So you want to learn how to sew. The mechanics of sewing don’t start
with the up and down motion of a sewing machine using a lockstitch to
plunge into fabric weighted down by a pressure foot. No,
learning how to sew, as it has been for thousands of years, starts with the
manipulation of a needle and thread! One should learn the"language" of sewing
by first learning how to hand stitch.
Learning the primary stitches enables you to visualize what a machine stitch should look like when it’s executed. It will also give you great eye-hand coordination, something you should really have before you start working with a sewing machine. Being able to discern quality work and communicate a sewing process is a very useful skill. Believe me, there will be times when having some knowledge of hand stitching will be required, Whether the project is a craft, home decorating, clothes construction and repair, and yes, even quilting. The proper way to learn any craft is to start with the fundementals. Before you used a calculator to tally numbers, didn’t you start by writing figures down with paper and pencil? Why then would anyone start sewing without having any idea of how to sew by hand?
OK, this hand sewing business won’t immediately start you out making that wonderful
dress you’ve been dreaming about, but it will point you in the right
direction! After learning these basic stitches, you can actually build
upon your repertoire of stitches. Many advanced embroidery stitches will incorporate the
basic stitches presented in this kit. If hand embroidery is not your calling,
you can move onto sewing with a machine.
With the EZ Stitch Sampler, you will learn hand stitching, the root of all sewing techniques.Children and adults will learn twelve basic hand sewing stitches by using three detailed samplers and independent projects. The instructions and sampler stitch patterns are printed on cotton fabric in full color.
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The completed samplers are not only beautiful, but are a useful
reference for future sewing projects. The example to the right
shows a section of the running stitch sampler, before starting
(top) and after completion (bottom).
The samplers are ideal for 4H members and Girl Scouts earning a sewing merit badge. Home-schoolers might find that the kit satisfies a unit of study in the Consumer Sciences curriculum.
The kit can be used by right or left-handed sewers.
The completed samplers are designed to be kept in
8 1/2 x 11 transparent sheet protectors;
this allows the stitches to be viewed from the front
or the back.
The kit teaches the following stitches:
Besides the three cloth samplers, the kit includes
detailed instructions; a
3-inch wooden embroidery hoop; and a practice stitch
guide, bookmark project, and a sashiko patch that
introduces quilting techniques (left). An example of a
completed stitch guide is shown to the right.
©2004-2009 Mattie Hayes