Sewing curriculum?

[Rachel]

My daughter 11yo, would like to learn to sew better. I used to sew a whole lot more than I do now but do consider myself an intermediate sewist. However, I’ve been doing it so long that sewing just comes naturally to me. She has done some small projects with my assistance, but I’m looking for something that is laid out that will help me take her logically through threading a machine, choosing fabric, needle types, etc. 

It doesn’t necessarily need to be for middle schoolers.  Any recommendations? I would prefer a book over blogs and YouTube.

[Mona]

I bought my first sewing machine when I was 11-years-old. Looking back at what I could do on my own, children’s sewing books available today seem a little too easy for a middle schooler. I would probably start with a small stack of cotton fabric pieces and the manual with the machine she will be using. Follow the manual for how to thread the machine, wind a bobbin, and put that in.

Then I would use the fabric squares and go through each stitch that your machine can do. Knowing how to use her own machine and knowing when to use each stitch is helpful. If she has a buttonhole feature, that would be fun to try on the practice fabric.

You can probably find lots of basic sewing books at your local library. If she wants to make clothing, take a trip to the store and help her find the pattern, size, and how to read the pattern. There are beginner sewer patterns and “easy” patterns available. The type of fabrics best for the project will be suggested on the pattern. Pattern sizes and sizes we buy in the clothing store are different, so you can talk about that, too. Learn by doing. 

My kids teach themselves a lot with videos and I understand not wanting to use YT. If you’re not opposed to video learning, Craftsy.com is offering membership for a year for $3 and there are a lot of sewing and quilting classes on there. There are usually downloadable/printable materials and patterns that go along with each class.

4H may have some sewing curriculum books. I see they are working on online classes for sewing, but they’re not up yet. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Mona

[Shoeless]

I would look for Better Homes and Gardens book on sewing. There are lots of them on eBay. If memory serves, they wrote quite a few beginner guides. 

[Rachel]

@Monayes, what I’m finding for kids seems way too young. I’ll check my library, that’s what I used when I got into quilting years ago. 
 

I’m not opposed to some video instruction, I’ll definitely check craftsy. 

[Loesje22000]

https://www.christianbook.com/anyone-beginners-step-guide-sewing-skills/charlotte-gerlings/9781510724099/pd/724099?event=ESRCG

https://www.christianbook.com/stitches-pins-beginning-sewing-book-girls/joann-gagnon/9780971494404/pd/494401?event=CBCER1

https://www.christianbook.com/family-consumer-science-lifepac-clothes-sew/9780740301544/pd/301543?event=ESRCG
 

https://www.christianbook.com/home-economics-complete-course/9780878139422/pd/636001?event=ESRCG#CBD-PD-Description
 

Some are written from a specific christian perspective.

There was an other serie, but maybe you should do a deep search on the boards for that. The beginner step guide also exists for knitting and other crafts.

[Lori D.]

From a past thread:

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 projects
Phoebe and Egg blog: 5 Things to Think About When Teaching Your Child to Sew By Hand
Kids Sewing Projects -- some free ideas, some for a fee; also a list of boy projects
Sewing School: 21 Sewing Projects Kids Will Love to Make -- book of machine sewing projects
Kids 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.

[lulalu]

I think Simply Charlotte Mason has a video on sewing. 

[Porridge]

Mine loved Sewing School 2, which is more machine sewing:

https://smile.amazon.com/Sewing-School-Lessons-Machine-Projects/dp/1612120490/ref=bmx_dp_1gk7uauo_3/131-0237435-7718572?pd_rd_w=18Nqj&pf_rd_p=1f75fbb3-7d95-464f-8182-952155c0316b&pf_rd_r=XDYA5BA550CM5NRQA4DJ&pd_rd_r=d6e243e6-0e4b-44b4-90a3-6252a391fbf6&pd_rd_wg=jWonc&pd_rd_i=1612120490&psc=1

 

There is also Sewing School 1, which is hand-sewing:

https://smile.amazon.com/Sewing-School-®-Projects-Kids/dp/1603425780/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=sewing+book+kid&qid=1627853538&sr=8-6

 

and one of our favorite of all time- Forest Fairies.  It has some cute hand sewing projects, and instructions for how to make super cute fairies (no sewing needed)

https://smile.amazon.com/Forest-Fairy-Crafts-Enchanting-Supplies/dp/1607056909/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=fairy+forest&qid=1627853643&s=books&sr=1-4

[Shifra]

I particularly like My First Sewing Machine: Fashion School by Alison McNicol. It is focused on sewing clothes for oneself.