I love the dawning of an idea, when suddently you have that eureka! moment and its suddenly clear as day what you'd like to do. Unlike my right-brained husband Charlie, I'm not one for lists. (He has a good 5 per day folks) I'm not terribly fond of New Year's resolutions either, for fear of the overachiever in me running rampant with lofty, unattainable goals. The perfectionist in me couldn't live with letting myself down in that way, so it's just best to let my left brain take over and go with the flow. Charlie and I are very yin and yang that way so it works out rather nicely.
Throughout the hustle and bustle that preceeds the holidays, we have a constant stream of Christmas music playing, with some favorites played in heavy rotation. Perhaps its because I was born in the year of his death, or maybe just because the Beatles music served as the soundtrack to much of my childhood, I found myself listening to John Lennon's Happy Christmas once again for the umpteenth time this December. With his unmistakable voice that is sharp yet sweet, with just the right amount of melancholchy, he sings:
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
Listening to his words it was suddenly clear as day what I wanted to do in this new year - it's finally time to let my nearly four year old daughter try her hand at sewing. When I asked her if she'd like to try she beamed with excitement.
But as soon as she sat in front of the machine, she was quiet as a mouse, and you could literally hear one of my pins drop when I explained the workings of the machine.
When Annie was finally ready to give it a whirl, she was all business with an air of sophisticated calmness and concentration beyond her years.
I don't know what 2011 will bring, or what ideas and goals we'll cook up along the way, but I'm certain I'd like to see plenty more of this. The look of shy pride that crawled across her face was amazing to see. As I looked down at my daughter, wearing her handmade scarf, I'm sure my expression mirrored her own.
Sewing with children, and the age at which they start, will of course vary according to each child's unique personality, patience, and interest. For those interested in sewing with your kids this year, I found this book via The Long Thread
If anyone has come across any other resources, or suggestions from your own experience sewing with children, please feel free to share!
