Hand sewing is so calming and so much fun once you get the hang of things. It’s a skill I believe every child should be taught, just the basics of sewing. The back stitch is a really easy stitch to begin with. When I make my miniature teddy bears I use the back stitch to start off with, then when I’m stitching up after stuffing, I use the ladder stitch or invisible stitch to close it up.

The blanket stitch was always a bit difficult for me, but once I get the direction right everything works out in the end…usually. But for some reason that was always the most difficult stitch to me. I love how it looks on felt.

When you start teaching or learning basic hand sewing skills, start out on felt. Felt is a very unforgiving fabric. Start out with simple shapes that the kids will enjoy sewing. Hearts are a popular pattern to start with and after you stuff them you can make a bedroom window banner with them.

Once you get the hang of just a couple of simple sewing stitches you can start experimenting with patterns. Or you can draw out and design your own. The first pattern I ever designed was when I was 7 years old. My husband kept the little felt doll I made when I showed him it and told him the story behind it, how it was my first ever design. Now I design all kinds of little patterns.

Here are some vloggers that design their own patterns and share them with everyone too. They are so cute.

It’s hard to pick a pattern to sew when ever I watch their shows.

Then there are the more complicated patterns, but if you keep up with sewing you will be able to do the complicated patterns too. Just stick with it and even when you have some nailed it moments…never give up. Don’t ever give up on anything you want to learn. I promise you, the more you practice the better it gets.

One of my childhood friends from the old neighborhood stopped by one time to visit me with her teenage daughter. She was in the city visiting from Pennsylvania where she had moved. Her daughters were both ballerinas and they had a show they were in one summer here in the city of Phoenix. Her oldest daughter always wanted to sew and when they came over we spent a couple hours making a medium sized teddy bear from one of my patterns.

I started out with showing her basic back stitches and then gave her a little sewing kit to get started with. She went home on the plane with a hand made teddy bear that she helped me stitch up and finish. Now she is finishing up fashion design school, she went even farther then what little I showed her that day she and her mother stopped by to visit. I love hearing stories like that. Can’t wait to see what designs she comes up with.

So no matter how small it is, when you start out a new skill, who knows, it could go even farther and you end up making your own patterns…but you have to take that first step. Happy sewing adventures everyone. Remember, nothing is perfect, nor should it be, but everything you create is art and good for the soul.