To think sewing is pants

[lemisscared]

It has such promise of a relaxing family craft to do together.... sitting blissfully stitching children's toys and crafts on a cold winters day.

Fuck. Off. is it!

It all starts nicely, following the instructions, the felt pieces already cut to shape, its going to be so wonderful. DD impatiently wanting to get started.

So it starts - I have to unravel the thread, I mean, why not just provide the thread ready to go, not wrapped up around itself so that when you try to get the two threads from it, it turns into a fucking ball of hate?

Then you finally get enough thread to start, you try and thread the needle - who the hell invented that??? I can do micro-dissection of a single neuron, but i can't thread a needle without getting the shakes.

I start DD off, its all coming together (sort of) she mithers until i get to a bit that i can hand it over, try to show her to cries of "i know what i'm going" thank all the angels and saints for that i think, but two minutes later, shes knotted it, so sort it, or just pull the fucking thing apart and start the whole sorry thing again - get her started, she pulls the thread, which is now frayed as fuck out of the needle with the microscopic eye.

So do i feel relaxed?? no, i feel homicidal

But at least DD has a bag for her "dog" that we made last christmas before the sewing kit was tidied away hidden at the bottom of her toy shelves.

It promises soooo much, but i hate it, hate it, hate it.

I don't want to hate it, i want to be good at it and make lots of lovely things for friends and family, but well, a crafter i am not!

I feel i have failed as a woman

This is why I sew when the DC are in bed...

If you want to ramp up the excitement levels and are totally nuts try an industrial sewing machine (I love revving the foot pedal like it's a Ferarri rebel) - there's nothing quite like the adrenalin rush of nearly losing all your finger tips in a millisecond!

Kits are crappy OP. They have poor quality materials....just buy felt, good cotton and cut shapes out to DDs design.

I started my DD off on simple heart shapes...she designs soft toys now and with a bit of help, makes them herself. I only use a basic stitch.

Thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter is truly the best name i have ever seen on mnet.

As for hardcore extreme sewing - respect where its due

Thank you (mind you my nails are ruined from all the near misses! living on the edge )

I love sewing. Now. My mum tried to teach it to me, there were lots of rules and unpicking and going back if it was even slightly wrong. I love it now because it's slapdash and nobody's going to notice the odd crappy stitch. And sometimes I unpick. And I couldn't teach my son as he has NO IDEA about doing things nicely. Give him 20 years and he'll learn on his own.

Beaver badges arggggh, whole evening!!!!! I'm sure they save them up to torment me

Oh, I love sewing, but daren't do it in front of my DS's yet as they would want to join in.

TBH I HATE sewing by hand. I can cross stitch, but to actually stitch something like a cushion? Bit like hard work.

But... its the kits that are sods.

Cut out two circles, let her sew them together almost the whole way around, turn it the right way, stuff it full of cushion filler and do a neat little stitch over the final bit and voila, a cute cushion.

Then try a heart, or a flower etc. Anything really. Once they've done that, then maybe stitch on a pattern onto the front using an applique stitch.

Oh and you can buy self threading needles, you just run the thread over the top of the needle, pull it down and voila! The needle is threaded! Was bloody marvellous when I had to label all of DSs clothes for his new school.

Oh and children's sewing machines aren't really all that expensive. They'll be more interested in sewing if it doesn't take forever to get it done.

There are some good sewing kits by Baker Ross that I've used as first kits for the kids.

I loathed and despised needlework at school - taught by a dragon of a woman. Luckily it didn't put me off completely and I love embroidery and art needlework.

Cross stitching on solid board is much easier for beginners - don't know where my nana found the patients to teach me

my girls sew - age 12 and 13 - but use the sewing machine. DD13 has made her own pyjamas - T shaped top and elasticated trousers, DD12 has made various tote bags to match what she is wearing.

Both have delighted their Grans with some little heart shaped lavender bags too. Use a machine until they have the co-ordination required....

My 7 year old helped me make her some pyjamas. She sewed the straight bits on the machine and bloody loved it.

I hate sewing with the kids too. I can sew a bit and have a sewing machine for biggish jobs but don't enjoy it. Ds recently came home with two roughly cut out bits of horrible stretchy fabric which he had to sew together into a pocket shape for make do and mend day for his ww2 work. He (naturally) made a complete balls up, sewed it to his trousers and ended up with a puckered square of fabric adorned with massive tangle of white thread. I ended up doing most of it.

Hard to believe some of the beautiful Victorian samplers done be 7 year olds.

DS has a partner.
"Got a couple of shirts that need buttons on, can I bring them over!"

"Well can't your DP do them? More to the point can't you do them yourself? I taught you how to do it when you were in the Cubs."

"She wouldn't have a clue and just because I cobbled one onto a bit of cloth thirty years ago it doesn't mean I could do it now with a decent shirt"

WTF?

I am making sure the grandchildren learn to sew.

You don't need to sew these days, they have these things called shops

If you want something 'handmade' just go onto Etsy

I can make decent clothes much cheaper than I can buy them in the shops and a hell of a lot cheaper than the stuff on etsy. Making my own clothes means I can get something unique which is tailored to fit my shape. I buy most of my clothes but I do like to make unique pieces in nice fabrics.

There was a program on TV a few years ago where they taught (I think) high school students the sewing techniques to alter clothes, they let them loose in some charity shops, and did a fashion parade of the clothes they made from the things they bought.

It was brilliant!

When trying to thread a needle instead of taking the thread to the needle, take the needle to the thread, sounds daft but honestly it helps

inthedark, can you really make clothes cheaper than in the shops? that's a real skill - how? I always reckon up the fabric cost and give up immediately (never mind thread, pattern etc) though it must be said I buy clothes almost exclusively second hand.

I love sewing but I can promise you that I will never let DS or dd touch my beautiful machine!

I once tried to teach a child to knit, it didn't end well...(also I was having a nervous breakdown every time the child was a bit rough on my fancy pants interchangable needles).

Never again!

I can do basic sewing, but not something I would do for pleasure.

I do repairs to clothes, take up hems, and have a DD who dances so forever darning pointe shoes, fixing ribbons or altering costumes for shows.

MyIronLung - but you missed the whole point of teaching a child to knit - it's to offload the collection of cheap plastic knitting needles that somehow accumulate and the left over bits of yarn that are of no use.

My Mum and two elder sisters were all knitters. Several time they tried to teach me as a child. Not a chance. Couldn't do it to save my life.

Both sisters also sewed. Really well. I mean, making their own wedding dresses and all the bridesmaid dresses well. I was forced to take needlework for three years at secondary school (this was the 70s.) I was beyond hopeless. I spent 5 terms trying to make a skirt and never got it to work.

However, fast forward a few decades until I had a DD at school requiring fancy dress costumes and I decided to give it another go. To my surprise I found myself capable of following a simple pattern. I went on to get a sewing machine for my 40th and, while I will never be Great British Sewing Bee standard I can tackle simple projects and find I quite enjoy it.

Breaking news is I took up knitting about a month ago and have completed a scarf and beanie hat for DD for Christmas. I am still reeling from the shock.

Maybe it is something that can develop in middle age?

But I can't see me ever passing these skills on. DD will just have to discover them for herself in 30 years time