Summer can keep kids in stitches

By Barbara Gash
Knight Ridder News Service

• Keep projects simple. Although kids are quite inventive, they can get frustrated quickly if a project is too difficult.
• Regardless of age, choose projects that are short in duration, with sewing lessons (perhaps in a series) of about an hour. Students like to see results quickly.
• Have them practice straight stitching. To get the feel of it, run paper or fabric scraps through the machine. Some may not yet have developed small motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Be patient, and don't expect perfection.
• Encourage kids to select fabric that's easy to sew, such as firmly woven cottons. Prints hide mistakes. Enthusiasm about fabric is important, but if the child becomes enamored of georgette or velvet, creatively steer him or her to something easier to handle.
• Help a child get comfortably seated at the machine. Use phone books or pillows to elevate him or her, and raise the foot pedal if necessary. If the machine has adjustable speeds, set it on low.

Teachers suggest projects such as pull-on skirts, shorts or pants, which have few pattern pieces. Try a cylindrical fleece hat, pillowcase or simple pillow, or perhaps a decorative item like a flag or windsock. As skills develop, projects can become more complex, but present one technique at a time.

An excellent book for kids to use with minimal adult guidance is "The Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids," by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith (C&T Publishing, $16.95). It's spiral-bound, sturdy and colorful.