Sewing Honor

Household Arts

Requirements

1. Know what the first needles and hand-sewing threads were made of.

   Answer: The first needles were made of bones, plant thorns, fish bones, and later of metals like bronze and iron. The first threads were made of natural fibers, such as animal guts, tendons, fur, hair, and plant fibers (like flax). — People used what nature offered, before steel needles and factory thread existed.

2. Learn about the invention of sewing machines.

   Answer: For a long time all clothes were sewn only by hand. In the 19th century, inventors like Elias Howe and Isaac Singer created and improved the sewing machine, which uses a needle that goes up and down very fast to join the fabrics. This made sewing much faster and easier than sewing everything by hand. — The sewing machine made people's lives easier, making sewing much faster.

3. Demonstrate how to thread a needle. Then tie a knot, in order to sew with a double thread and with a single thread.

   Answer: How to do it (with an adult nearby): 1) Cut a piece of thread. 2) To thread the needle, make the tip of the thread nice and straight (you can wet the tip slightly) and push it through the little hole (the eye of the needle). 3) Single thread: pull the thread through on just one side and tie a knot at the bottom end. 4) Double thread: pull the thread through on both sides, keeping them the same length, and join the two ends in a single knot. Ready to sew! — Knowing how to thread the needle and tie the knot is the first step for any sewing.

4. Sew on 7 buttons, on the same piece of fabric, without forgetting to finish off the stitching. There must be at least one button of each of the following:
   • A one-hole button;
   • A two-hole button;
   • A four-hole button.

   Answer: How to do it (with an adult): 1) Thread the needle and tie the knot in the thread. 2) Pass the needle from under the fabric up to where the button goes. 3) Four-hole button: sew by passing the thread through the little holes several times (you can make an X or two parallel lines). Two-hole button: pass through the two holes several times. One-hole button (shank button): pass the thread through the little loop underneath several times. 4) Finishing off: at the end, make a few small stitches in the same spot and a knot underneath, so the button doesn't come loose. Repeat until you've sewn on all 7 buttons. — Sewing on buttons and finishing them off is one of the most useful kinds of sewing in everyday life.

5. Make a bag or cushion filled with beans, sand, or other fine material.

   Answer: How to do it (with an adult): 1) Cut two equal pieces of fabric (or fold just one). 2) Put the edges together with the wrong side facing out and sew three sides with stitches close together. 3) Turn the fabric so the right side is facing out. 4) Fill it with beans, sand, or rice, without overfilling. 5) Close the last side by sewing it and finish off with a knot. There you go, your little cushion (beanbag) is done! — Sewing the sides and closing in the filling teaches you to make a whole piece from start to finish.

6. Join pieces of fabric to make a cover for a toy or object. It can be an outfit for dolls. At least two different types of stitches must be used.

   Answer: How to do it (with an adult): 1) Choose a toy or doll and measure the fabric to its size. 2) Cut the pieces. 3) Join the parts using two different stitches, for example the basting stitch (straight stitches in a row) on one side and the whipstitch (going around the edge) on the other side, so it doesn't fray. 4) Turn it right side out and put it on the toy. 5) Finish off with a knot at the end. You can decorate it however you like! — Using two types of stitch shows that you learned more than one way to sew.

7. Plan and carry out some activity inspired by reading the story told in Acts 9:36-41.

   Answer: In Acts 9:36-41 the Bible tells the story of Dorcas (also called Tabitha), a good woman who sewed clothes and helped the poor; when she died, the apostle Peter prayed and God brought her back to life. How to do it (with an adult): 1) Read the story together. 2) Think of someone who needs help (a family, a shelter, someone who is sick). 3) Use what you learned about sewing to make something simple to give as a gift (a little cushion, a small piece of clothing, a little pouch). 4) Deliver it with love, just as Dorcas did. Pick a day and do it together! — Dorcas used sewing to help others, and this activity teaches us to do the same with love.