First Sewing Project

patchwork-pillow

I bought this Hello Kitty sewing machine for my older daughter last year, but it seemed that she wasn’t yet ready.  So we gave it another try last week and she made the patchwork top for this pillow!

I cut the fabric into squares and she folded the scraps to put back on the shelf (which is a step I usually omit).  Then she started sewing and really did it by herself.  Of course I sat next to her and handed her the pieces to make sure everything was in order.  This was a good first project because you don’t have to use the back stitch.  The back stitch on this little machine is somewhat tricky for a six-year-old.

eva-sewing

28 Replies to “First Sewing Project”

  1. I am so happy for you daughter and yourself! I started sewing on my grandmothers OLD singer when I was seven, drawing out and making
    doll clothes. My grandmother loved fabric as much as I do. She had a fabric store in her home and did alterations for a living. She take clothes apart add stuff and make them into completely different looking outfits. This was back in the 60’s. She lived during the great de-pression so had the habit of also burying coins in knotted up tubes socks in her yard. I bet there are some still there. She has been gone for 28 years now. What wonderful memories.
    My girls never got in to sewing. I bought a little machine for them but they never played around with it much. I hope to pass the love of it on to my grandchildren if I have any girls. I plan to have a “Summer Camp at Buttons” every summer when they are old enough and do all sorts of Arts and Crafts, field trips, etc… Give your daughter big hugs from me and you too!

  2. Wonderful! She did great. I’m looking for a cheap, used Singer for my teen daughters. My 11 year old has started free motion quilting on mine and I want her to have her own to work on. It’s so exciting to see what they come up with. ;o)

  3. What a wonderful first mother & daughter sewing project, you both should be very proud. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough, for now she just watches me and of course asks a ton of questions, I love it.

  4. Wow! I’m really impressed looking at how well all her corners match up… I know mine were not that neat when I made my first quilt at age 26!

  5. I wish I had had a mentor like you as a child…but now I have you as a grown-up! I am just in my beginning sewing days, so this would even be a good project for me. haha!

    You are blessed!

  6. Hi, I love it! Thanks to your wonderful blog we just discoverd a whole new world of textiles. I made my first dress on my mothers Singer when I was 9 and I still go on.
    Now my 11 years old daughter gets the textile fever (Yes, lucky me!!!!) Her brother is 13 and has Asperger, an autistic disorder. He gets a lot of attention because he needs a lot of training and support, and he is very good in math and (computer)programming. For Caitlin that’s not always nice. That’s why I decieded to make her own blog about our project together, so that she has also something special to tell. Everybody reacted so nice and she sold some pluchies already. And now we’ll even open an etsy shop. Thanks for writing about Etsy, yourself, your family. I love to follow your blog!
    and our blog is: http://www.sweetandsimplestuff.blogspot.com
    Lots of fun together, Marijke + Caitlin from The Netherlands

  7. Bravo you! Have you noticed how many young women these days mention learning skills from their grandmothers. I am thrilled to know that mom’s are again teaching basic skills to their daughters. I take everything I learned from my mother for granted. I am finding out that I need to be writing everything I learned from her down in my “grateful journal”.

  8. I love it! I posted my daughter doing the same thing last month 🙂 She is making a small patchwork quilt though (a pillow is by far a better first project). I love the Hello Kitty machine. It is great for her and looks like your daughter loves it too.

  9. That pillow looks better than about half of the stuff I make…

    I have been thinking a lot about getting my daughter her own machine. She’ll be five next week and I can’t decide if she is too young or not.

  10. Wow, your six year-old can sew!!! My daugther is six year-old too but every time I sew, she just sit next to me and watch. May be I should let her try out when she is ready! Thanks for sharing and the patchwork cushion cover she made is so neat and pretty!!!

  11. What a wonderful project. I’m really impressed at how you both lined up the squares and kept things straight. Even grown-ups usually have the fabric slip. It’s terrific. Please tell her that I like it heaps!

  12. Congratulations on finishing such an adorable project! That’s so great that you and your daughter are able to work together like this now…your talents must be rubbing off on her 🙂

  13. The pillow is very impressive especially to her grandparents ! My mother (your daughter’s great grandmother) sewed the most beautiful doll clothes for me. She recalled to me often about sitting on the floor pushing the treadle for her grandmother’s (your daughter’s 3 greats grandmother) sewing machine. Must be in the genes !

  14. Oh my goodness … this is beautiful! How did she manage to get the corners matched up, I can never get that right with patchwork! My daughter is seven and I haven’t attempted any machine projects with her yet, though she really wants to learn.

  15. What a lovely job she did! She must be so pleased with herself. I wish those hello kitty machines were available her in the UK. My daughter has one of those toy pink singer machines which is utterly frustrating as the chain stitch unravels as fast as you sew!

  16. I purchased the Helly Kitty Sewing machine for myself (33) last year to learn how I sew (I got it on clearance for $50 at Target). I love it!
    Your daughter did a great job Pillow cases for my throw pillow’s with some patchwork was also my first project! WAY TO GO LITTLE ONE!

  17. I love this pillow! I was interested in making a similar one for my baby using some fabrics from her curtains. Did you use a rotary cutter/board? I’m curious how you managed to get the seams and squares so perfect. I’m also humbled that a six-year old does a better sewing job than me!!

  18. I love this patchwork pillow! So much! 🙂 I make patchwork pillows myself and mine are certainly not of better sewing quality as this one! love it.. xoxo

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