Developing the Love of Sewing - Trolls

What is it about sewing that is so engaging?  What were your first sewing projects?  Why do some of us remember sewing with such great pleasure while others found it to be horribly frustrating?

For me, those first projects were dolls and small stuffed animals.  We used to draw figures onto old sheets, cut around them, sew around them, stuff them with....old pantyhose(waste not want not) and Voila a new friend to play with was born.  

learning to sew with fun simple projects

My dear mother is the treasure keeper.  She has managed to preserve objects from my childhood which are only passed on to me when she deems that I will care enough to continue to care for them.  One of my motto's in life is..." Have I used this in the last 2 years? No! Than I can get rid of it"  You might not know that I have an abhorrence of clutter when you visit my studio, but I dislike cluttered, closets, drawers and cupboards.  This causes my Mother to act with due discretion when passing on objects that she has kept safely tucked away until she feels I would deem it important enough to continue to treasure it as well.

A number of years ago she presented me with some of the clothes I had made for myself as a child along with dolls and their wardrobes.  Whenever you received a doll from my mother it came with a complete wardrobe and of course a case to store it all in.  What a Gift!!

Here I am in midlife and these items have become very dear to me.  In fact I find myself, like many others stalking ebay and etsy to find my lost treasures.  Those items that were simply so abused by use they just didn't survive my childhood.  

Needless to say some of those items were sewing patterns.  

This pattern, recently found on ebay is one of those treasured patterns.  The trolls name is Melodie and we had many adventures together, most of them in am orange Jeep actually, but all of them in garments made from this pattern, McCalls 7589 Felt Togs for Trolls.  My sisters and I made so many of these garments over the years that the patterns were transferred to cardboard(discarded cereal boxes) several times.  

They are simple, clever and oh so flippn cute!!!

Believe it or not you used to be able to find lovely wool felt at your local fabric store, alas no more, but rest assured I will  be ordering felt shortly so that Melodie can model some new togs.

I am curious, Did you sew from patterns as a child or like to make your own?

Do you know a child who enjoys sewing small things?

Did you develop a love of sewing as a child or later in life?