LESSON FOUR

Sewing School Rules

You already read these Sewing School Rules in Lesson One. Here are the reasons behind them.

1. Always know where your needle is!

This is very important. Just like a grown-up’s needle, your needle is sharp and will hurt if it accidentally pokes someone. Never put a needle in your mouth! Take the time to make a needle book to keep in your sewing kit. If a needle does poke you, be sure to wash the spot with soap and water, and ask a grown-up to check you out.

2. Be safe.

Find a good place to sit and sew. This can be in your bedroom, a chair in the den, or an out-of-the-way spot in the kitchen. Wherever you go, don’t walk and sew! And be sure to check in with a grown-up whenever you need to use an iron, or when a project calls for adult help.

3. Nothing has to be perfect.

What you sew might not look like stuff you could buy in a store, but that’s okay, because you made it yourself. Most sewing mistakes are easy to fix. You can undo your stitches just like you can erase a line that you made with your pencil. Simply take off the needle, put it in your needle book, and carefully pull your thread loose; then start over. See Oops! Something Is Wrong! for more ideas about how to fix a project that’s gone wrong.

4. Take your time.

None of these projects have to be completed in a single day, or even a week or a month. Sewing is not a race, so try to relax. When you want to take a break, store your project in a plastic bag that zips closed.

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