Sewing With Nancy

My name is Abby and I'm six years old, and I like to sew fun with my sister. I like to sew with my grandma. I sew for fun with my daughter, Olivia. I sew for fun with my mommy.

laughs gently

My name is Tara and I like to sew for fun with my sister, Abigail. I like to sew for fun with my grandson, Vincent. I sew with Grandma for fun. I sew for fun with my granddaughters, Avery and Luella. My guess is that there are kids in your life that will enjoy the sewing experience. Learn to take a lighthearted approach to introducing your kids, ages five to nine, to sewing. Lots of rules are disregarded with a big dose of fun encouraged. "I Sew for Fun," that what's next on Sewing With Nancy.

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female announcer

Sewing With Nancy, TV's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman,

is made possible by

Baby Lock, a complete line of sewing, quilting, and embroidery machines and sergers.

Baby Lock

For the love of sewing. Madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting, and special effect threads, because creativity is never black and white. Koala Studios, fine sewing furniture custom-built in America. Clover, making a difference in sewing, quilting, crafting, and needle arts for over 90 years. Fuller Brush Vacuums, dedicated to keeping homes clean. Amazing Designs and Klass Needles. Introducing kids to the experience of sewing can be paralleled to the way

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

you work together as a team. I began baking chocolate chip cookies with my granddaughters when they were very young. I didn't expect them to understand the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. Rather, I let them enjoy the activity of measuring while I guided their little hands every step of the way. The process of blending the butter, measuring the sugar, cracking eggs, measuring flour, doing the mixing. Now can I go on Level two? - Level two. Adding those important chocolate chips. Oooo! Scooping out the dough. I think that it's time to put them in the oven. What do you think? Baking. - There's so much! Oh, we'll fill up a few more trays. Don't worry.

Avery claps hands

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

...and then, most importantly, eating the cookies were all part of the baking experience. They learned through repetition and looked forward to new adventures. The chocolate chip cookie experience lead me think about introducing them to sewing in the same manner. A great first project to sew is a blanket for a doll or stuffed toy. The goal is to work together in the creative process, not teach about grain line, accurate seam allowances, or proper pressing techniques. That all can occur much later. Right now, it's all about the fun of sewing! So, let's pick... Well, how about three reds? You want to find what you like? This one! - Oh, okay, that's good. Let's see what other one can you find, Luella, that you like? Hmm, yep, that looks pretty good, kind of pink and red. Choosing fabrics for a project is one of the most exciting steps of the sewing experience. What else can you pick from here? Consider narrowing down the field of options, but then let the budding sewist make the final decisions. I think that we're going to use polka dots. How about that? - Okay. - Okay. Put four across. So you want to start with... Butterfly. - Butterfly, yep. My granddaughters and I have made several doll blankets. One blanket even included touches of ribbon topstitched along the seam. It wasn't part of my plan, but it was their blanket and it turned out quite charming. This one. - Okay, yeah, that's fine. And then, let's start another row, okay? Want to start another row? Be mindful to choose quality fabrics. As we all know, poor quality fabrics aren't worth anyone's time at any age. But we don't want two blues together I don't think. Do you? All right. I like that. That's good. The rotary cutter was off limits to these little hands. It is my job to cut the squares, yet they had full reign determining where the blocks would be placed. The girls positioned the blocks in a certain order on a scrap of batting. You could also use a towel for block placement. Okay, now we're going to put row two onto row one. Put the pretty sides together. - Okay. I've learned that when sewing with kids, to go with the flow. If they select to combine fabric that you wouldn't choose, don't worry about it. This one. Now your turn, Luella. Excellent! Now's another row. Now you can do it. Yes, four onto three. Yes, you can do that same thing. I wanna do that one. - Sure. When it comes to seaming, you might need to learn to embrace crooked seams. If I can do it, you can too. Now we're going to sew, okay. And you know what? It really doesn't matter. When you get to the end--

machine whirring

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

Whoa, no. - Okay, that's good. Now, let's give Avery a little time here. We're not going to lock off stitches this time. So we'll just sew from one to the other. Okay. - Okay.

machine whirring

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

No, whoa! - That's why you don't go fast. -Okay, we'll slow it down a little. Just like teaching kids to bake, when you introduce them to sewing, you'll guide them through every process. Now hold the fabric together. - Mm-hmm. Excellent. And guide it. Doing well. But there are jobs they will savor such as pulling out the pins... You want to take out the pin? Okay, the little corner....clipping threads... Excellent! We'll put that one down. Careful! Careful! Oh, you got it. You've got it figured out. And, of course, pushing on the foot pedal. Okay, ready.

machine whirring

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

Whoa! Every time I start, it goes fast. That's all right. Consider moving the foot pedal to the tabletop and letting the little partner use their hands to press the pedal. They have much better leverage that way. Put a little bitty zigzag stitch and we're gonna tack it all together. Kids are usually fascinated with decorative stitches on the sewing machine.

machine whirring

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

Very good! One more time. Lift 'er up, cut it-- Well, I guess we gotta cut it. You knew better. Instead of tying or straight stitching the layers of the quilt together, an option we're using is to stitch a simple stitch, a decorative stitch approximately in the middle of the block. Notice I said 'approximately'. Why does it sew right in the middle? Because I wanted it to go right in the middle.

laughing

many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

There's blue. Early on in our sewing experience, Avery said to me, "Gramma, we need new fabric." Puzzled by her comment, she pointed to the spool of thread on the machine. Hmm, I knew it was time for some explanation! I told her that it was called the "thread" and then said, "Let's give the thread a name." After about a three second pause, Avery answered, "Ned the Thread!" "Ned the Thread" it's been ever since. Later I showed that "Ned the Thread" had a friend that worked together to sew. After telling her it was called the "bobbin thread," she quickly responded, "Robbin the Bobbin." Now, this gal has a future in marketing! While we were sewing, the three of us gave friendly names to the other parts of the sewing ma chine that we frequently used. You can use these terms, or come up with your own names. The creative process goes far beyond stitching! Besides "Ned the Thread"-- "Cami the Cutter"-- "Backup Bernie"-- "Larry the Lifter"-- "Tweedle the Needle"-- How about "Freddy the Foot"? "Robbin the Bobbin" in the Bobbin Nest-- And then "Patty the Pedal." They all became part of our sewing vernacular. Abigail, who is 6-years old, naturally gravitated to sewing with the help of her big sister, Tara. One morning the big/little sewing team created a knit skirt which only has one side seam, a hem, and then an easy-to-sew casing. See how you, too, can work with your little sewing partner to have fun stitching and creating. Two simple measurements, the waistline and the desired skirt length, are all that are needed to create the skirt pattern. Add about 8" - 10" to the waist measurement to determine the fullness of the skirt and then 3" is added to the finished length to allow for a hem and a casing. The top of the seam, which will be folded down for the casing, is left un-stitched. More details are in the book that accompanies this program. Try to find sewing notions that are sized for little hands. A marking pen is one of the basics you'll need. Don't worry about 1/4" or 5/8" seam allowances. Use the edge of the presser foot as a simple guide. Remember, it's your job as the "big sewing partner" to do the pressing.

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many of us initially worked with kids in the kitchen

The hem and waistband casing are topstitched. Simply guide the edge of the fabric along the edge of the presser foot. The elastic gives the skirt shape. Use notions that make it easy to pull the elastic through the opening.

Here's another hint

Mark the elastic at what you think will be the right size. Don't cut it until you've pulled it through the casing. An old Sewing With Nancy hint is to sew the elastic ends to a scrap of fabric instead of overlapping the ends, which can create an uncomfortable "bump." You can tell Tara and her sister really have a special bond. They work in tandem with each other. Vincent, an energetic 7-year old, took time one summer afternoon to create a superhero cape with his Grandma Rita. She calmly guided him every step of the way, involving him, as only grandmas know how to do.

There are options for this cape

make it a superhero style for boys and girls or with a crown appliqu for the princess or prince in your life. Consider using felt for all the "I Sew For Fun" kids' appliqus. Felt comes in a variety of colors and doesn't require a lot of stitching. We're going to make sure that this lines up right there. Okay, now you can put him down.

presser foot releases, clangs against machine

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Whoo!

laughing

There are options for this cape

No, we're going to leave them down. So we're gonna sew this 'cause we peeled and we stuck this fabric. It's kind of like a sticker. We're going to sew it down so it doesn't come up.

whirring

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Whoa! And then, look at the needle right here-- Yeah? - It's up. Right here, look at this nob. We want to turn that a little bit towards us, and let's make it go down. Keep going, keep going, keep going. Good, stop. Now we're going to pick up Larry the Lifter again. And we're going to turn this this way.

Vincent makes "hmm" sound

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Is that cool? Yeah. -Okay. Now, we're going to put Larry the Lifter back down.

presser foot releases, clangs against machine

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That was a big one! - Yeah. Now we're going to-- Look at this right here.

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There are options for this cape

Whoa! - Whoa. We're gonna finish pinning, okay? Wait, I want to do it. Okay, so which one is the part that's sharp? Okay. What part goes into the material? That one, okay. And this is the side you can hold on to. Correct? Mm-hmm. Okay, so we're going to put this-- Gonna go through the top, there you go, and pin it. Good job! You wanna try another one? Pins with large heads seem to be the best option for little hands. At first it may seem tricky, but soon they'll get the idea of the process. And then, pull it up. Good job. Want to try another one? We're just going to do these all over? Yes, we are. You know why? Cause then it can hold it together when we sew it. Good job! So, Vincent, we're going to start sewing. Okay? - Okay. So, when grandma gets to about here, you need to pull the pin out this way, and put it there. Be careful of these pins here because these are all sharp. So we gotta make sure we got what down here? What is this? The lever? Yeah, okay. So hold on. Not yet. Wait 'til we get to just a little bit.

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I was impressed how calmly Rita worked with Vincent. She was teaching him about se wing without him realizing it. So now we're gonna turn this inside out so we gotta find the lightning bolt. Can you help me? Can you stick your hand in there? Covering the appliqu with another piece of fabric might seem puzzling to your child. Soon they'll learn that there's magic in sewing. There it is. Okay. Get down and grab this part of it. A little bit further down. Go inside. Then pull it. Here comes the magic! There you go. Pull it, pull it! Pull it, okay! Now, let's see. We're going to turn it inside out. And look at that! - Yeah! Turning the cape ri ght-side out. It turned into the cape. See!

laughing

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How do you like that? That's cool. It turned into the cape. Not to worry, in the instructions, we share all the finishing techniques. Vincent was intrigued with the process and the mechanics of the sewing machine. It's great to see little minds connect the dots. Embroidery is really fascinating for kids. Pushing buttons to make change is second nature to them. Add in the creativity of choosing thread colors and you have a winning experience. Join Olivia and her mom, Christine, during their embroidery and sewing adventure. Okay, we're going to select. Move your hand. Okay, now remember... Select an embroidery design with only a few thread colors. Picking the thread colors is great fun. Pick a second one? Second red one. As you can see the embroidery process is very interactive. Pick an orange. - This one? Yes, that's the one. Take the pin out first. You'll find in the instructions an easy way to sew the zipper into the bag. Regardless, it would be best to sew the purse, after completing one of the easier projects. Start simple! Stop, stop. Make it extra easy. Stitch together two lengths of ribbon for the strap. It will be colorful, sturdy, and quick to sew.

machine whirring

There are options for this cape

You know what? When the pin comes, you've got to slow down, right? The weight of denim makes an ideal fabric for a bag. This? Yeah, and then you go ahead. Step down again. All the projects that I am recommending for you to sew with kids are very easy, I didn't include any difficult steps, I hope you'll find the sewing very streamlined. Pulling out pins and placing them in a pincushion is the ideal task for kids at the sewing machine. This is team sewing at its best. Okay, you can try. Once again, the magic happens after sewing around the edges and turning the project right-side out. Luella and I have made several owl pillows together. She often says to me, "Let's sew another owl today!" I think her favorite part of sewing is giving her new pillow a hug when it's finished. So let's put... Here's the middle so let's put some eyeballs on this owl. Knowing that she can choose any color or print of fabric for her owl pillow is always exciting for Luella. And how about, where's the beak? It's fun watching her decision process. Good. Good job. Again, we used felt for the appliqus. I did the cutting of the shapes, but she definitely helped with the positioning. Ah-ha. Okay. Now that one. Cute! Remember that accuracy in sewing isn't going to happen when sewing with little and big hands together. The best news is that it doesn't matter in these projects! Up and down, up we go. Straight up. If your project requires hand sewing, again let them help, but you'll be the main stitcher.

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I'll turn it. Adding the stuffing is one of the last steps. Your little person can determine how soft or firm she or he would like their pillow. And you can give him a hug. Now, isn't that priceless!

laughing

Nancy makes affectionate "Keewwww" noise

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Each year, I look forward to the Kids' Quilt Contest at Quilt Expo. Eager stitchers 15 years and younger enter their 45" square or smaller quilt. Often, the quilts feature a scene from a vacation or a hobby. It's truly enjoyable to see the personality of the young person come through in their work of art. Equally impressive is the workmanship in the piecing and quilting together, and choice of color. Prizes are awarded to the top three quilt contestants.

applause

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I've been quilting for a long time, like, when I was little, but this is my first really big quilt that I've made.

Announcer

Lauren.

Lauren

My mom has always been making beautiful quilts, ever since I can remember. And I thought it would be a really nice idea to try to make one myself. Putting the binding around the edges of the quilt, and, like, doing the corners and things, 'cause it was a little more difficult

Morgan Lisowe

I was three years old, and I used the old sewing machine that my grandma had, that I could jam up and she could fix easily.

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Announcer

"I've been quilting with both of my grandmothers since I was three years old."

Morgan

My favorite part was picking out the fabrics from Grandma's quilt stash. We used different scrap fabrics that we had at home. Mostly, I picked out colors that I like....I like most is the challenging issues that come with quilting like the sewing machine getting jammed on accident when I don't hold the strings properly.

Announcer

This is Josie Sindorf.

Josie

My favorite part was using the fabrics that I picked out, and using my creativity to turn a picture into a quilt. I had a hard time keeping the fabrics on while I was trying to sew on them, and quilting, I probably could have-- Had to make sure my back was flat while I was quilting it so it wouldn't get all rumpled. I really enjoy how I get to choose whatever I want, and just everything.

Rachel Ellicot

At our local library, the librarians taught me. They're all very good at quilting. In fact, one of them even has a quilt in this show, and it's really nice. So, yeah, I learned at our library.

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Rachel Ellicot

I like being able to make something, with my own hands, you know, kind of to be able to do it. It would be something that I personally have done, and not just something that I say, "Hey, I bought this at Walmart, or whatever."

laughing

Rachel Ellicot

When I began Sewing With Nancy, I didn't have children. Fast forward a few decades and I'm still recording shows, but my our family has changed. Our two sons are now married, and we have three wonderful granddaughters. Luella and Avery, our oldest son, Ted, and his wife, Ali's, children. And then, cute little Adeline, Tom and his wife, Caitlin. You're only 10 months old. It's great to have them part of my show. It just kind of makes everything so fun and nice! I truly enjoy sewing with young children. I hope you will, too. I hope you will too, someday. And that you'll work with neighborhood kids, your grandchildren, your children, and enjoy this enriching experience.

Adeline

Eee, ah-oh, oh-heh. And, Adeline, should we say, "Thanks for joining us. Bye for now."

announcer

Make sewing fun for kids. W ork as a sewing team to introduce budding sewists to the experience of creating with fabric, needle, and thread. The I Sew for Fun book with DVD includes 20 kid-friendly and fast-to-finish projects for you to create with your favorite child. Order your copy of I Sew for Fun for $19.99, plus shipping and handling. To order, call 800-336-8373 or visit sewingwithnancy.com/3115. Order item number BD-3115. Credit card orders only. Visit Nancy's website at NancyZieman.com to see additional episodes, Nancy's blog, and more. Sewing With Nancy, TV's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman,

has been brought to you by

Baby Lock, Madeira threads, Koala Studios, Clover, Fuller Brush Vacuums, Amazing Designs and Klass Needles. Closed captioning funding provided by Riley Blake Designs. Sewing With Nancy is a co-production of Nancy Zieman Productions and Wisconsin Public Television.