Oops, I mean great grandmothers too!!

Dina

Oh my goodness, Please get a picture of that for a wonderful memory. When he's an athlete in high school show it to him.

I was an only child and when 4yrs old my Mom sat me at her Singer Featherweight with lined paper and no thread and made me follow the lines. When I got pretty good at that, I drew stars and circles and hearts and followed that. It took about 3 weeks before I got to have thread! I made doll clothes for years and when in jr. high I was making my own clothes. I made pajamas with set in sleeves, collar, buttons and button holes and bias tape trim while my classmates made aprons! I made prom dresses, etc. and now sew for others for $$$. I have an embroidery machine and I quilt. I love love love to sew! I am now a senior citizen, have many sewing machines, sergers, but I treasure that old Singer Featherweight most of all. My Mom had nothing to leave me except that machine. It is my legacy, my treasure and the memories will always be sitting on her lap, learning to make that machine turn corners, etc. Teach him early, my son and daughter both can sew, though they aren't in love with the process, they know how, and daughter has 2 daughters so maybe it will come around...now I do all the sewing and am thrilled that they will wear my things..get lots of comments like, Oh Grandma's been busy again! Their teachers order quilts for babies from me (I am in AL and they are in TX) so I guess I have made some friends!

Grands are the best! My granddaughter was about 2 when she sit in my lap and sewed with me. By the age of 3 she had her own machine, no needle but she was happy to run fabric under the foot. I think it taught her speed control of the machine. By age 6 she was free style sewing. She made her first nine patch lap quilt at age 9. She is a teenager now and doesn't have much time for sewing but I know she'll remember and can start back up when she gets older. I have many happy smiles remembering her time in my sewing room, seeing all the pincushions with pins stuck in as far as the would go, a yard of fabric with a big piece cut right from the middle, my ironing board cover cut to ribbons because she forgot to put a mat on top, a shoebox full of pre wound bobbins she loved to wind for me.

How sweet! And he is absorbing a lot of what you do, just watching. Nice to give them a little project that's real. Have you thought about having him try simple weaving...my daughter loved that; 1st paper strips, then yarn, and later fabric. My sons did the weaving with medium weight string on cardboard, which the teacher had cut with slots.

My daughter was about 3 when I went into my bedroom and realized she had done a little sewing herself on our blanket. She had taken the string off a sleeping bag in my son's room, and laced it round and round through the open weave of the blanket. After that I got her some patterned "sewing cards", which she enjoyed.

She took her first sewing class in 3rd grade weekly for the year. They made PJ's and tote bags, among others. Each day they made them un-thread the machines at the end of class & re-thread at the start next class. The teacher started them off by sewing through paper (no thread) straight then curvy lines, and all kinds of patterns. Next they did the same WITH thread, and finally practiced on fabric. It was a very worthwhile class.