I taught my 8 yo niece how to sew and then moved on to making a quilt. We made a pillow case first. Next was a pillow cover with a book pocket which as an avid reader she still loves years later. If she made a mistake, we talked about whether it was something she could live with and how it might affect the project. She decided if she should remove stitches or not. She did all the work. My job was direction and encouragement. Her second year of sewing, she entered items in our state fair in her age group and won several first and second awards. I think it’s okay to let them learn how to fail. And then talk about what could have been done differently.
Onebyone, I totally agree with you. I’ve explained to adults that sewing was for pleasure and not for perfection and they often don’t understand. It’s difficult for some to let perfection slip. If these children can learn that now it will make their lives so much easier.
Kudos to you for working with the children to learn valuable life’s lessons is so many different ways.