In the Child's Sewing Basket

I have been meaning to finish up the list of sewing supplies that I think kids need when sewing.

I have already talked at length about the needles, thread, and fabric that I recommend. There are just a few other things needed for the perfect sewing experience.
*scissors - I like Fiskars for Kids. Label them for sewing only so they will cut fabric easier.
*chalk and pencil- a variety of colors of chalk for tracing patterns and marking fabric.
*pin cushion and pins - choose pins that have a big head on them for little hands to grasp. You might want a few safety pins as well for threading ribbons through casings and holding things together better.
*ruler - while it doesn't fit in this cute little sewing box, it's handy to have around.

I think that's about it for basic sewing tools. There are lots of other materials needed such as stuffing (I use poly-fill), buttons, and ribbon and trims. Happy Sewing!

Make Me!

Recently, I started a "Make Me" tab in my Bookmarks Toolbar. As I jump from blog to blog, I find so many things that I am excited to make. Now I can easily find them all again.
Here are a few recent additions:
tissue box cover
homemade ginger ale
travel pillow
What to make first....

Herby Salad

If you garden, chances are you also grow a variety of herbs. I love watching them grow and using them while cooking, but at some point, I'm wondering what I'm going to do with them all. I mean, there's only so many uses for sage, lemon verbena, and chives. So, may I suggest, an herby salad - the perfect use for a variety of herbs and oh, so yummy! Each bite has a new flavor.
Basic Recipe:
*Start with a mix of salad greens (lettuce, mescalin, etc)
*Go out and cut a variety of herbs - don't be afraid, add them all! My salad has everything from rosemary to mint to basil
*Wash and snip your herbs. I cut the larger leaves with kitchen scissors and leave the small leaves intact.
*Mix the herbs and salad greens together.
*Add your favorite vinaigrette and some yummy cheese.

I made this recently for Andria's OSOME and the bowl was cleaned out - so I'm assuming it was liked by all. Hope you do too.

You're Such a Pillowcase

When you give a group of enthusiastic sewers a stack of thrifted pillowcases, you get some unexpected creativity. The dress, shirt, and skirt above were made from pillowcases. Both the dress and skirt were made by adding a simple casing and elastic band. I think the dress makes a cute cover-up or nighty. I love the idea of a pillowcase nightgown.

I also showed the girls Betz White's Sewing Green for inspiration.
This shirt is too cute. I introduced Elizabeth to the joys of bias tape for the arm holes and neck. I might have to make one for myself. Yes, she made her skirt as well.

These campers were part of Advanced Sewing School - mostly in middle school - a very different energy than in the morning camp.

"Mama, I Want to Sew!"

Sometimes Phoebe says the sweetest things. "Mama, can I sew some princesses?" Well, of course you can!

She drew a princess picture on muslin using fabric pastels. I love these things! (That's Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella in case you were wondering.) After setting the colors with an iron, we picked a pretty pink fabric for the back and got to sewing.

Phoebe has a lot of beginning sewing skills from doing lacing cards and sewing on a big embroidery hoop. This time, she got to use a sharp needle and pick out the thread colors (pink and purple, of course!). To help her sew, I held the fabric taut in small sections while she sewed a running stitch. I tried to take pictures of this process, but you can imagine how that didn't work out. Anyway, she stuffed it herself and we sewed it closed.

As you can tell from the picture, she was very excited. The pillow is sitting on her bed.

Before and After: Parrot Pin Cushion

My mother has my dream job -- she volunteers in a thrift store one afternoon a week, which has merely whetted her appetite for yard sales on the weekends. The things she finds are simply amazing, and they represent the best form of recycling. Never-worn clothes and high end kitchenware top the list, although she and I share a fascination in the truly bizarre items. I think it's a by-product of our annual "Worst Christmas Ever" competition...

When she came for a visit last month, she brought me two incredible pieces: First, a white baby head vase, oddly reminiscent of Maxim Velčovský's pricey and fashionable Little Joseph candle holder, which debuted in decor magazines last year. Second, a wonderful (and wonderfully worn out, in a Velveteen Rabbit-y kind of way) wind-up tiger toy, which perfectly matches a lion I found at an estate sale a few years ago.

Sometimes, however, mama misses the mark.

Take the super-weird resin parrot pin cushion, which she brought for my birthday back in January.

It looks like something liberated from a pirate tailor's stash, although it was most likely unearthed in some horrid faux decorating store.

During her childhood, my mama lived in the Venezuelan jungle with a pet parrot named Pedro, whose legacy looms large in our family lore, so I loved the sentiment behind it, but couldn't quite size up a spot for the guy in my sewing room.

Then I decided to give my newfound feathered friend a makeover. I hit the box stores looking for turquoise spray paint but ultimately settled on red. Two coats later, and I was done. I also recovered his pin cushion using a scrap of Alexander Henry fabric.

Now he's ready to perch on my worktable and help me sew!

For another recent Before-and-After, go here.

Fabric

When sewing with kids, it's best to have a large variety of fabrics for them to choose from. Often, they don't choose by look, but rather by feel. I also find that using fabrics that don't fray are perfect for first-time sewers.

*Felt - we use a lot of felt! For this reason, I typically buy the cheap felt by the yard or a variety of felt squares.

*Fleece - kids love fleece - it's so soft, great colors and prints. The main problem with fleece is that it can be too thick to sew for some kids.

*Flannel - I just started using flannel this year. It's been great to work with - good feel, doesn't ravel too bad, easy to sew, and comes in a variety of prints.

*Muslin - the blank slate provided by muslin is so great for kids. I love how they create their own fabric designs by using markers and crayons. We use muslin for all sorts of projects during the school year. I find that by backing it with felt, the edges don't unravel as much.

*Cotton - I tend to buy cheap fabrics for kids - it took me awhile to not freak out every time a kid makes a "dress" out of a new yard of fabric by wrapping it around herself and then stapling the corners. I also thrift and yard sale a lot of fabrics. Linens are great for this!

Please add your own fabric ideas to the comments section - often times it's the fabric that draws kids into sewing. This year, I bought a lot of camo and animal print fabrics to entice young sewers!

photo by Justin Fox Burks

Video of the Day: No Turning Back

Singer Sarah Blasko and illustrator Celeste Holm -- both Australians -- joined forces for this incredible video that I discovered on Decor8 and just had to share with you:

New Favorite Game

Playing Cinderella is a lot of fun, especially if you get to be the Wicked Stepmother and make poor Cinderella clean the windows. They haven't been so sparkly in ages!

We are trying to get into a summer rhythm of pool, play, and work. I recently came across Wise Craft's Summer Rules which inspired me to think of my own.
1. Go outside everyday (especially in the morning before it gets too hot)
2. Do arts and crafts
3. Only 1 hour of TV a day
4. No interrupting when Mom is working or on the phone (very hard rule!)
5. Try to do it yourself first
6. Rest for 2 hours each day

There's probably more I could add, but that's a good start. Do you have Summertime rules?

Perfecting Thread

After years of sewing with kids, I finally discovered craft thread. Previously, I used embroidery thread, which while OK meant I had to separate the threads and they often got all tangled. With a line of kids waiting, it became frustrating.

I also learned that by taking a few minutes to wind the skeins of thread around cardboard bobbins, the kids had more success. They are able to unwind a length of thread without creating a huge knot.

I like to make my own cardboard bobbins out of empty food boxes. You can do this, too!
Cut your box down to a small rectangle - mine are about 2 x 1 ½ inches Cut a small slit on one end.
Tuck one end of your thread into the slit and start winding! Kids can also help to do this. For inspiration, check out The Small Object's fancy cardboard bobbins tutorial.

One last tip-when cutting thread, I always have an arm rule. Measure thread to the length of your arm. So many times, kids cut too short or too long. If you teach them the arm rule, they will always be OK.