The Russell County 4-H program offered a hand sewing program over a two month period.  Hand sewing is a heritage sewing skill that children have been learning for decades.  This skill helps youth develop fine motor skills and improves hand-eye coordination.  Also developing hand sewing skills is an inexpensive way to sew because no machine is required, preserves vintage sewing techniques, is relaxing, is a gateway to learn other creative stitching techniques, and improves focus because it is a slower process that provides relaxation and a meditative benefit (wunderlabel.co.uk).

The youth were provided with resources from University of Kentucky’s Family and Consumer Sciences on creative stitchery along with vetted YouTube videos on basic sewing stitches (i.e. running stitch, overcast stitch, back stitch, etc.).  With the first project, the youth created a small tic-tac-toe board.  For the next project, the youth used wool felt to make heart hand warmers using rice as the filler.  The final two projects were an emoji pillow and llama toy that allowed youth to practice their skills on more intensive projects and use fiber-fill to create three-dimensional items for their home.

The youth learned and practiced their skills with the help of parents and/or older siblings in their home and submitted photographs of their finished projects to document their improving skills.  The youth were given patterns and ideas during the course of the program on projects to make for family members as gifts.