Hopefully I can pick people's brains 
My dcs' school (dd is Y2 and ds YR) has put out a call for parents to run arts and crafts clubs to help them retain their Artsmark, and now my youngest is in preschool I can volunteer.
I have been a keen quilter for the last 18 months or so and have always sewn, but haven't ever taught it to kids, so I have no idea of what they might be able to achieve. (I was very competent at primary age but then I grew up with my mum doing it around me so I guess most kids won't have that.)
The clubs are going to run over 6 half hour sessions, so virtually no time at all 
especially if they have never sewn anything before, and will be limited to 6 children.
I'm thinking some kind of very small bit of patchwork ought to be good, because it will allow them to be creative in choosing and arranging materials, then all the bits they make could be sewn together or appliqued into a hanging or onto a cushion cover. I was thinking English patchwork because it means they can do the cutting out (because accuracy isn't so important as long as the templates are good) and it needs to be by hand, not a machine, but would the oversewing in English patchwork be far too difficult for them? If I pressed the papers onto the patches, hopefully even the ones who are totally new to sewing could manage the basting.
I'm thinking the way to manage it would be for each session to have a defined job (eg choosing fabric, cutting out) and then I would finish up their bits in between sessions so they could move onto the next stage.
Does anyone have any experience of sewing with primary age kids and can tell me if this sounds viable? Also, what age should I offer to do? My current thinking is Y3 and above (if only so I don't have to teach dd).
Thanks!
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Arts and crafts
Anyone done sewing (particularly patchwork) with primary age children?
ElderberrySyrup · 11/10/2011 09:33
I have helped out making purses before. They were made of felt retangles which you fold into 3rds or there abouts so that you have a flap. Blanket stitch up the side and then to decorate they appliqued a shape on of their choice. I remember DS1 did a castle shape as that is what he was into at the time.
I haven't helped with this but they also made a whole school wall hanging where they had a tree shape (can't remember if it was drawn or some clever soul cut it out of fabric) and then everybody cut out the shape of a hand on fabric and appliqued it onto the tree outline. It was quite impressive when it was finished. They could embroider their initials on. It would look good as evidence for the Artmark if it were hanging in the school - call it the tree of knowledge or something equally schooly
The younger children in infants did cross stitch with large plastice needles and binca and that was about their limit really. I think you are right to offer it only to the juniors.
Also now i think of it, we have done tie dye as well. You could get the children to tie dye one week and then cut the fabric into squares and sew it together another week - make a cushion cover or something. Or tie dye very cheap plain t-shirts which is getting away from quilting a bit but still fabric craft.
Felt is a good medium for sewing and applique which small children - very forgiving. You make it bigger and more impressive by making a messenger bag size too - that should keep them busy for a few weeks!
Sorry meant also to comment on your idea for the patchwork not go off on my own tangent telling you what we have done when I helped in school - that isn't what you asked! 
I think yrs5 and 6 would be able to cope with the basting. I don't think the younger ones would be able to stitch small enough ime.
How long are you planning on running the club do you think? You could start off with easy stuff and move onto the patchwork when you have a measure of what they are capable of and they have had some practice.
I think patchwork would be a bit ambitious to start with. And you and the children would benefit from having a project that they can complete quite quickly to begin with.
I think using felt would be a good place to start as you don't have to think about fraying plus you can use a blunter needle.
One of the first things that I ever made at primary was a felt egg cosy and I clearly remember doing it. You need 3 arch shaped pieces of felt then oversew the pieces together in a contrasting coloured embroidery thread so the seams are on the outside. My mum and dad still use mine .
You can set up a small 'loom', say 8 inches by 6 inches and get the children to weave different coloured wools through so that they create their own piece then use it to decorate. I attached mine to felt and made a purse for my mum.
Simple cross stitch on large squared whateveritisyoucrossstitchon. I remember making a recorder case. Or you could turn it into a gift card.
Sounds great. Have fun.
Be warned children under 8 cannot thread needles and cannot tie knots in cotton.
There is a reason why a lot of craft kits say 8+. Unfortunately Brownies start at 7
.
If you only have 30 minutes you will have to keep it really simple, felt stockings sound good, felt ghost hand puppets worked well with the Brownies as did Humpty Dumpty style Easter finger puppets. Trying to make bees out of gathered circles (like the clowns you see in idea books) was a nightmare, they just couldn't do small neat running stick near the edge so nothing would gather up neatly and they took forever. We only got them finished due to my two brilliant Guide helpers. (a couple of 13 year olds who were way more use than many of the Mothers)
OH yes, I had forgotten one of my boys did felt stockings in the infants - there was an awful lot of glue involved though!! With slightly older children they can do a bit more stitching - running stitch to sew things on and blanket for sewing together. Juniors can handle a needle but they do need rethreading a lot although some of them enjoy the challenge of doing it themselves - I certainly found by yr 5, some were OK with it.
Applique will certainly allow you to indulge your quilter's skills.
Enjoy yourself! I quite envy you actually.
Just thought I'd pop back on this thread to say that there are lots of fairly straightforward felt projects in Prima Christmas Makes that could easily be adapted.
They have a little bag that you could hang from a tree as an ornament or use as an Advent type thing. Just a rectangle of felt folded in half and sewn at the sides. Ribbon or the like for the handle.
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