Sewing lesson and hair stuff

This week I decided to set aside a few hours of my weekend to teach my girls and our good friend Ms. G the basics of sewing. Ms. G received a little sewing machine about a year ago and has been dying to try it out.
(How cute is this little machine?!)

Before Christmas, her mom and I talked about trading some sewing lessons for some art lessons. G's mom is an awesome artist and has taught a few classes for kids over the summer. So I will be teaching Ms. G some sewing hopefully once a week, and in turn, her mother will be teaching my girls an art lesson once a week. (I got a great deal huh!?)
I started teaching my oldest daughter a few weeks before Christmas. I helped her make some gifts and she seemed to enjoy it so much, I ended up buying her a Singer Simple machine for Christmas. Today she worked on some burp cloths for her Aunt's upcoming baby shower while I started the other girls on their first projects.


I had to get a picture of her crazy pin cushion!


We decided that hair scrunchies would be a good starter project and they were a great way to use up some of the oodles of scrap fabric I have stashed everywhere.
Each girl picked three pieces of fabric from the scrap bin and learned how to iron them.


Then they had to measure and cut them before learning how to pin them for sewing.

Pinning took quite a bit of time and concentration.

Of coarse, some of us "talkers" took an extra long time.


Before we finally started getting down to the pinning business.

I had to call in reinforcements to help with the pinning because it seemed like the hardest part!

Finally, we were sewing!


(I promise I am NOT into child slave labor, it only looks like a sweat shop.)

These are basically 15-17 inch by 3-4 inch pieces of fabric that you fold lengthwise, sewing a straight stitch 2 inches from the top to 2 inches from the bottom. You then turn them inside out and sew the two raw edges together leaving the front open to thread your elastic through. After securing your elastic by sewing elastic ends together, you fold in your last raw edge and top stitch it closed.
Here is a really good tutorial I found so you can see how it's done in case you're interested in making your own rockin' 80's style hair scrunchies!




Since we made hair stuff today, I figured it would be a good time to throw in some of the little hair clips I made for Christmas.



These are super easy to make. Just basic alligator clips or snap clips and some gathered ribbon. Top it off with a cute button or bead and voila!


Even cuter when you use other little findings like teddy bears.

Or dice!
(click picture to enlarge)

Head bands are fun too.


These twisty flowers are all the rage right now and so fun to make. My friend Anne and I have a whole bag of them we made one night while visiting. They are just waiting to be placed on a headband with some fancy feathers and beads.

I made many more but the girls were through with modeling for me today.

This Sunday sewing lesson is going to be great for all of us I think. Hopefully, this will be a great way to put some things away for birthday and Christmas gifts!