Thursday, September 24, 2020

Project Run & Play Tween Scene: Sewing WITH Tweens

We hope you're enjoying this Tween Scene series.  You'll want to bookmark it and return to it often as your kids grow for sure!  Today we're talking about sewing WITH tweens and teens.  It's no wonder some of our love for sewing spills over and our teens catch the sewing fever too is it?  For this post we tapped a fabulous resource for tween and teen sewing, Carissa from Love Hazel Grace Designs, one of our Designers from Season 21.  

But first, we thought it might be helpful to share which of the patterns that reach into tween and teen sizes are VERY beginner friendly for tweens and teens learning to sew:

Tops:

Easy Street Tee

Umaru Shirt

Aurora Raglan

Lemon Tee


Bottoms:

Stoplight Skirt

Abby’s Marigold Pants

Metro Pants and Shorts

Pudding Pants

Natsu Shorties


Other:

Joseph(ine) Cardigan 

City Lights Cape

Rita Dress and Nightgown

Abby’s Trailblazing Socks

So many great beginning projects to learn to sew.  Alright, now for some tips to keep in mind while they're learning.  Take it away, Carissa...

Today let’s talk about sewing with your teens! I want to explain that I sew with teens at least once a month and all of these teens want to sew and be where they are and learn! Also they are all on different levels from beginner to making beautifully tailored garments! So where is your teen in the process? Have they seen you sewing and asked to join or have they been sewing with you since they were little? 

My daughter Jo likes to cut her stuff out on the floor - I have an amazing cutting table she never uses! 

My daughter started sewing with me when she was 4. She would sit on my lap and move the fabric and push the button to make the machine go or not go and she loved it. She learned how to do the basics then and each year we add a new skill! We have mastered zippers and facings in the last few! Also in the last few years I have moved to she makes all the decisions about fabric and patterns to use with me only adding input when she asks! This may be the hardest part for me as sometimes I am not a huge fan of her decisions but she likes them and that is all that matters! 

If I let her she would live in hoodies and so she made this one! We are trying out a few more patterns!

She has a friend whose mom is not a sewer or sews just the basics. This friend wants to learn to sew so bad. When this friend was 8 or 9 the mom signed her up for sewing classes where the friend learned the basics but the friend has now moved past the basics and needs more help so my daughter and her friend have Sewing Saturdays where we work on various projects and learn how to do new things! Both girls are in 4-H and so they get to show their projects in the summer of the next year! The girls make a bag/purse, an all knit project and a woven project! Here is one of my daughter’s 2020 projects she made:

The bag she made for school and I made the matching shirt!

Some key points to sewing with your teens: 

1. Let them make all the decisions. You can guide them by saying things like: “That pattern calls for knits and the material you have picked in woven.” or “What does the pattern say about where to cut this piece?” Know that they are going to make decisions you would not. Some of my daughter’s favorite things she has made are things that I was not a fan of from the beginning (from fabric and pattern choices to sewing methods.) Generally, I have enjoyed watching my daughter’s style emerge from the garments she makes when she meshes patterns or chooses fabric I would not have!

Using the serger is never her favorite thing but she loves how the finishes are so she uses it! 

2. Try to have them start small and take it slow. I know that is hard with teens, they tend to think they got this! We have a deal at my house - if I show you how to do something and mess it up then I have to use the seam ripper to tear it out BUT if you try it without my help and/or think you got this and you really don’t then all the seam ripping is on you! (Everyone usually has a seam ripper in hand at some point during sewing day!) This little deal leads to my daughter and her friend asking me to show them how to do something before they try it on their own and having them go slow at what they are learning! 

She made this rainbow shirt and loves it! 

3. Have fun! My daughter and I find some music we both love (this summer it was music from musical theater) and set a 2.5 hour play list and sew until it is done and put it down until the next day for the next 2.5 hour play time! We also will sew the same thing at the same time - her making hers the way she wants and my making a similar one for her 3 year old sister, usually with that 3 year old on my lap starting her own sewing journey that will hopefully last for years!

Do you have any other tips for sewing with teens that I may have forgot or missed? Does your teen sew? 

Come back tomorrow for the final day of our Tween Scene event...you don't want to miss it!!!

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1 comment :

  1. So fun! These are helpful tips. I will apply them to sewing with my 12 year old daughter. thanks!! :-)

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