Sewing with my (Lefty) Daughter

A week or so before school started I asked on the Gingercake Facebook page about ideas for sewing with my 8 year old.  Thank you so much for the good advice!  She decided on making a tote bag together with a pocket on the front to hold some STUFF.

Sewing with my lefty daughter was a bit more of a challenge than I thought.  She had a lot of trouble with my sewing scissors (in fact could barely cut with them at all!) and when she used the rotary cutter, she had to turn it in all sorts of funny angles and then still couldn't get a good cut very easily.  She loved slecting fabric though and using the machine was fun with me helping to guide.  The bag took about 3 hours to make over 2 days.  I tried hard not to rush her although I did feel like the whole project took a lot longer than I planned for a simple first adventure into real mother/ daughter sewing.

This past Saturday we made this cute water bottle cooler (with insulbrite batting!) together before her soccer game.  She wanted it to match her uniform and we had fun searching for just the right colors.  She did most of the sewing and then we put the snaps on together.  This time I did all the cutting since she got all grumpy when I brought out the cutters.  "Do I HAVE to use those again??!!"  Hmm.  Cutting is a really big part of sewing I thought.

So now I see that I can purchase lefty scissors and even a lefty rotary cutter online!  What do you think lefty sewers?  Does she just need to get used to living in a righty world or will the purchase of lefty accessories make sewing that much more fun and accessible for her?    I couldn't find a good child lefty set so it looks like I would have to buy the real (and pretty expensive!) thing for her.  This would certainly be worth it if it meant the difference between having this hobby to share together and her giving up since using my tools is too hard!

 

Comments

[sonja711]

I am a lefty, cutting with right hand scissors made sewing miserable.
Once I found a pair of left hand ones, I loved it.
Invest in the right tools. Once you have the left scissors try them.
It feels the same to her.
I love your blog.

[Mary Rickles]

Please buy her left handed scissors - having the right tools to do a job is essential. As a 65 yr. old lefty sewist and former teacher I can vouch for having left handed tools when possible. I tried to teach a kindergarten 5 year old boy to cut with scissors. After a week of his frustration, I ordered kid scissors for lefties online and as soon as he received them, he could cut. The look on his sweet little face was just priceless! It wasn't his inability to learn how to cut, it was the tool.

[Playmobil Zoo]

It is a nice habit that we are teaching in advance our children with some chores and things but still need our guidance to what they do to help them be safe with the task and most specially happy about what they are doing.

[Katharine]

A great big YES to the lefty tools - especially the scissors!! I too have a rotary cutter that you just need to switch the side the blade is on, so that's an easy fix! It's true that south paws have to be flexible in a predominately right handed world - but it's not always easy! I once worked in a theatre wardrobe whereby the industrial iron was setup for righties, one of my co-workers simply said, just use your right hand to iron - i wish it was as easy as that to switch.. I likened it to petting a cat backwards - that's what it felt like in my brain.. I love my lefty scissors - and it's funny to see the look on a right handed person when they pick them up and try to use them.. :) The puzzled look always makes me giggle!

[Cheryl]

I'm a lefty and most rotary cutters the blade just needs to be switched to the other side of the handle. Unscrew and attach to the otherside of the handle and put it back together.

[madebymum]

These are fabulous I think you have an apprentice.

[Mariel]

She looks so proud of herself! Those turned out really cute. My sister is a lefty and so is my son. But luckily my sister always cut with her right hand. I'll have to see what my son does, he seems to use his right hand for some things. Good luck to her!

[Lee]

I can use both left and right ( I am a lefty) but its more natural to do it as a lefty - if you want her to like doing it then I would say go with the lefty items - my rotary cutter can be used both ways.

[Ann]

I'm not a lefty, but I do have older kids and I do think it's worthwhile to buy them tools that are not toys. Things that work the way they should are more pleasurable, in general. Expense is an issue though, and I really get that.

I also agree with doing a lot of the cutting for her and not making it a big deal. I did this with my daughter. I had her help to hold and trace patterns, cut an easy section or two, and then did the rest. Moving to the machine was what she was mostly interested in and it kept the projects fun for her.

[Dad]

I love that Lefty!

[Emma Frazier]

If it makes you feel any better, I always HATED cutting things out when I was a kid. It was just so tedious! My mom was uber patient with me and cut them out for me when I was feeling ornery. I am glad that she did, because I wouldn't be able to sew like I can today had she made me cut out everything that I sewed.

[Sandra :)]

Buy her the lefty set - you'll encourage her to learn and enjoy what will hopefully become a lifelong passion :) Even if she can "make do" with something else, who wants to use tools that just don't feel or work right? I sure don't!

[Briawna]

I use the right rotary cutter, just switch it around so you hold the ruler with the right hand and cut with the left. I do have have lefty gingher sewing scissors. But that's my only lefty sewing tool. She'll get the hang of it. If she's anything like myself and other lefties, we get used to have to switch things around and learn to do things backwards or reversed!

[Vanessa]

How fun! My rotary cutter works for both..you just switch the blade from one side to the other!