RosieCotton Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I want to add this hand craft, but don't know where to start. Other than cross stitch which was like 30 years ago I don't hand sew at all. Could you recommend good instruction books you have used? Can't afford classes. Maybe youtube. . . We did the potholder loom and that was a huge hit, but a no brainer for Mom. :) I was heading to Joann Fabrics in the next day or so, so thought I'd shout it out to you all. Ages are 6-10. If the boys could sew and stuff something Star Wars that would be fun. They all need new comforters this year, and I'd like to work with them in sewing basics, so they can help when we do them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) I know you said no classes, but I honestly couldn't have done it any other way. I have no desire to sew, and DD wanted to. We started with a 1-week half-day summer camp a few years ago, which was quite inexpensive. The woman teaching was a grandma to homeschool kids and ended up starting a weekly homeschool sewing group, which was also inexpensive. I now pay for private costuming classes because DD has gotten so into sewing and costume design so we are no longer in the inexpensive range, but she'll be saving a ton of money in the long-run by being able to design her own costumes. I still haven't sewn anything since 1982 when I was forced to make a pillow in 8th grade home-ec class. DH sews occasionally, though, and he knows enough to help DD troubleshoot issues. Craftsy.com has a lot of sewing classes. My DH actually did their serger one to figure out our serger when we got one for him and DD for Christmas. He thought it was pretty good. ETA: DH also knows how to knit, and DD wasn't interested for a while but earlier this summer she started watching YouTube videos and figured out the basics and made a scarf. Now she seems to be off that kick. Edited September 4, 2016 by deerforest 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 youtube has a lot of good tutorials, but best would be to put feelers out in your community. Find a craft group you can join(and bring home the skills to work with the kids) or ask people you know if they could teach. I taught mine with the silly rhyme 'in through the front door, around to the back, out through the window and up pops Jack'. I had to cast on for them for the first few lessons but they can each knit a scarf now. LOL 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 4h and the Y around us both have inexpensive sewing classes. I have worked with my 6 year old sewing buttons onto scrap fabric. I got her a hoop to help keep the fabric taut. One on my friends taught her kids to sew using simple felt shapes and sewing small stuffed animals. Other simple projects are pillow cases or a simple blanket. YouTube has great videos. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 How is your library? Ours has quite a few learn to... books. A good starter might be Crafty Dolls by Jane Bull. It has sewn dolls and knitted dolls among with clothes and accessories. The graphic design of the book is very appealing also. For sewing you might also look at felt crafts. Seeing with felt can be less fussy than fabric and there are lots of cute craft ideas. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Favourite books here: Kid's Knitting by Melanie Falick is simple, step by step, projects that are actually worth making, and has some photos of boys knitting in it (super rare in kid's knitting books!) Sewing School for hand sewing. There is a sequel for machine sewing. Knittinghelp.com is my favourite online resource. Sewing is easier to start with. Knitting is trickier. I started to teach my boys to knit at ages 6 and 7. Eldest picked it up relatively easily. 6 year old just couldn't knit on needles. He could finger knit and loom-knit just fine though. We made tube knitters out of toilet paper rolls and popsicle sticks. He's made yards and yards of knitted tube "scarves". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannyaunt Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 You might consider trying loom knitting. It is super easy with lots of great projects you can make - hats, scarves, and afghans. There are lots of great tutorials on YouTube. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) SEWING Teaching Resources Teaching Kids to Sew blog: Intro to Hand Sewing (stitching on paper plates) Using Fabric, Typing Knots, Tracing Designs Hand Sewing a Mask Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids -- has some great practice patterns for controlling fabric going through the machine Learn to Sew: My First Sewing Machine Book sewing resources -- available from Rainbow Resource Catalog Ideas for projectsPhoebe and Egg blog: 5 Things to Think About When Teaching Your Child to Sew By HandKids Sewing Projects -- some free ideas, some for a fee; also a list of boy projectsSewing School: 21 Sewing Projects Kids Will Love to Make -- book of machine sewing projectsKids Can Sew website: patterns for projects -- purchase machine sewing projects Past Threads (ha-ha, get it?!) on Kids and Sewing"Basic Sewing Kit for a Boy""Sewing Kit Project for a Boy""Resources for Teaching Sewing""Need Resources for Teaching Sewing""Sewing Machine Book (Projects) for Almost 10yo?""Sewing Book for an Inquisitive Child" "Anyone else teaching their children to sew" Past thread with good ideas throughout, and of special note: post #17 lists topics for lessons, post #26 has a big project list for ideas, and post #32 has a clever idea for practicing controlling machine sewing by using card stock or fabric scraps to sew a shape onto a card. "Sewing curriculum: what is out there?" Another past thread; of special note: in post #15 Silver Moon explains in detail 4 starting-to-sew lessons for machine sewing. Edited August 1, 2021 by Lori D. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raising Little Shoots Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Such a helpful post, Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raising Little Shoots Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Our local book cycle & library host knitting groups. Perhaps you could take your wee ones along, and someone could help them out? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) My 6yo loved My First Sewing Book, which included felt and floss for the projects. I liked the little rhymes and emphasis on good habits for that age. I'd like to get the rest of the series. ETA: I found it originally in a Montessori catalog. Edited September 13, 2016 by birchbark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 You could also look for kits, there are some nice ones avialable now in sewing and fabric shops - they are much less gimmicky than ones in toy stores or even educational stores. Often they have everything you need and good instructions. Rug hooking is another possibility, either traditional or latch hook. For some reason lots of men seem to do latch hook so it might appeal more to some boys. We're lucky that the fabric store down the road from us has good classes that are very cheap - I think they do them at cost or below and make their money off of selling the fabric and creating in new sewers. The kid's workshops are under $50 a level. You do often need a seweing machine for classes, dd's grandmother bought her one for Christmas one year so she could take classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 There are a lot of resources free online, though it does take time to search them out. Thegreatcourses.com recently sent me a mailer (I'm an addict) stating they have partnered with Craftsy to produce some crafting and woodworking lecture series. They are currently on an introductory offer of about $35 per series, until Sept. 15th. They have a couple courses that cover quilting, two related to sewing (one pointers and one on fitting clothing), a knitting course, a crocheting course, and a couple woodworking/shop courses. I haven't watched any of them yet but I am seriously considering buying some before the cheaper sales price ends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmalm Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Are there any yarn shops near by? Where we used to live, a town of 700, there was a yarn shop and once a week they had "Sit and Knit." It was just a group of ladies, mostly retired, who got together to knit and chat. I didn't know much, but they were really nice and willing to teach. You could check that out... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Are there any yarn shops near by? Where we used to live, a town of 700, there was a yarn shop and once a week they had "Sit and Knit." It was just a group of ladies, mostly retired, who got together to knit and chat. I didn't know much, but they were really nice and willing to teach. You could check that out... Our public library has a knitting group that meets weekly. Similar group of mostly retired women who meet to knit and chat. They were very welcoming and happy to help and encourage kids along. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadah Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I taught myself from knittinghelp.com. For children, I would start with finger knitting. You can find that on youtube. Dd could knit with large knitting needles at 3. At first, I had her knit 6 stitches every day. She took it from there. Really, videos form knittinghelp were the best thing. You can watch them over and over to see what you are doing wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 These are all great suggestions, I'm still looking them all up thank you all. Shout out of thanks to Lori what a great list of resources! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 Oh - I even found a group that meets every Monday, but it's at night so we'll see. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 I taught myself to crochet (pretty good at it) and knit (bleah) using library books and youtube. Seriously, youtube is your friend in this endeavor. It also helps to have friends whom you can call on for help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 I see this so often. I know how to knit (although I am weak in it), crochet (solidly), sew knits and wovens. I feel like I should really just start a class teaching it as I get the feeling it is a dying art. :( Those of you that know how to do this, do you feel that way or is it just me? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted September 13, 2016 Share Posted September 13, 2016 I see this so often. I know how to knit (although I am weak in it), crochet (solidly), sew knits and wovens. I feel like I should really just start a class teaching it as I get the feeling it is a dying art. :( Those of you that know how to do this, do you feel that way or is it just me? Definitely I feel like sewing is a dying art. But knit/crochet? If anything it seems to be having a renaissance. I learned as an adult because so many other homeschooling moms were doing it during park day and playdates and such. Then there's all the cool young people on ravelry, the ones with the purple hair and tattoos, who post their projects. It seems like the "cool" hobby these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted September 14, 2016 Author Share Posted September 14, 2016 I see this so often. I know how to knit (although I am weak in it), crochet (solidly), sew knits and wovens. I feel like I should really just start a class teaching it as I get the feeling it is a dying art. :( Those of you that know how to do this, do you feel that way or is it just me? Why don't you put some videos up on youtube teaching the techniques? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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