down from the top and centered in the middle of the pouch.   After sewing on the button I folded up bottom of the pouch about 3 and ¾” and pinned it in place. Using an overcast stitch I sewed each side of the pouch. I added a running stitch to the edges of the flap and finally slit the fabric where the button will go through to close the pouch. Now I could add a gift card or gift, button the flap, and one gift is finished and ready for giving!   Look for the sewing card “Little Wallets” by Valori Wells in my marketplace in the Sew Kool for Kids Shop!   Happy Holidays…

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!

Teaching your young child to hand sew can really be a fun and rewarding experience. Gather some simple supplies and you are ready to get started! Most of the supplies that you’ll need can be purchased at a Michael’s Craft Stores or Joann Fabric Stores.

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You will need:

Needle with a large eye (I use a Chenille Size 18 which can be gripped by little fingers)

Yarn or floss (use all 6 strands together)

Felt

Plastic canvas

Heavier paper such as poster board

Paper plates with holes punched around the edges, or a styrofoam plate used for food (I get Persian Cucumbers from Trader Joe’s)

Scotch tape to secure the yarn if you are using paper plates or styrofoam

Scissors Paper Punch if using a paper plate or paper

Optional: Pony beads or other large beads for the needle

Begin the sewing lesson by showing your young sewer the needle that you will use for stitching. Be sure to show them the point of the needle and tell them that it is sharp so it can pierce the fabric. If they want, let them feel the point although most are curious and will do this on their own! Show them the eye of the needle and tell them that this is where the thread is added so we can stitch. Thread the needle while they are watching and show them how the thread is knotted. If your child is interested in trying to thread the needle and make the knot let them try. Otherwise, show them how it’s done and wait until your child has stitched for awhile. If you are using poster board or a paper plate, take your hole punch and make holes around the outside rim of the plate or shape. Before you begin to stitch show them how to hold the yarn or floss at the base of the eye while stitching so that the yarn does not pull out after each stitch.

Running stitch:

My students, young and old, begin their stitching journey with learning the running stitch. This basic stitch is made by bringing the needle up from the back or underside of the fabric, moving over about a quarter to half an inch and sending the needle back down to the underside of the fabric. The stitches can be all even or can vary in length depending on what your child is using to practice stitching (styrofoam, felt etc.) Show your child how to hold the eye of the needle and the thread each time they begin to stitch. Keeping the yarn or the floss in the eye of the needle is by far the hardest part of the lesson. Have your child bring the needle from the underside or back of the fabric. Pull the yarn or floss all the way up to the front. Now, reinsert the needle back down into the fabric to the underside and pull all the thread through again. One stitch completed! Make rows of running stitches like railroad tracks back and forth until you have filled your empty space or stitched around the edges of your paper plate. At the end of each row either knot the yarn or cut and tape the yarn to the backside of your work. Change colors for each line of stitching or try making big or little stitches. Let your child be creative! Optional: When your sewer brings the needle to the right side of the felt, plate, or needlepoint canvas, have them add a pony bead or beads before they insert the needle back down into the fabric to the underside. Have fun and let them be free to be creative!

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Overcast or Whip Stitch:

Once your sewer has somewhat mastered the running stitch let them move on to the overcast or whip stitch. Have them bring the needle up through the underside about a quarter to a half inch in from the edge of the plate or fabric. Now, instead of going back down to the underside from the front, take the needle over the edge and go back to the underside and bring the needle back up through the fabric or other medium to the front about a quarter to a half inch from the first stitch. Remember your stitches will be going over the edge each time instead of being stitched in an up and down motion. Be patient as your sewer tries to master these two basic stitches. Often my students will start with a running stitch and end up stitching several overcast stitches. It’s at this point where I remind them that they are new to sewing and it will take time to master a new skill. I take the misguided stitches out and encourage them to continue reminding them that sewing is a “learned skill” and “practice makes perfect!”

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Have fun stitching with your children.

Until next time……

Ms. Bobbi

I enjoy teaching both kids and grownups how to sew. For the past 12 years I have operated a traveling sewing school making good use of my Textiles and Clothing degree. I think of myself as a Home Economist but the new buzz word for this honor is a Consumer Science Professional. I usually travel with 10 sewing machines, 2 irons and ironing boards, several wheels with outlets, and all the sewing tools, equipment, and kits that we will need to complete the projects that we will stitch during class. I also have a 70 pound hand truck that helps to carry in the machines to the schools.

Once at my destination I have to transport all the tools and equipment to my hand truck, get to my classroom destination, set the machines up and get ready for the kids. I teach the lesson for 90 minutes and at the end of class I ask the kids help me clean up the room. After they leave I take down all the machines and pack up all my equipment, back on the hand truck they go to be packed in the van again to travel to our next destination. And often I do this dance 5 days a week!

When I’m not teaching, I spend my time between working on my website (www.fascinationinfabrics.com), learning the value of incorporating SEO sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter into my marketing mix, and researching or designing projects for my classes. I usually try to plan my projects well in advance of the projected class dates that my students will stitch them. After I know what we will be sewing I either order the supplies or shop for them locally. After the supplies arrive I summon the help of a wonderful friend and colleague and we spend hours cutting and prepping kits that will have everything ready for my kids to sew. Finally I stitch the samples. Honestly, until we start lessons on using a commercial pattern, my kids don’t understand or appreciate how much I do for them so that the class can run smoothly! It’s a process….

The projects that we stitch are geared to 2 different age groups. My first group is my 5 and 6 year olds. These stitchers spend time learning mostly hand sewing techniques in the beginning along with cutting and pinning skills. They spend time learning how to thread a needle, knot the end, and practicing a running stitch, overcast stitch, and a French knot. Several weeks into the session I start to add short lessons on the sewing machine and their journey begins on learning to use the sewing machine.

My second through sixth graders also start with hand stitching. However, these sewers navigate the sewing machine much quicker than the little ones. Sewing machine basics and safety start from the first class as does beginning techniques to master with fun projects to stitch.

The basics of hand or machine sewing start each sewer on their journey into the sewing world. After that their path is determined by their likes and preferences. Like any other skill there are many kinds of sewing that one can enjoy. Many of my young sewers enjoy stuffed animals, quilting, clothing construction, or making bags and totes. The possibilities are endless.

The hardest part of teaching sewing is to remind each student that sewing is a learned skill. It is not a competition with anyone else. It is individual journey. For each project in sewing that you stitch your goal is to understand the techniques used to complete the project. Whether it takes one class session or five class sessions, the mindset should be one of understanding the process and not who is finished before you! The main goal of all my classes are centered around learning to sew and loving it! Sewing is a creative art form meant to enjoyed in a stress free environment. The joys of sewing last a lifetime for my young sewers and each student will have a different journey based on personality and their individual tastes. My continuing goal is that each of my students will have a positive and very rewarding experience learning to sew. And, I am so honored to teach all my students the joys of sewing and will continue to do so for a long time! It is after all my passion and my life!