Quilting with Kids

Actually a better title for this post may be watching kids quilt. I am raising two girls that love to quilt and I do not have a quilting hobby. When my 13 year old daughter was about 6 years old I helped her create a very simple quilt similar to the one my 8 year old just finished (pictured below).

Not being a quilter myself, but only knowing a few basic sewing techniques, I read a book and helped her finish the quilt. Unfortunately, I was not familiar with many of the time saving quilting secrets or the proper techniques, but I was familiar with my daughter's abilities, and apparently created a quilter.

That was seven years ago. Since then she has completed eight quilts and is working on her ninth. She loves quilting and can't get enough.

Soon she will be taking her first quilting class and she is saving her money to purchase an embroidery sewing machine.

In addition, her hobby has inspired my 8 year old daughter to quilt. So far she has completed one quilt which took her over a year to finish.

She is proud of her accomplishment.

Since her quilt took so long to complete, I am now helping her with a quilted bag. It is started, but now sitting. She moved onto knitted slippers, a knitted scarf and other projects, but I think she will return to the quilted bag. She's not as focused as my older daughter, but just as crafty. Raising quilters, doesn't require parents to be experts or even have a quilting hobby. It just takes a little exposure. If kids enjoy it, they will continue on their own. If they don't enjoy it, they will find something else they like to do.