My son
 

let me know over the weekend while sorting through thread that he would like to learn sewing. He not only wants to learn how to quilt, but he wants to also do clothing. I have NO problems in teaching him the quilting, but as for clothing, I haven't done anything like that since I took home economics back in high school, many many moons ago. As for quilting, I am self taught and online classes and you tube.

Any and all suggestions in helping him would be greatly appreciated. He is 16.

TIA

Get him a sewing for dummies book. Very easy to understand and has simple projects to start. I think it is wonderful he wants to learn to sew. It is a life skill and not just a girly thing. I wish him the best!!!
Sue

Might start with shorts - or pajama bottoms. Very forgiving as to sizing!

Then pillow cases.

I think I would start out with some very basic sewing classes (web classes). There are some very easy and great patterns that would be ideal for a young man to start with (simple pajama pants and shorts). Also let him sew your 1/4 seams and get a feel for sewing straight lines.

Jo-Ann's usually offers sewing classes for teens as well as beginning sewing. My 19-year old daughter had a friend of mine teach her how to read and cut using a pattern last summer. My friend taught her all the basics and now my daughter is a sewing fiend :)

Just start! My 13 year old grandson started when he was 6 and now runs my mid-arm like a pro, better than I. He has entered a qult only once but got a first place and Best First quilter.
My 8 year old granddaughter entered 2 quilts in the columbia county Fair last month and got a Best of Show.
When they WANT to learn they will with a little guidance. Have FUN.

I think that is awesome. My son got interested and made one quilt block, but quickly lost interest when the machine I gave him went south. I would surely encourage artistic expression, no matter the medium!

I think it's great that he wants to learn! Just keep encouraging him, and let him know that it gets easier with practice.

Speaking of practice, he can learn to use the sewing machine by sewing on lined paper, with no thread in the machine at all. That will allow him to learn how to control where the stitching goes, without worrying about thread tangles etc.

My son (now 19) had made a pillow in life-skills class in 8th grade. Under my obsessive eye, he even did a fine job of the ruffled edge. I thought he'd forgotten how to sew entirely, until this summer when he took a fabric scrap and made a catnip-filled toy for our kitties to play with. Ok, so it was only a roughly sewn rectangle, but still, he thought of it himself and did remember how to use the machine!

I taught my son how to use a sewing machine and how to hand sew hem's, and make repairs to his cloths, when in High School he took a home Ec. class just for boys. He is a whizz at replacing zippers in jeans and coats. While in the Navy some of his ship mates found out he knew how to use a needle, he made extra $ doing small repairs, heming, and sewing on insignias. He is now retired from the Navy but still does some sewing for school plays, the kids costumes

All he probably needs for sewing clothing is learning basic sewing--------which you do with quilting. Start him on a couple simple patterns, like uni-sex raglan hoodie and PJ bottom (long or short)