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  1. #1
    Senior Member stevebo's Avatar
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    Im teaching my daughter how to sew!

    Hey guys, I ran into an interesting situation this weekend. My 9 year old daughter Elisabeth wanted to learn how to sew. My wife hates to sew, and I ve been sewing camping gear for several years now, so I guess its my job! It ended up being a really cool bonding time between father and daughter----I showed her how the machine works, and we sewed up a couple of small stuff sacks out of scraps . She loves it! (and shes a lot lighter on the sewing pedal than I am!) Elisabeth brought one of her new stuff sacks to school today, and had all kinds of people ask here where she got it , and she had several offers to buy one! I asked her if she told the kids her dad helped her sew------she answered "no, they would think that was kind of strange!" The one person she did tell about her sewing dad, just kind of looked at her like she was crazy, until Elisabeth explained that her dad sews camping gear---they found that to be acceptable and kind of cool! Anyway, I thought you might get a kick out of that story!
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  2. #2

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    Great story Steve! That is right about where I am right now. I have a 9yr old daughter too. She loves crafts and art projects and the wife does not know how to use the sewing machine. I dont mind showing her though. I think it will be fun. I hope the fact that I making camping gear will take some of the weirdness out of it too...LOL

    ~sc
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    CAUTION: This is a slippery slope. In the past two months I have made my wife a blouse and I am just finishing up a 6 gored flare bottom skirt made from a lovely white twill. And my wife is a superb seamstress but does enjoy the fact that I will make her garments. She is actually quite gentle with her comments about my efforts. It has been years since I sewed any thing for her. To my sadness I allowed things to get in the way of that. Camping gear gives way to garments all too soon.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  4. #4
    Senior Member kayak karl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by stevebo View Post
    Hey guys, I ran into an interesting situation this weekend. My 9 year old daughter Elisabeth wanted to learn how to sew. My wife hates to sew, and I ve been sewing camping gear for several years now, so I guess its my job! It ended up being a really cool bonding time between father and daughter----I showed her how the machine works, and we sewed up a couple of small stuff sacks out of scraps . She loves it! (and shes a lot lighter on the sewing pedal than I am!) Elisabeth brought one of her new stuff sacks to school today, and had all kinds of people ask here where she got it , and she had several offers to buy one! I asked her if she told the kids her dad helped her sew------she answered "no, they would think that was kind of strange!" The one person she did tell about her sewing dad, just kind of looked at her like she was crazy, until Elisabeth explained that her dad sews camping gear---they found that to be acceptable and kind of cool! Anyway, I thought you might get a kick out of that story!
    my mother was a seamstress and so is my sister. mom taught me how to sew at age 8. dad wasn't to thrilled, so he taught me the table saw and lathe. won shop award in eigth grade.

    point i'm making. 45 years from now, she will remember that time you spent together.

  5. #5
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    I'm going to get my daughter to help me make Hammocks for Haiti next week.
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
    www.MollyMacGear.com

  6. #6
    Senior Member stoikurt's Avatar
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    Way to go Stevebo. Sounds like a great bonding time. I learned to sew as a scout in the OA making Indian regalia. Gear making is more fun and more useful. I ain't great but I can get the job done.
    Stoikurt
    "Work to Live...Don't Live to Work!"

  7. #7
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    That's a great story.

    I've been slack. I've been dragging my feet on helping my daughters learn to sew. I guess part of it is that the machine is down in "my space" in the basement, and since it's the only place I have to escape to when the entire house is full of females, I've been pretty possessive of it.

    But if I brought the machine UPSTAIRS occasionally I think that could work... Anyway, you've inspired me to try it.


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
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    “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
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  8. #8
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    Patrick, I bought an old Singer for $50 so my daughter would have her own. She still needs lessons, although she has used them before.

    Then, my wife retrieved her mother's older Singer from her childhood home, so we have four thread injectors now! No excuse for my kids not to know how to sew...
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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  9. #9
    Senior Member KerMegan's Avatar
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    And if she starts selling the bags at school, you have started another gear maker in business; now you get to introduce her to sales taxes, paperwork and the IRS...another slippery slope; maybe she could just trade the bags for other things.

  10. #10
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Yeah, it's not like they haven't expressed a lot of interest. I've just dropped the ball since I control that space. If I move the machine to a more central location though, odds are much better. All 3 of the girls have given me things they'd like to sew, patterns, material, etc.

    I'm surprised I never thought of this before. D'oh!


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
    - Mark Twain
    “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
    - John Burroughs

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