Sewing with Granddaughters

While my 11 year old and 9 year old granddaughters were visiting rom Colorado they made a couple projects under my guidance. The older granddaughter, Vivian made a tote bag with lining and grosgrain ribbon handles. Her younger sister made and stuffed a pillow. Both girls now know the sequence of needle down,  pressure foot down, pressure foot up, needle up, snip those threads. The also got good at stopping and pivoting at the corners of their projects. 

Vivian picked two images out of a kitten panel I had, and selected a coordinating lining fabric from my stash. She made the front and back of the outside and the front and back of the inside all the same size based on the kitten image size. She did all the rotary cutting herself. She picked pink grosgrain ribbon for the handles, decided how long she wanted them to be, and stitched them on the outside for the first step. She sewed the two kitten images right side together on three edges. When she stitched the lining I showed her how to leave a gap at the bottom edge for turning. Then she joined the lining and outsides together with right sides facing in circular seam around the top edge. Voila! She smiled at the "magic" when she turned the whole assembly right sides out and tucked in the lining to show her completed bag. She will use it to carry books, those items she is never without.

Vivian's younger sister Lillian liked the same kitten panel and chose to make a pillow out of her favorite image. Her favorite color is pink and so she chose the fluffy white kitten with the pink bonnet. She rotary cut the image and the lining the same size. She sewed around all four edges leaving a short opening the width of her had for turning and stuffing. Last time she was here, she had to sit on my lap while I operated the foot pedal. Now she is tall enough she could reach all by herself. She did remarkably well with speed control on her own. She stuffed the pillow independently to her custom desired softness. The previous time I'd sewed with these girls was in February of 2023 so they have grown. 

Their younger brother, now 7, also asked to sew something, but sadly I had to tell him "No". This was not sexist on my part but merely a time concern. William did not show this interest until a half hour before the family was to leave for the airport for their return flight. "Next time, William, I promise". Instead I sent him home with a wooden truck model to assemble, decal, and color.