A Stittch in Time...

My mom had, and still has, a Singer sewing machine which I think she got sometime in the 1960's.  My dad made a nice cabinet for it and it still works.  Mom made clothes for me when I was small and can repair anything made of fabric.  She always has a pile of mending which she told me she was so happy to have worked on lately.

I can't say that I am ever happy to do mending, but I have sewn many things including clothes for my children, draperies, shades, pillows, comforters, etc.  Not only was Mom a fabulous example for me, but she also paid for sewing lessons when I was 12.  I still remember the ugly (beautiful, then, or so I thought!) polka-dot red and white dress that I eventually made.  I also took sewing in the 7th grade.

So, when I saw an inexpensive sewing machine in the store last month, I called up daughter A, to see if grandkidlets A and I would like to learn to sew.  She bought the machine and I am the teacher.

I was going to teach them how to make a beanbag for our first project, but kids these days play with things that are far less old-fashioned than that, so instead we made pillows for I's American Girl doll and A's one million Barbie dolls.

 I had some old red cotton blend fabric which would make a good pillow.  First we learned about the thread, the bobbin and the stitches that the machine could do.  We also learned about right and wrong sides of fabric and how seams are made in clothes.  They practiced sewing forward and backward and then experimented with the various stitches this machine can make.  "I" picked it up quickly.

 "A" also did a great job.  She was worried about the needle poking her finger and wasn't quite sure where to put her hands. 

 We did this all up in the playroom where we have a low table and child-size chairs.  It was perfect.

 I was a bit lazy and we didn't change the white thread to red, so it's not quite as nice looking as I would prefer.  But because we used white thread you can see what a great job the girls did!  The Barbies and the American Girl Doll slept well that night!

Mom (Grammy), the tradition continues!
(Note A's doll is already taking a nap on her own little pillow.)