Q:   School will be out for the summer soon and I am looking for some easy projects for my pre-teen daughter.  Do you have any ideas?

A:  Greeting cards are a fun way to get any child involved in sewing and crafting.  There are a number of ways to create greeting cards with fabric and a sewing machine.  You can purchase die cut cards (such as the brand name “Quilt a Card”) or others and stitch a piece of fabric around the die cut area.   Our customers love this as a quick project for all ages.  You can embellish the fabric before fastening to the die cut card. 

            Another way to create a greeting card is to assemble scraps of fabric and a glue stick.  Purchase blank cards from the office supply store and let your little crafter make fabric collages.  This is a great project for all ages.  If the child is too young to use a sewing machine they can just glue the fabric pieces down.  If the child is old enough to use a machine, they can embellish the card sewing directly on the cardboard, after the card has been embellished with the fabric scraps.

Q:  How can I get my child involved in sewing?

A:  One great way to get your child interested in sewing is to make pillowcases.  They are easy to make, don't require a pattern, and the child can be as creative as they want to be!  They can then use the pillowcase to take to sleepovers and the pillow case can double as a pajama tote!  Here are the basic measurements:  Take a piece of fabric 45inches wide by 36 inches long.  Along the bottom, fold a double 3 inch hem and stitch the hem with a straight stitch or decorative stitch on the sewing machine.  (You will now have a flat piece of fabric measuring 45” x 30”. 

Take the  selvage edges and fold the fabric in half, right sides together. Stitch along the selvage edges and the top raw edges.  You might want to stitch along the straight stitching with a zigzag stitch to finish the raw edges. 

Turn the case right side out and your pillowcase is finished!  Your child, pre-teen or teenager will enjoy picking out their own choice of fabric for this project, and any cotton fabric would be appropriate.  With all the wonderful fabric choices at quilt shops, this will be a fun outing for you and your children in addition to the enjoyment you will share by sewing with your child.