Deborah Fisher - Sew Fun: 20 Projects for the Whole Family

I am a maker. An artist, designer, craftsperson, seamstress, sewist, whatever. Call me what you wishI love to make things.

Years ago when I was an artist in residence in the Arts/Industry program at the Kohler Co. in Wisconsin, a world-renowned blacksmith asked me if I had kids. When I said no, he sighed and said, The best thing youll ever make.

He was right, of course. And when my first daughter was born, I wrote and told him so. Having kids didnt make me give up on making things, it just made it more fun. And now I get to share my love of making with my girls, just like my mother (and father!) did with me. The older my girls get, the more fun it is and the more I can see the maker in both of them.

Sew Fun: 20 Projects for the Whole Family evolved from my experience of finding a balance between guarding my own time and sharing what I love with my girls by making wonderful things with (and for) them. The bonus: I enjoy my time with them more if we are doing something I like to do.

The projects in Sew Fun can be made by yourself or with your kids. If you are making a gift (and you want it to be perfect) or just need some alone time, go to it. All of us makers need our own creative time. Mine sustains me. Simply, it feeds the soul. Ditch the guilt and get on with it.

But maybe you have a young friend with whom you want to share your love of making or whom you just cant keep out of your creative space. Even though all of these projects are great to make on your own, they each have ways to collaborate with your kids. Every set of instructions has a Kid Work box with recommendations on how your kids can make something with you. There are lots of great tips for working with kids in the Little Hands, Big Smiles section, too.

Some projects, like the Theres No Place Like Home Pillows (), are designed for you to make together and introduce your child to the fun of sewing wonderful things.

If you dont have a kid, borrow one. I guarantee his or her parents will thank you for introducing their child to a new creative world.

This is not all about fun. This is education in disguise. Learning incognito. Kids can learn color theory through fabric sorting, and they can enhance their fine motor skills by cutting and sewing. Math and patterning are all over the place in sewing, from using a ruler to figuring fractions and geometry. The finished projects in this book encourage dramatic and imaginative play as well as reading and storytelling. Also, you can encourage generosity and compassion by making and giving the Community Quilt ().

I designed these projects not just because my kids like them, but because I think they are fun, too. You wont want to relegate the finished products to your kids room. You will want to see them in the rest of your home as well. You just might find yourself in make-believe lands, at spontaneous celebrations, and in improvised theatrical productions! Because kids create with such freedom and joy, you will learn as much from them as they learn from you.

Make no mistake. This book is not for kids. It is for you. But with these projects you get to make stuff while making kids happy. Smiles all around.

You can get kids involved in the actual making in small or large ways. How you do this will depend on the project you choose, the age of the child, and your personalities. Maybe youll choose fabrics together, focusing on your sons favorite colors. You could supervise your daughters first go at your sewing machine. You may even lead a bunch of cousins in a group project to present as a grandparents gift.

From selecting fabrics to designing patterns to sewing the project, each project has a Kid Work list. I dont recommend ages for these jobs because even within a certain age group, fine motor skills and abilities vary widely. You will decide what makes sense for you and the kids youre sewing with.

How can you make this a wonderful experience for everyone?

First, know yourself. I have trouble letting go of control when it comes to my projects. Not pretty, but I admit it. When my older daughter was three and a half years old, she wanted to help me choose fabric for a doll. I cringed. I stressed. She pulled browns, oranges, reds, and purples from the scrap bag. I accepted that the doll would be a reject. Turns out, it was a great combination, and it is still one of my favorite dolls.

With the right balance, you can have as much fun as your little partner. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results, and you might even learn a thing or two from your own kid. If you like to be in control like I do, give yourself a good talking to before you start. (I need to do it every time I work with my girls.) Remind yourself that this is not your personal project. You can say it belongs to both of you, but really it belongs to your child. You are there to provide technical support and to enjoy some special time together.

Also, know your kids. Do they like animals? Get them involved in choosing animal fabrics for the Reading Time Quilt (). Do they lose interest when a project takes too long? Encourage them to help for just part of the project. Find their level of comfort and adjust as needed. Remember that this is supposed to be fun for both of you, and no one will have fun if the kids are frustrated.

Enjoy their freedom and creative abandon. You may find it catching.

Children are like wild animals: they can smell fear. Jump in with an open mind and a calm heart.

Its important to recognize when it isnt working and try another way. If working together on the same thing at the same time just isnt happening, try one of the projects that incorporate your childrens drawings. For example, they do the drawing and you do the sewing with the Theres No Place Like Home Pillows (). You make the snowman, they make the features, and the actual objects dont meet up until the end. By working side by side but on your own parts, you can still have a great time togetherand avoid some of the stress.

Let your kids help choose the fabric and trims. The more input they have in the decisions, the more excited they will be and the more they will love the final product. This may require some tongue biting and restraint on your part. You may hate orange. Get over it. On the other hand, when you get to choose materials, dont dumb down the colors. Out with insipid pastels for babies and pink for girls and blue for boys! Not only will it make your project unique, but you will be happy to have it in your home.

If you decide to make a project all by yourself, consider if your children would like a surprise or would like to watch as the project takes shape. Surprises are fun, but, depending on their ages, kids may not fully understand how the final object evolved. Showing them your progress here and there along the way can be exciting. It teaches them the process and shows them how much time and love you put into it.