Sewing lessons

 I started to teach my step daughter Zoey how to sew. Her very first project was to make PJ pants, for her grandma for Christmas! She just turned 11 and I remember at that age finding frustration with the fact I didn't have money to buy gifts for my favourite people, like my grandma.  

We started by buying the fabric sometime in mid November. I wanted to give myself enough time because I'm not always patient. I also kept this activity for week-ends when her dad worked overnight, since he tends to sleep half of the day. So it was an activity we could do together while he was sleeping. 

I also wanted her not to feel rushed or feel it's too difficult or feel it was too much. She did all the sewing. I ended up doing the measuring and pinning of the hem and the casing, mostly because it's time consuming, and I can tell by eye 2" but it's a real pain to have to measure it every cm around a waist and I did not want her to get discouraged. 

I only fixed seams that were outrageously bad, unstitched those, but left most of her own seams. So it's not her who did it and me who fixed it. Mostly it was her effort. If grandma looks inside she will see a lot of the mistakes, however on the outside the garment is wearable, especially since one usually wears PJ pants at home. 

I had her put them on herself so she could show her dad her finished project, and then I wrapped them up so she can surprise her grandma at Christmas. 

I cried. I often have the greatest intentions and think ahead of cool things I can do with friends or in the past with my daughters and then often either because of situation or my mood, I can't bring a project to completion and it makes me feel like a failure and a loser.  I was so grateful that I managed to bring a full project to completion and she seemed so happy that I think I've created a new seamstress.   Yesterday she was eying a lot of my patterns. I will have to find a second project, this one making a garment for herself that she can succeed and want to keep sewing.

Cutting the fabric to make PJ pants

Starting to assemble  the PJ pants

Toby helping out with the PJ pants

I  want to sew too!

I like the pink PJ's, I do! I do!