Miss J's Stitching--An Artist Smock Fourth Finish for 2nd Quarter Finish-Along 2018

Panel that we started with

This panel of a child's artist smock was on the guild free table last fall. I thought that it would be a good stitching project for Miss J. We cut out the shape and the two pockets. I showed her how to draw a line on some of the fabric waste and then gave her a pair of scissors so we both were cutting. She liked drawing her own line. Of course, she LOVED cutting!

I'm finding that if we use the same supplies and work on the same techniques, then Miss J has more fun when we stitch. She loves to cut with scissors. Cutting tiny pieces excites her. As she cuts, she watches how the tool reacts rather than cutting to achieve the shape! She also wants to cut with a variety of scissors. She has "her" fabric which she can cut whenever and however she wants.

We have had instances where she has cut other fabric. . .but, no one died.  In those instances, I learned a better way of setting parameters, explaining the parameters and reviewing the parameters!  We both have progressed!

Bias tape and lower pocket

We looked over my vintage collection of bias tape and found enough double fold bias tape. We needed two packages. The prices on the packaging ranged from 15 cents to 54 cents! The yardage in the cheaper packages was five yards! The 54 cent package contained four yards. These were in my grandmother's stash. When possible, I try to use some of her treasures. She would have loved this project because it was for a kid and she loved kids!

Miss J chose the red packages. She had a choice. She could have chosen blue; but, since I'm partial to red, I was happy with her choice! Additionally, now that her project is finished, I like the contrast with the red! The first day, we cut out the pieces, chose the bias tape and stitched the upper pocket.

View of the ties and the smock back

When we sew, Miss J sits on my lap. I provide the power and she "steers." She guides the fabric under the presser foot. Yes, I also help with the guiding process. She lowers and raises the presser foot. She backstitches when we need that function. She is working on identifying the throat plate and foot and selecting those in the machine I have. She thinks the needle position button is cool but, not as interesting as the stitch length and width dials! Again, she likes to see what all the buttons do which sometimes leaves me with an interesting stitch!

The second day, we stitched the lower pocket and cut all the bias tape pieces. The third day, we sewed the ties on the smock. Miss J liked stitching the long edge of the bias tape closed. She can almost thread the top of the machine and most of the time, she can thread the bobbin. We also stitched the bias tape around the outer edges of the smock. Then she tried it on! She loved it!!! She is ready to create art.

Tomorrow, I'll enter this item in the country fair for her which happens over the weekend. Maybe we will be able to go to the fair and see her entry together. It sure was fun to stitch with her.

For the photo, I was surprised that she didn't have her hands in the pockets. She thinks that creating the pockets is magical. She hasn't put together yet that it is the stitching that makes the divisions to give the sections. This was goal number 19 on my 2nd Quarter Finish Along list. I used a yard of fabric. This brings the total of fabric used from my stash to 9 yards. I only have 41 more yards to go to meet my goal of using 50 yards from stash this year!

Finished smock ready for creating art