LauraRG

I work with preschoolers and for Mother's Day this year I thought it would be fun learning experience if they got to use a sewing machine to sew a pillow for their moms. I cut the fronts of white muslin and the backs of an assortment of pretty fabrics. The children used fabric markers to make a picture and write their names on the fronts and chose fabric for the backs. We read a couple of books about fabric and talked about our clothing, blankets and other textiles.

Here's what made me sad... of my class of 9 children not a single one had ever seen a sewing machine. I showed them the parts, they helped thread it, how it worked, etc and they were so excited by the process. I put the foot pedal on the table next to the machine... they "hit the gas" using their hands and I guided the fabric. (I used a s l o w speed!) It was a smashing success! Even sadder, only one of my co-workers owns a sewing machine. One mom did come in and say her son couldn't stop talking about using "Miss Laura's Machine" to the point where she took the plants off the top of her great grandmother's treadle machine to show it to him.

At least now there are 9 more humans who have seen, touched and used a sewing machine. Maybe one of them willl become a quilter!

Laura

mucky

I don't think many schools off sewing construction classes so it will only get worse.

Ccorazone

My kids and grand kids have grown up with sewing machines. My oldest son does his own sewing to make stuff for camping. One of my daughter sews and sell on Esty. Another has a sewing machine and six needle embroidery machine. Myself, I have several machines, a six needle Brother embroidery machine and a longarm quilter.

BellaBoo

Oh. I guess the saddest thing was when my 9 year old neighborhood boy came over to my house to sell me a school fund raiser. His eye got big and he said what is that smell? I was baking cookies. I took the cookies out of the oven and he said Did you cook those? I said sure, you want some? He said you really cooked them? He thought I put bought cookies in the oven. One thing I have noticed. Young children have no idea what a clock with hands and numbers are. All they know is digital time.

MaryMo

but I bet all these kids can play Angry Birds on a computer!
What does that say about our society?

Country1

Love it. My DGD has been using mine ( with constant supervision) for a couple yrs now. She is 5 1/2 and loves it. She really likes the embroidery machine. It is sad that so many things that are not being passed down from Elders to the new generations. I hate to see so many lost arts.

HomespunHandmaiden

Oh my goodness...that is so sad! That's probably the part where I would have sent him home with the recipe and whole big bunch of them...what is the world coming to?

kelsunshine

As soon as my kids were big enough to sit on their own they would sit on my lap while I was sewing.
When they were old enough to talk they would tell others they sewed on mommy's sewing machine!
They love watching the bobbins wind.

Sewflower

Just think what would have happened if you showed them an ironing board

Annaquilts

What a wonderful experience you gave those children. Indeed hopefully some will grow up and use a sewing machine.