"Guess what, Mommy? I sewed!"

There is nothing quite like a sleepover with a grandchild, especially on a beautiful spring day. We enjoyed a perfect day this week with our oldest grandson—a day packed with fun. And to top it all (for me, Teri, at least), he asked me what every needlework-loving grandmother wants to hear: "Grandma, could we sew something?" Need I tell you my response?! 

Sew we did! (Forgive my lame attempt at punny Yoda-speak.)

We started our adventure at a local creamery, where we enjoyed ice cream and play time on their playground. We had such fun, we almost forgot to notice the aromatic ambience that the cattle created. 

        

When we got to our house, we played for awhile, drew Disney World on our driveway with chalk, and then came that heart-stopping question. I have a big bag of scrap felt, buttons, and trimmings that I've accumulated for grandchildren-crafting, but you can well imagine my delight when he actually asked to sew. Not glue, not cut, but SEW. He found a piece of pink, which is his sister's favorite color, so he thought we should make her a butterfly. He picked a button that was her first initial, and that was where we started. I held the felt and helped him push the needle through the first buttonhole, and then he was set.  

After the button was attached, he wanted to put more stitches on the butterfly for decoration. It was a bit difficult for me to let him sew without giving him any "rules"—like making the stitches smaller than an inch or placing them close together to save thread. I didn't want to squelch his enthusiasm at all, so I just held the butterfly taut and encouraged him as he jumped from one wing to the other. After all, what does it matter if the stitches buckle a bit, or we use a little more thread? It really only mattered that he enjoyed the process. And when he was finished, he wanted more! "This is fun, Grandma. I could do this all day and all night!"

When he asked if he could make a pillow for Mommy, we dug through the bag for a piece of felt large enough, and while he was sorting through the buttons, I gathered more materials. I hooped the felt this time, because I knew it would be easier for him to hold and stitch on his own. And I doubled the thread and knotted it, so he wouldn't have to worry about unthreading his needle. He sat and stitched for longer than you would expect a 5-year-old attention span to last! 

The only stitching I did was to machine-stitch the sides and whip stitch the opening after he had stuffed the pillow. I think he would have loved to try his hand on the machine, but we may save that for next time. He worked hard to use just enough stuffing, because "everyone knows a fat pillow is better than a flat pillow."

"Perfect. Done!"

A butterfly for his sister

A pillow for his mom

His first original design!

He is so proud! (As is Grandma!!)

"I have an early Mother's Day present for you, Mommy!
I sewed!!"

Mommy loved her pillow and his sister loved her butterfly. Next time, he wants to make something bigger.

When my second-born grandson (by about six weeks) was last visiting, he was looking through one of my quilt books and asked if I could teach him how to make a quilt. My mind is already racing and planning. Won't that be an amazing experience—the cousins spending a day or two with Grandma learning how to make a quilt?! 

I can hardly contain my joy!