First Sewing Lesson

When your daughter asks for only two things for her birthday, what do you do, especially when one of the two items is a birthday cake? She didn’t ask for a cake and a doll, more doll clothes, or some other toy. No, she asked for a cake and a sewing machine.

Before we get to the sewing machine, I ought to explain about the cake. While that doesn’t seem like an unusual request for most people on their birthday, you have to understand that it is a big deal in our home, since she is allergic to almost everything in cake! When she’s never had one, to ask for a birthday cake is a big request. I won’t be going into detail about the birthday cake because I write about her food allergies over in another blog; you are welcome to catch that part of this story there.

After a little thought about the idea we decided that it might not be a bad one to give her a sewing machine. I did after all, save my Grandmother’s sewing machine to pass down. It was the machine she taught me on when I was a young lady. Little Miss was very excited to own the machine that her mama had learned to sew on when she was a “little” girl. She thinks it is the most beautiful machine. I should have taken a picture of her first looking it over.

I called my grandmother today to inform her that the next generation was learning on her old machine. Back then it was something neither she, nor I, ever considered when she was teaching me how to sew. She gave this machine to me at some point when I was in high school when she inherited my Great Grandmother’s. I used this one until just a few years ago when my dear husband purchased a new one for me. I was then that I decided I would hold on to it for Little Miss.

Today was the first sewing lesson. After laying down some rules about sewing, including the need to really listen to directions, we had our lesson.

Here are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy.

Getting ready to sew!

By the way, that sewing box was found on clearance, she was a bit disappointed it wasn’t as “pretty as mama’s”, but we aren’t finished with it yet. A little ribbon, some wonderful fabric stick-ons that arrived in the mail for her birthday and a beautifully embroidered name glued on top is helping shape up a uniquely “hers” box.

Practicing holding the material and straight stitching.

Something we will do a little each day.

“Mama, how am I going to reach the pedal?”

Daddy came to the rescue. He will also be adding a little block in between the pedal to keep her from being able to hold it down all the way and getting out of control.

The first lesson went well. She did well, she patiently listened to my directions even though I know she was itching to do more. She was hoping to be making doll dresses already. She’s just like her mama, shoots big right from the start. After one day though, I think she realizes that doll dresses are in the future. For now, she needs to get a handle on that foot pedal and her material, but she’ll get there soon.

She also wants to learn to hand stitch too, so we will be trying a little bit of that tomorrow.  I had purchased Pearables Home Economics Level One to start this fall, but it seems we will be starting the sewing section a bit earlier. My Little Miss is growing up so quickly! I never would have dreamed we’d be giving her my grandmother’s machine so soon.