Teenager sewing class ideas for a friend

I read the other day that firemen and policemen still carry little bears around to give to children whose house has been destroyed by fire or children whom are removed from an abusive situation. Several years ago, my brother, a priest, who is now deceased began a program for seniors living in a non-assisted living center to make such bears; it was a rousing success; some of the faces they put on the bears were just hilarious. The bears were made of various fabric scraps and each one took so little time. Teenagers should enjoy making them. Emily

What do the kids want to sew? That's usually the more important factor, once you get beyond the very easy stuff.

Another suggestion: remaking current clothes. Wardrobing/Sewing With A Plan sort of things, too...

Great list Melinda. I especially like the swimwear idea, which is *so* cost-effective. And charitable work is a super idea. I was thinking about:

iPod holders Hair scrunchies Cell phone sacs Makeup carriers/holders/bags Backpacks or sports duffles CD cases Laptop carriers Teddy bears of plain muslin that can be "autographed" with a fabric marking pen by their friends at year end Net canopies that hang over their beds Beanbag chairs Beanbag lap desks Pet beds Hanging locker pockets

Your friend might get some ideas from the PBTeen.com website, which is Pottery Barn for teens.

Pora

If/when you make the "signature bears", make the ears and paws from local school uniform material and stuff them quite firmly.

They were a very popular item as a fund raiser where I lived, and two classes of young teenagers were most enthusiastic about making them at a local shop when classes were offered.

The suggested project list so far:

drapes bedspreads and pillow covers handbags tote bags backpacks waist packs wallets hats slippers Period wear or costumes for fun Polar Fleece socks gifts -- casserole holders, travel bags, baby gifts, etc. chemo caps, preemie layettes, etc. special occasion dress Wearable art patterns swimwear iPod holders Hair scrunchies Cell phone sacs Makeup carriers/holders/bags Backpacks or sports duffles CD cases Laptop carriers Autograph teddy bears of plain muslin Net canopies that hang over their beds Beanbag chairs Beanbag lap desks Pet beds Hanging locker pockets

In reading this, I was recalling my most frustrating projects as a kid/teen. Several times I attempted stuff that needed a finished, bound edge (using packaged seam binding) and those are the ones that truned into UFOs. I would steer the youthful sewists away from early projects with binding. (This goes for bound buttonholes, too.)

Another memorable failure was the tiered prairie skirt (an earlier iteration of The Prairie Look, perhaps early 70's) where I tried to use narrow elastic to shrink up the big tiers. (Family dynamics prevented me from asking the resident experts and learning how to do it right, i.e. gathers.) Today's newspaper ads have several circulars with such skirts in brilliant colors and border prints, $12.99 - $29.99. I could make two or more skirts for that higher price, and they'd be in my favorite colors and have pockets too!

Hats are not easy, for the same reason. From the same era I have a pattern where the crown is a perfect circle, the next piece is a "donut" gathered to it, and so on. A 6- or 8-gore (so to speak) hat would have been a lot easier.

I once started making a swimsuit (simple tank) but at the time stores did not have sports lining fabric. My mother provided a quick illustration of how my creation would be unswimmable. This was pre-serger so there were more edge finishing issues. I've still never made a swimsuit.

For a beginner sewist with a teenage attention span, I would start with as few seams as possible and fast, easy to envision results. A pillowcase, rather than a stuffed animal (unless it's a flounder or a sting-ray). Many's the time I've worked on my favorite pattern (A-line dress with cap sleeves, lower-than-jewel neckline, side seam pockets) and gotten pretty discouraged when I try it on before the side seams are done...it never looks like it's going to be a wearable product, and it almost goes into the GoodWill pile. And I've made this pattern about

8 times!

HTH

--Karen D.

Melinda, tell your friend to check out

and check the clothing area. Alot of teens post there. Circle skirts are especially popular, and it will help with math skills as well. For a good circle skirt tutorial go to they also have lots of other great tutorials on that site that are sort of aimed at younger people.

HTH

Michelle Giordano

Ah, but as I said, these are *not* beginners -- they have had the equivalent of a year or two's worth of how much sewing you would get in a standard home ec course. They have already made 2 or 3 things.

What's the difference between curtains and drapes?

Then really, it comes down to what your friend is willing or capable of doing with them eh?

I guarantee they each have some clothing r decor item they want but can't afford. Finding out what it is and aquiring the skills to make it would be the direction I would move in. Even if they no longer want it by the time they are ready to make it there will be another thing by then.

NightMist

How about this year's fashion Must Have: Broomstick skirts with self colour lace (hay - make and then tie-dye!). Recipe on request: add your own lace...

As always, Kate, you have the best ideas. Broomstick skirts with lace are so in right now. And applying lace is a great skill to learn.

Pora

I LOVE this look - takes me right back to the 70's - my era! :D

Certainly you meant to type that, but it didn't make it into your original post.

My only "standard home ec course" was 45 minutes long. Our assigned project was: a sleeless dress (jumper). Day 1, I almost got the pattern laid out, then it was time to pack up. Day 2, more of them same. Teacher drifted around and didn't offer much help (I recall Ma being aggravated that she'd bought enough purple narrow-wale corduroy to cut a dress for little sis, but Teach used the standard pattern company-in-cahoots-with-fabric seller layout, leaving only little scraps.) When I got to sewing, I recall having to pick it out again and again, which did lovely things to the wales at all the seam lines. Never did finish the #$%^&* thing.

I learned to sew through osmosis and encouragement and adult purchases of $1/yd junk that turned into wearable art forms such as coulotte jumpsuits (I'm not kidding!) and various easy-styled shirts. And some

35 years later (I am the same age as Kate) I still avoid facings and bindings.

Some sort of banner to hang up might make a good teen project. Between the two major holidays in December I ran into a church lady who'd gotten conscripted to make one for their sanctuary, poor thing.

HTH

--Karen D.

<snip>

Small simple quilts (tied)? Throw size for the girl's own bed, or back of the sofa. Could become a small but worthwhile charity project, as lap quilts are always welcome at nursing homes, women's shelters, etc.

Doreen in Alabama

In my first term of 'needlework' at school, we were supposed to make an apron, ready for 'Cookery' in the second half of the year. I finished mine in about 3 weeks, and then started on a whole slew of clothing projects. One of my favourite skirts was made before Christmas: flower printed babywhale cord, very soft and velvety, and very full. My friend Pauline and I did exactly the same pattern and fabric. I secretly put her zip in for her because she was scared to do it!

She turned out to be better at measuring buttonholes than I was, and put all the placement marks in my shirt for me at a later date! :)

A lot of osmosis went on here as well. The teacher was sorry to lose me to boarding school in the end. Some secret part of me was sorry to leave: I'd have had my City & Guilds at 16 if I'd stayed. In the end I never did it...

Facings and bindings are easy once you've done them once. There's a bit on my web site about facings. just try it! You'll soon see how easy they are.

I did a banner with the kids last summer: bunch of 10-11 YO's. It was great fun! :)

Drapes are usually made of heavier fabric, and usually lined. They are pleated at the top and hung on a traverse rod or other type of rod designed to move them open and closed. Drapes can be short, but are usually floor-length. Curtains are lighter weight, usually only sill-length, unlined, unpleated, but gather on a rod, either round or flat. Drapes need dry-cleaning in almost all cases, while curtains tend to be machine washable.

That's my understanding, anyway.

Hey, crafster is a neat website! Check out this skirt made from an old tee shirt and a thrift-store novelty pillow case. Super idea for teens.

Kate wrote: ...

My jumper had the type of arm & neck hole facings that are all in one, which used up even more of the royal purple cord. I've repressed a lot of it, but from thinking about it today I believe the problem was in sewing the two wale pieces RST (think about all those ruffled edges moving against each other under the presser foot, which was undoubtedly bottom-feed only). Was probably interfaced, too.

Here's my favorite contemporary seam finish: cut a bias (OH NOOOOOO!!) strip prox the size of the opening (e.g. armhole). Serge into a loop, fold in half WST. Pin, try on, consider, adjust as needed. Finally serge the three raw edges together, press binding to outside of garment with seams towards the inside. Works especially well on prints that are somewhat sheer; the designs don't fight each other through the area where a facing would be. Also works well on patchworks and stuff with funky edges.

I once tried to make a greeting card display that had clear vinyl pockets and bound edges sewn to a large flat piece of nylon. Gave up and bought a few of those door-hung shoe storage pocket things from an odd lots store.

Creating a perfect seam-bound edge on a home-made cell phone holder, placemat, wallet, etc. has never been my life's goal!

--Karen D.

Kate wrote: ...

My jumper had the type of arm & neck hole facings that are all in one, which used up even more of the royal purple cord. I've repressed a lot of it, but from thinking about it today I believe the problem was in sewing the two wale pieces RST (think about all those ruffled edges moving against each other under the presser foot, which was undoubtedly bottom-feed only). Was probably interfaced, too.

Here's my favorite contemporary seam finish: cut a bias (OH NOOOOOO!!) strip prox the size of the opening (e.g. armhole). Serge into a loop, fold in half WST. Pin, try on, consider, adjust as needed. Finally serge the three raw edges together, press binding to outside of garment with seams towards the inside. Works especially well on prints that are somewhat sheer; the designs don't fight each other through the area where a facing would be. Also works well on patchworks and stuff with funky edges.

I once tried to make a greeting card display that had clear vinyl pockets and bound edges sewn to a large flat piece of nylon. Gave up and bought a few of those door-hung shoe storage pocket things from an odd lots store.

Creating a perfect seam-bound edge on a home-made cell phone holder, placemat, wallet, etc. has never been my life's goal!

--Karen D.