Modern Day Sewing for Kids
Classroom Organization
March 18, 2020
When I get into conversations with people about sewing, the most common phrase I tend to hear is something like – “oh wow, I didn’t know that sewing was still a thing. It’s a dying art.” I’m here to tell you that no, sewing is not a dying art. Today’s world of sewing is growing immensely, and my world of social media is bursting with modern inspiration daily.
I got into sewing when I was around ten years old because I saw my grandma at her machine one day. It piqued my interest and soon after I would be asking to go to her house on the weekends to turn my old pair of jeans into a handbag. I was fortunate enough to have a great family consumer science (or home ec., for those that don’t know that lingo) in my middle school and high school years. I learned how to make a garment in a high school course called Sew Easy, learned how to make my first quilt in Loose Threads, and by Sew Advanced, I was hooked. I put the machine away when I went away for college, but soon after transferred home for health conditions and found myself reunited with my Singer when I wasn’t studying.
Over my college years I grew to love teaching sewing and realized that what I majored in in college just wasn’t going to cut it. I had to do something with this craft of mine. When I teamed up with my business partner, Megan Whitney, it was the best decision of my life. I was going to do what I love forever. When we opened up a new shop with 1,800 square feet, I never dreamed of how many people – especially kids, we would be teaching.
Over my college years I grew to love teaching sewing and realized that what I majored in in college just wasn’t going to cut it. I had to do something with this craft of mine. When I teamed up with my business partner, Megan Whitney, it was the best decision of my life. I was going to do what I love forever. When we opened up a new shop with 1,800 square feet, I never dreamed of how many people – especially kids, we would be teaching.
Anyway, I bet you’re over here like – “okay, well what does this have to do with modern day sewing for kids?” Okay, well there’s a point to my backstory. When I joined the business with Megan W, I was only 22. I related to the kids and understood what the kids like and what they’d want to make. We listened and respected their ideas. Teaching kids how to sew is hard work, but the gratitude that comes from it is immeasurable.
Here are my tips for teaching kids to sew in this modern day
Seam ripping is okay
Seam ripping teaches kids that it’s okay to make mistakes. Of course, they’re not going to be excited about seam ripping. Who honestly is? But, it’s a lesson that they need to grasp. It’s a part of the process of sewing. We’re not perfect and sometimes we misread instructions, and that is O-K. It’s how we learn.Let them use real, quality tools – we can’t stress this enough
Mostly everything in sewing is sharp, right? Fabric scissors, pins, needles, etc. Teaching kids to use the real deal tools only provide the correct use of them. We’re teaching a skill that will hopefully last them into their adulthood, so why should we use tools that aren’t compatible for that?Sometimes instructions need to be said in a different way for comprehension
This is like all learning. We all have different learning styles. Sewing tends to be hands on and visual. If a child isn’t getting it the first time you explain a step, there needs to be another way to teach it. Modifications are a must for teaching kids. Being a great teacher means that you reach all different learning styles. What one kids gets right off the bat, sometimes may not immediately picked up by their peer next to them. Be patient and try to explain in a way that will create that “a-ha!” moment for them.Use other sewing instructors as resources
We are all on social media. Find a group on Facebook or a common hashtag on Instagram to find other sewing instructors out there. If something isn’t working for you or you are stuck on a project, say it. It will most likely turn out that someone is either in the same boat or knows of a better way to do something that works like a charm for them. Asking questions only betters your teaching. We learn from one another. Maybe another sewing instructor has a more effective way to teach a certain technique than you do. Or maybe you just have never thought of it in that way. You’d be surprised how many things I learn from other sewing instructors that allows me to reflect on my teaching and sometimes take a different approach to certain steps in a project.Get to know the kids
You’ll be with these kids for some time in your program. Get to know them! What do they like? What are they into? Relating to kids on a personal level will create a bond between teacher and student. Not only will it allow the student to open up to you and feel more comfortable, it will also open up their world of creativity a bit. Their time spent in class should be a creative release for them or what I like to call, their “happy place”. They come to class to get to be themselves and express it through their creations.Stay organized
You’ll be a more effective teacher if you are staying organized. Prepare yourself before class by reading through the patterns in their entirety and know what to expect when it comes to class time. Learning to balance a handful of kids takes a lot of multi-tasking skills and being organized and prepared will only set you up with great success.
Download a Free Organizational Sewing Sheet
Sewing takes practice
You’ll come to realize that some kids will not grasp the meaning of seam allowance or even how to sew a straight stitch when they first start out. Sewing takes a lot of practice. Think back to when you first began to sew. I bet your seams were crooked and your projects didn’t turn out how you expected them to. Sometimes, it is frustrating to sew. Having the expectation that they’re going to grasp on the first go is unrealistic. Sure, you’ll get the occasional kid who is super crafty and does just ‘get it’, but a lot of kids are not like that. They still love sewing and want to be in classes but won’t ‘get it’ for a while. Be patient. It takes lots and lots of practice and that is why they are coming for classes. And remember, they are kids, their projects should reflect that as well.Somedays, you’re just tired
Okay, so this one is something that I feel like isn’t the social norm to announce, but we are human. We get tired. Somedays just aren’t our days. But when you’re teaching kids, you need to understand that they are not only there to learn but to have fun doing it. So, for that one hour of class time, muster up the energy to put on a smiling face and remember that tomorrow’s a new day. Kids are genuinely excited to come to sewing class and they probably wait all week to come to their class.
