Teach Your Kids
(or yourself)
How To Sew !

It's easier than most people think, when you have DIRECTIONS progressive sewing lessons at your side. Simple and complete instructions cover every step with detailed pictures. You'll "get it" faster than if you try to use 'regular' patterns that assume you already know how to sew. Start with the most basic of basics, no matter how old you are. Children will usually be ready to sew around age 6, 7, or 8. If you can tie your shoes and write your name and read second-grade level books, you can learn to sew! The first beginner sewing project, a VERY simple baby blanket (or lap blanket), teaches simple pinning and control of the sewing machine. Then you're ready for the more difficult Pillowcase and Tote.

This 9-yr-old is pleased as punch to be finishing up her Unit 1, Lesson 3 Tote. YIPPEE! Now onward and upward - to Unit Two and some Real Clothes!!

What a great feeling to be able to sew anything you want - anytime you want! Those of you who sew already know this. Some special function comes up and you're right there at the sewing machine, "whipping up" something great. If you don't know how to sew yet, you probably have had the feeling that you really would like to sew up a skirt or dress or jeans that fit great. Once you know how to sew, you can make anything you want. Trouble is, there are some folks out there who want to make something before they know how to sew. Usually turns out badly for both the person and the project. I'm sure you've heard stories of sewing that seemed to start out OK and then ended up in a corner in frustration, never to be seen again. This can happen when the project is too far advanced for the skills available at the time. You don't want that happening to your kids while they are learning! That's why I created the DIRECTIONS series of sewing lessons. I'm guessing you would rather enjoy sewing time with your kids rather than stressing over whether or not they are doing it "right" or if you are "missing something". So give yourself a break - just start with Unit One, Lesson One, and work your way up. One Lesson, One Skill, One Project. Finish it fast and go to the next one. No, you're not going to be making that amazing evening gown or perfect pair of jeans next week. But it won't take long before you start to feel sewing in your bones - the seams and stitches just start coming naturally. More and more complex clothes flow off of your sewing machine - the creation of your own hands. And you get to say "I Made It Myself".

It's going to be awhile before you can sew up your entire wardrobe successfully. But you will finish your very first non-clothing project in just a couple hours! Your first clothing will come a short time later in Unit Two. The best plan is to start small and easy, with clothes that require little or no fitting. That way you can make up some great easy projects really fast! Then build up your skills one garment at a time until you can sew up anything you want. First, you'll learn how to use your sewing machine and sew up the simplest of things - a blanket, a pillowcase, a tote. Then you'll be ready to sew up simple garments after just these three simple lesson! It's really easy the "DIRECTIONS" way. It works whether you are teaching your own kids or others' kids (or yourself - we won't tell!) Instead of having to read many books about sewing just to make one thing, we make it a simple matter to figure out what to do. DIRECTIONS sewing lesson patterns for children use lots of pictures and the clothing projects are organized easiest (Unit One) - easier (Unit Two) - easy (Unit Three). Harder things like pockets, zippers, jeans, dresses, and button shirts are saved for after you're really good at the easy stuff. Competence before confidence, confidence before creativity! It won't be long before you can sew anything you can imagine, from halloween costumes to original designs to gifts to formal gowns.

As a parent, even if you don't know a thing about sewing, you can still use DIRECTIONS with your children because we don't leave anything out - we don't assume you know how to fill in the missing information. DIRECTIONS is so much more: it's all there: books, patterns, instructional materials, and our collectible "SkillCards", all in one Module Package. For just fifteen bucks or so! Sure it's not your dollar-ninety-nine sale commercial pattern, but then again it's not just a big piece of flimsy tissue paper and a confusing construction list on newsprint, either. When you get your Lesson Modules, just read up on the included SkillCards (second grade reading level) and then open the book to page one, and follow along until you're finished. You'll never want to use a "regular pattern" for teaching kids to sew again!

Regular store patterns, even the ones called super-easy or learn-to-sew, are intended for folks who already know something about sewing. If you don't even know how to thread your machine, you've got to start at the beginning - with DIRECTIONS Learn To Sew Unit One, which includes our exclusive "Learn To Use The Sewing Machine" training module. It works with any sewing machine! Then we get right to the projects. Simple and fast at first for that great "I DID IT" feeling of accomplishment. Then a little harder and a little longer, for that great "LOOK WHAT I DID" feeling of satisfaction. You've got to keep learning more and more! No need to settle for limiting yourself to the super-easy projects that are a dime a dozen all over the internet. Get some real training, with real projects to bind that training into the hands and mind. If your goal is to actually have your children LEARN to sew on their own (rather that just doing what they're told), DIRECTIONS is the right path for you. Start with Unit One, then work your way up until you can sew up any pattern, from any company, even if the instructions are missing, or worse, confusing. After you know all the rules, you can even create your own!

If you already know how to sew, you know what a delight it is, and you want your kids to be able to enjoy it, too. If you don't already sew, it is likely you found our site because you want to learn yourself or you want to teach your kids. Learning to sew is less about teaching and more about allowing the space to learn. It is very much like riding a bicycle or water skiing. The teacher can give all the tips and help they can, but the student must accept the learning on their own. Does that make sense to you? One just has to do the same basic things over and over, especially in the beginning, until the muscle memory takes over and the skill becomes second nature.

It is a wonderful feeling to sew your own clothing! Much more so than sewing crafty items or quilting which have a completely different kind of enjoyment. When you wear clothes you have made yourself, you get the nicest compliments from everyone you meet all day long. Some of them might not even believe you made it yourself! (Does't matter if they believe you or not - you know the truth!) Plus the more you learn, the better you get and the more difficult projects you can sew. You'll have to start at the beginning. But that's easy to do. One step at a time the DIRECTIONS way, and it won't be long before you can make your own shorts and dresses and jeans and shirts. Or whatever other wonderful things you can imagine.

Most regular "patterns" are much too difficult for a beginner. They assume you know all kinds of things about sewing like grain and notches and interfacing before you can even begin. Our DIRECTIONS program requires the following skills before you can begin:

• You must know how to read at a second-grade reading level
• You must write your name in letters that are all the same size
• You must tie your shoelaces into a neat bow with even-size loops

That's it! If you can do those three things, you can learn to sew today (literally within about 10 minutes) with our Unit One ebooks no matter how old you are - 5, 6, 7, 8, 22, 38, or 59 - whatever age you are, you start at the beginning, with Unit One Beginner Sewing Lessons For Kids. If you'd rather have the hard copy Lesson Modules shipped to you, we can do that too. After you are done with Unit One, come back and order Unit Two Easy Sewing Lessons. Then Unit Three Sewing Lessons, and Four, etc. You and/or your kids will learn faster and sew better by following along each lesson in order. If you are working with your kids, you will be pleased to know that the DIRECTIONS program is incredibly empowering. You will find your kids need less and less supervision at the sewing machine as they progress in skill. And since everything is carefully and completely explained, you can teach your kids to sew even if you don't know the first thing about it yourself!

Sewing is an incredibly complex skill, but not really all that hard. Most folks get lost in trying to learn too much at once. With the DIRECTIONS program, you get little bite-size pieces one at a time for 100% success with every project. It is thoughtfully organized into a natural learning order. As you explore each Lesson Module, you will find they are all self-explanitory. The DIRECTIONS program is so much more than just an easy pattern for kids to sew. You will find samples and examples of our lesson materials on most of the description pages, along with materials lists, prerequisistes, and objectives for the Module. Learning to sew is so much easier when you only have to master one or two things at a time! Then you continue to build on a solid foundation. We are here for you if any questions pop up - just call our 800 phone number, or use the "CONTACT" button in the left column to send an email. I can usually respond to my email within 4 hours, but most certainly within 2 days in the case of weekends, holidays, or when I have an all-day workshop. Go ahead and get started! I'll back you up with all the help you need. You might surprise yourself at how easy it is and how little extra help you need when you take it one step at at time the DIRECTIONS way!

Compare For Yourself

	DIRECTIONS System	Regular Patterns	Fun To Sew Books
Easy For Kids To Read
Wide Variety of Projects
Good For Beginners
Organized in Sequence