Sewing lessons

Hello and welcome to E.H.B.  and A.`s sewing lesson!
We want to teach YOU how to sew .

Starting with a Button:
We are starting  with  the thread.It has to be so long:
Then concentrate so you can thread the needle.

Then you have to do a not always easy knot.I can show you:
We used a double thread for our buttons. It is easier to learn when you don't have to worry about your needle coming unthreaded.Start the button sewing by hiding the knot on the back side of the fabric.
 Then you go up and down thru the holes in the same pattern.

 When you have made your button stron enough, then it is time for the knot. Take a small stitch thru the fabric, under the thread from your button. Before you pull the thread tight, send the needle back thru the loop and it will create a knot. Do it twice.
 Cut the thread close to the fabric.
 There are buttons with a ready made shank like the blue one in the background and there are buttons with holes in them. The buttons with holes in them typically need a thread shank. When you actually close the button, a shank allows room for the other piece of fabric to lay.

After you go up and down thru each hole once, slide a pin between the thread and button. This will allow extra room in the thread.
 After you have stitched your button on so that it is strong enough, then take out the pin and take one more stitch up, but this time only go up thru the fabric and not the button.

Your needle and thread will come out on the top side, between the fabric and button.
 Then pull the button up so it takes up the extra slack in the stitches and wrap the extra thread around the button. Be sure to leave enough thread to finish the knots.
 Take a stitch back down to the bottom of the fabric and do two or more knots on the bottom side.
That was almost all to the Buttons, but here the sewing machine.
First we started sewing on paper.
This was to learn how to control the machine with the foot pedal, where to place your hands and how to guide the fabric (or paper). We sewed straight lines, circles, spirals, zig zags and maze squares. When we did the zig zags and maze squares, we learned how to stop with the needle in the fabic, lift up the presser foot and turn the fabric. The hardest part was to remember to put the presser foot back down before we started sewing again.
Then I leared how to thread the machine and I leared to do:Presser foot down!:)
Threading the machine also included winding the bobbin.

 I already sewed a pillow and a present for my teacher.
My little brother and sister are also taking sewing lessons from A. (my poppy had one too.) My sister has sewn on 3 buttons. My little brother learned how to do buttons, sew on paper and he made the little orange bag in the photo next to my heart.


E.H.B. is 9 and has mastered controlling the speed of the machine, using the hand wheel, sewing on a button (both kinds), threading a needle, pinning and cutting fabric, and she just got an A+ on threading the machine. She sometimes forgets to put the presser foot down, but she made herself a note to help jog her memory. Her next project is a baby blanket for her doll.

Her younger brother is 5. He is not tall enough to reach the foot pedal so that is my job. He has also done a great job sewing on paper (straight, curves and turns). When I taught him to sew his first seam he begged to make a bag. so we turned his first seam (scrap fabric) into a tiny bag. He added the second seam, zig zagged the top and turned it inside out. He started to sew the handle, but he had to leave and I got to finish it for him. :)

My mom and my many home ec teachers will be proud to know that I am also teaching them the proper names of the machine parts and the few other supplies that they have. Both kids have been quizzed on them. 

OHHH:....exciting news. E.H.B. just got her first opportunity to use a seam ripper. She is saying "I don't get it" so I need to sign off and give her my attention.


Comments

  1. Cool blog, EHB! I wrote it my self, but Thank you anyway. :) :) :)

    ReplyDelete

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