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Get kids going on summer sewing

By EUNICE FARMER, Special to the Times
Published April 26, 2007

Q: My 8-year-old daughter and her friends just finished making a simple project during their spring break. They were very excited and want to learn more about sewing. What is our next step? They will probably wait until summer.

A: While they are still excited, it's time to plan a summer sewing class. Check your local fabric stores and sewing-machine dealers to see what they have to offer. Eight years old is a great age to begin because children this age can read and understand the patterns. I love Kwik-Sew 2480, sizes 8-16. It's a special pattern for learning to sew. Try to plan the lessons so they last only one week. If you stretch them out longer, the children tend to lose interest. As soon as they finish one project, begin another one. Be sure to let the girls select their own fabric. This is half the fun for them. Lastly, remember, perfection comes with practice. Don't discourage them by expecting too much on their first project.

This week's winner

Each week, a reader wins a prize for sending in a helpful sewing hint. This week's winner is Inge Sabo of Phillipsburg, N.J. She will receive a collection of 100 hand-sewing needles from England. Her tip:

"Invariably, when I have a hand-sewing project, I end up with a usable length of thread still in the needle. I put the needle back in the pincushion, and it's ready to use when I have a small mending job."

You, too, could win a collection of hand-sewing needles. Send your sewing tips to Eunice Farmer, Box 31729, St. Louis, MO 63131, or info@eunicefarmerfabrics.com If she selects your tidbit for publication, you'll receive this prize.

Eunice Farmer is a nationally recognized authority on sewing. She is an author, teacher, lecturer and fashion reporter, and she owns her own fabric boutique and sewing school in St. Louis.

[Last modified April 26, 2007, 06:34:46]