Tiny Fabric Trays

My sewing girls just finished another beginner's masterpiece!  While searching for easy sewing projects, I found tidy trays. They looked cute, quick, and easy, so I thought I'd give them a try.  The best part is that I could use materials I had in my art room! 
I precut the squares and batting I needed for the amount of girls I expected at the meeting in a variety of fabrics I had on hand.

 

I explained the directions, and showed them the sample I had made.  They caught on quickly and finished in 2 meetings.  They are becoming proficient at threading the machine, and developing patience, both important qualities for beginner seamstresses!
They were very proud of their accomplishments and ready and eager for some pillow stitching next week.

"Sew" Cute Pumpkins!

 

I'm always looking for easy sewing projects for my sewing club girls.  Thirty minutes is hardly enough time to start and finish any project after school sewing project.  Since not every girl comes every week, I like to find things that are easy, fast....and seasonal.  Yay fall!

 

 

I found this pattern for easy no sew pumpkins, and figured that it wouldn't take the students too long.  I sent out an email asking anyone coming to our weekly meeting to bring an old long sleeved shirt. The pumpkin in the pattern was made from a section of the shirt sleeve.

                                         

Teaching teenage girls for so many years prompted me to think about plan B just in case they came to the meeting unprepared.  I gathered the necessary materials for my pumpkin from my classroom closet, which some former students fondly referred to as Narnia (they even painted a sign above my closet door which says "Entrance to Narnia").  It's just amazing how much stuff is in my huge walk-in art closet!

                                

 

For my sample, I took 2 pieces of fabric and cut  approximately the same shape as the sleeve section which was used in the pattern. I stitched the two long sides together and proceeded with the rest of the directions, and my sample came out just fine.  So, now I was prepared in case I had a group of girls who did not bring in the requested long sleeved shirts.

 

When the girls arrived to the meeting, they seemed shocked to find they needed a shirt, proving they don't read their emails. Only one girl brought a shirt!  She shared a sleeve with her friend.  So that left 7 girls who needed pumpkin materials.

 

I was way ahead of them.  I pulled out some fabric and explained the directions to them. I made a quick template which they used to trace around on their selected fabric.  They quickly stitched up the sides of their selected fabric pieces, and continued with the remainder of the directions.  They got as far as the twine tendrils in one meeting which completely surprised me.  All that was left to do was to cut out leaves and glue them on.

                                 

 

To facilitate things, I Mod- Podged a large piece of burlap for the leaves the day before the next meeting, let it dry, and made a few leaf templates. The girls traced around the templates, cut out and hot glued the burlap leaves to their pumpkins.

I love the way their pumpkins turned out!  The best part of the project, is that it is cute, and easy. The project became low sew instead of no sew, but it was easy, nonetheless, and completed in nearly 30 minutes (plus 15 minutes of the next meeting for the leaves).  "Sew" cute!