Best advice:  take your time and keep it simple!

1.  Let students watch you sew on a project for a few minutes at the beginning of class.
2. Before taking that first stitch, introduce students to the parts of the sewing machine. Have them label the parts on a separate handout to keep in a sewing folder for future reference.
3. Stitch on paper first – without thread – so they get used to the feel of the machine. Lined notebook paper or free online printables are excellent for stitching practice. Make sure students can follow a straight line, pivot (make a 90 degree turn) and follow a winding path before threading the machine.
4. Demonstrate how to thread the machine – both bobbin and top thread. Then, unthread the machine, hand students a spool of thread, an empty bobbin and a threading diagram copied from the machine manual. Let them try it.
5. Leftover charm squares work well for practice fabric. Let students use a die cut machine to cut 5″ squares from donated fabric yardage. They can stitch around 3 sides using a 1/4″ foot, making tiny treat bags. Use pinking shears to finish the unsewn edge, then tie the bag closed with ribbon, baby rickrack or a small piece of fabric.
6. A travel pillowcase makes a great first project. Try the hotdog method of pillowcase construction with a French seam finish.   This requires a  1/2 yard of fabric for the pillow case body and 1/3 yard for the cuff, plus a 12″ x 16″ pillow.  (Hint: Wal-Mart has travel pillow inserts in the fabric section.)

The past few weeks have been rather silent as I’ve been doing pro bono sewing for school. I made six circle skirts for the school play and five attendance award banners to help motivate students to improve some of their poor attendance rates.

One of the art teachers sketched out a design and then we collaborated on the overall size and depth of the banner, plus how it would be displayed above the winning classroom door.

Size of banner:  Approximately 34″ x 19″ plus a 4″ fringe border.

Supplies needed:
1-1/2 yards Fabric for banner
1 – Fat quarter for lettering
Paper backed fusible web
1-1/4 yards Fringe (optional)
Wood dowel (1/2″ by 36″ solid oak dowel from Home Depot)
1-1/4 yards Cording or string to hang the banner
Glue gun (to attach the fringe and cording)
Hot fix crystals (added a bit of bling over the “i”)
Thread

Extremely helpful: Access to a manual or electric die cutting machine (3″ or 4″ letters)  Or, pick up a set of punch out letters in your preferred height from the teacher supply store in your favorite font to use as templates.

Construction was very simple – much like a lined window topper. I cut the front piece the full width & length needed, but cut the lining minus the foldover needed for the header and casing.

1.  Fuse letters and motifs to banner front. Optional:  stitch letters as desired. (I did not sew the letters down. Fusing is sufficient for something like this.)
2. Place front and back banner pieces right sides together and sew from one side around the bottom and up the other side, stopping just before the turndown for the header.
3. Turn inside out and press.  Topstitch if desired.
4. Turn under seam allowances along header portion.
5. Press over header portion and pin in place.
6. Sew 4 lines of stitching. 1/8″ from top edge,

Notes for next time:
(1) Sand and paint/varnish the hanging dowel
(2) 3″ letters would work better than the 2-1/4″ in the project
(3) Find a trophy template or school mascot (about 6″ tall) to put on either side of the lettering.