Easy Pillow Tutorial for Kids: LIttle Stitchers Week 4
Welcome back to week 4 of Little Stitchers!
Let’s recap a bit before beginning our lesson for the week.
Week 1: Setting Up and Getting Started
Week 2: Printable Sewing Sheets
Week 3: Cutting Sheets
Make sure to go back and review and practice with your child before beginning any true sewing project. Each child is different and will need different levels of safety lessons, so please make sure you review and determine if your child is ready or not.
Week 4 brings us a real sewing project! How exciting!
Ainsley is going to demonstrate how to make a basic pillow.
Some of the main points to keep in mind is that sewing with kids should be safe, fun, and never perfect. Let them enjoy and never ever worry if things aren’t going so straight. We are focused on skills and enjoyment right now. Soak in the imperfections.
Let’s begin!
Sew a Simple Pillow
Supplies:
*2 fat quarters (or just cut out two equal pieces of fabric)
*bag of poly-fil
Iron the 2 fat quarters.
With right sides together, line the fabric up.
Have your child (and you) pin all the way around the edges.
The lines below indicate where the sewing lines will be. You want to leave an opening at the bottom, in order for it to be turned right side out later on.
I think someone is super stoked about sewing!
Today, I worked on having Ainsley pulling the pins out as she sews.
She keeps a magnetic pin holder to her right.
When she gets close to the pins, she stops, pulls it out, and places the pin into her pin container.
Here is a video to show how carefully she does it.
Pulling Pins: Video
Pulling Pins: Video
We have also been working on pivoting at the corners.
She gets to a corner and stops….
Makes sure her needle is down, lifts up the lever…
Turns the fabric, lowers the lever, and continues sewing…
Here is a video to show the pivoting.
Pivoting Fabric: Video
The pillow needs to be turned right side out. There will be a small opening at the bottom. Pull the pillow out through that opening.
Using the poly fill, stuff that pillow full until it seems sufficient.
Once stuffed, it will need to be sewn close. For a “real” pillow, you would need to do some fancy hand sewing to make it look really professional, but we are doing a kid pillow, so no fancy stitching needed. Simply pin closed and sew. You may need to do this part for your child because it can get a bit bulky and cumbersome.
If you let your child sew it closed, it will likely be very crooked and wonky… but that is what we want. After all, they are learning and growing and this is THEIR project!
Enjoy the fabulous end product with them!
Last week, I have my fabulous friend Christina from 2Little Hooligans over here and she offered up a giveaway…
and the winner is….
Chelise with her comment:
For years Drew has answered that she wants to be an artist when she grows up! Whether she goes to school for something else or not, I hope that art and crafting can bring her happiness through the rest of her life 🙂
