>>>>

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sewing with the Tweens & Teens!

One of the coolest activities happened on Sunday at the Glendale Quilt Show ---they have Teen sewing camp that goes from 10am to 4pm encouraging young sewists to get in there and CREATE!

*I* wanted to be in there making what they were making too …..do you know, it’s been over 20 years since I’ve sewn a zipper in anything, and these gals were making zipper pouches like pros?

They could choose from various projects like pillow cases, monogrammed bags or pillows zipper pouches or aprons. And you should have seem the creative mess in progress. It looked SO fun in there!

glendaleCA2012 297

This is the page from the show brochure. What young lady wouldn’t want to participate?! I got the idea that the whole reasoning for Teen Camp was “Hook Em, Hook Em Young!” LOL! These are our future quilters, and we need to give them a good intro to sewing so they’ll want to continue.

glendaleCA2012 231

This young lady was sewing the cuff part of her pillowcase like a pro! I loved seeing the girls learning to use REGULAR sized machines --- not little rinky dinky kid things, you know? Teach them right, and they will learn to be cautious, and also have a good result with what they are sewing….

glendaleCA2012 232

Here is someone’s monogrammed pillow. Oh, these girls were so proud to show off what they had made, as well they should be!

glendaleCA2012 235

Pillow Parts!

glendaleCA2012 233

Here a couple of young ladies are discussing the necessity of rick rack! :cD ((Oh, I love the braided hair, I so wished I could have hair like that when I was younger ---))

glendaleCA2012 236

Teen Camp had great attendance! I was peeking in just as girls were coming back from lunch. My classroom was next door – I told all of my students that they needed to go peek in too!

glendaleCA2012 239

This sweet quilter is getting her handles top stitched and ready to be added to the bag she is making. Handles are a great place to try out all those decorative stitches that come with the machine!

glendaleCA2012 240

Here are parts of a zipper bag ready to be put together. Look at the tabs so professionally attached to each end of that zipper. Did I mention my fear of zippers? I really wish I had taken THIS class!

glendaleCA2012 241_edited-1

Zipper pouch all lined and finished!

glendaleCA2012 242_edited-1

Monogrammed bag, lined, handled and finished! CUTE!!

glendaleCA2012 243_edited-1

This was just the greatest thing ever. If life ever slows down, this is where I want to be, teaching the young ones.

“Hook Em Early! Hook Em Young!” LOL!

glendaleCA2012 254

BIG floor pillow! Isn’t the flower on the front cute? You can tell she is just so pleased with her project, as well she should be! She said she couldn't wait to go make something else.

Dear Tweens & Teens Sewing Camp, Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to visit during your class time! Your infectious enthusiasm for your projects and desire to learn made my day! May we all tackle our projects with the excitement that comes with learning new skills!

And with that – I’m planning on sewing today! My friend Randy has put up the next installment of 6” sampler blocks --- and I’m aiming to get started on those today --- are you joining in?

15 comments:

  1. I learned to sew in 4-H and so did my daughters. Something like this would have been fun!
    I haven't put a zipper in for about 7 years--wonder if I still could. It was never my strength! : )

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish I'd been interested in sewing when I was younger. My grandmother wanted to teach me, I just didn't want to learn then. Oh how I regret that. At least I started quilting, even if it was late. My grandmother would have loved me having treadles (all she sewed with).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ten years ago my niece (aged 21) and her little sister (age 9) went on the Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop. The younger niece was too young to get the blocks so she just got squares of fabric. She had some money though and she bought fabrics as we went from store to store that day and made her first quilt in the next few months - a queen-sized quilt! A couple of years later she was able to go on the shop hop again and got the blocks and turned that into a quilt also. She has continued quilting including learning to use a long-arm machine at a local quilt shop.

    This past summer, along with a couple other ladies, I worked with the kids at our church's day care. I brought my sewing machine and the kids (Kindergarten - 6th grade) got to make two 4-patch blocks. One I finished off into a potholder for the child to take home and the other block went into a quilt top. The kids also helped us tie the quilt once it was together. We held a drawing for the quilt to raise money to help pay to ship quilts for Lutheran World Relief.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love sewing a new generations of sewing enthusiasts. Looks like they had a blast!

    ReplyDelete
  5. My 9 year old grand recently took a class in sewing for her AG doll, and made a top with a zipper, and matching pants. It must have been the teeniest zipper going.

    I wouldn't mind taking a class with these kids.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is an excellent program!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I wish I could have taken that class...I have a fear of zippers and lined bags!! Wish I could have signed up and sat in there too!! How fun is this!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tina in NJ11:25 AM EDT

    I've worked with kids since my college-age son was in grade school. Last night was my daughter's 4-H group. I was surprised to recognize the fabric the monogrammed "M" was made out of (pastel, braided design). I've had that in my stash for well over a decade!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This class looks like great fun. Both my boys made quilts. I taught then to sew on my old singer machine, just the basics of how it worked and then signed them up for kids quilt classes at age 8. One made a wall hanging in his firs kids class and then a small quilt in a another class and a wall hanging in the last class. The youngest actually hand stitched a four block doll size quilt for a third grade social studies project. He also hand quilted it. I told him he had to pick a project I could help him with for his colonial project as his dad was not available to help due to the Navy. We picked fabric that was close in color and design to the time period, and made made templates for his to trace cutting lines and sewing lines. My job was to pin the pieces together and thread the needles. He did all the stitching, and did the flip and bind technique, all by hand. Later he took a class and made a quilt and a couple of wall hangings. Both boys have a good appreciation of quilting from heaving helped me pick fabrics for their quilts and knowing the time it takes to make one. I hope someday to share the experience with any grand children they may bless me with.
    I think it is wonderful that you got the chance to watch these girls create and hope that more parents will sign their children up for classes like these so we can continue to share the love of quilting.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ADORABLE!!! How fabulous!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I sewed half of my first zipper since Freshman year in High School last evening. I had a private class from a lovely member of my quilt guild. Joan helped me figure out the instructions of a very not well written tote pattern...from a very famous magazine. She's been a bag maker, quilter, etc since she was young. I was so proud of the first half of my zipper. Now to get the rest of the bag ready to put the second half of the zipper on. It's a separating zipper like in a jacket and I was terrified, lol.
    I love the joy in those young faces, thanks for showing us!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yea, thank you Bonnie for sharing our fun day. We LOVE LOVE LOVE teaching teens and sharing our love of sewing with the next generation. Send me your teens and I will have them sewing zippers, top stitching, quilting, and doing french seams... all without fear!
    We meet monthly, email me if you have an interested "teen".
    Sue V

    ReplyDelete
  13. Margaret6:13 PM EDT

    Bonnie, if you ever have a chance to take a class that makes a zippered pouch, you should do it! I don't do zippers ever! But I took a class last winter at Hearts to Holly Quilt Shop in Charlevoix, Michigan, and even I can do it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. i love to see the freedom these kids have in fabric; they don't wonder if it matches or "goes" or not, they just use what they like; we could all take a lesson here....so glad to see new quilters coming up through the ranks

    ReplyDelete
  15. I took home ec. in jr. high and high school. I learned how to cross stitch and make a blouse. I didn't actually start sewing until after I was married and had my first daughter. I was then hooked. I started making her all kinds of outfits, dresses and skirts for myself. My other two daughters came along and I made items for them. 3 daughters and not one of them likes to sew. It really makes me sad to think that all my things will not be given to the next generation.

    ReplyDelete

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)