Quilting with Kids
Teaching your child to quilt provides an opportunity to share in a rewarding experience and create a finished product you and your child can be proud of. Quilting is a valuable skill children will be able to use and enjoy throughout their lives. If this sounds intimidating, just follow these simple steps for an enjoyable project to make and a wonderful keepsake you’ll treasure for years.
Quilting is an activity parents and children can do together. It’s educational and gives kids confidence and self-esteem when they are able to complete something on their own. If you ask my daughter what is special about my sewing machine, she tell you ” I don’t touch it”. Instinctively she knows how important the sewing machine is to me, and it isn’t surprising that she often asks to do sewing projects with me. We named my daughter Emily’s 1st quilt “Lizard Quilt”. She loves to cuddle under it when she is watching her favorite cartoons.
For your first quilt, choose a simple and small project. Many quilt magazines offer great projects for beginners. Your local quilt shop can probably give you the best assistance in selecting a project. These experienced quilters will easily be able to guide you to a simple but fun and age appropriate quilt. They can also help you select the supplies you need. The simpler the project, the better chance you have of finishing it. Many excellent books are available to guide you. If you are having trouble choosing, quilt shops can often let you know how other customers liked various books. Most quilt shops carry a variety of pre-packaged kits for projects like this.
Completing a quilt requires a variety of skills. The quilt top must be pieced together. The quilt sandwich must be assembled, and quilting performed. Finally, the project must be finished by binding the edges. Begin with the most basic tasks. To keep the project more manageable, consider focusing on teaching a single quiltmaking skill. Once your child masters a skill, move on the next advanced skill.
Emily’s project started when I saw a bright, exciting fabric covered with many colorful lizards, I knew I had to bring it home for her. Together we went thorough my fabric stash and picked several coordinating colorful fabrics. Since I am a machine quilter and Emily was just 4 years old, I did most of the sewing. That of course did not limit her at all. Emily made most of the design choices and told me which quilt squares were to be joined together. By the completion of the quilt, Emily was able to tell me all the steps involved in making the quilt.
By age five, some children are able to accomplish some of the steps needed for sewing a quilt. To teach hand sewing techniques start BIG. Use a large plastic needle with a big eye and plastic grid needlepoint material. These supplies are readily available at large craft outlets like Michael’s. You can also begin by sewing together felt scraps. These enlarged projects help young children master the fine motor skills needed for completing a quilt project. At age eight, more sophisticated skills have emerged. Many kids can safely use a regular sewing needle and complete a simple project. By age 12-14 some kids have already completed a quilt or basic sewing project on their own.
Using these guidelines, and your knowledge of your child’s abilities, be sure to choose a project that is age appropriate. Each child is unique, so assess your child’s skill level. A good choice for a beginner would be a one patch project using ½ seam allowances. Limit yourself to two to four quilt squares. By picking a project that is not too complicated, you’ll both have a more enjoyable experience. It can be hard to give up all artistic control, but allowing your child to fully express themselves instills enormous self confidence. Try to envision your project in a way that allows your child to make as many choices as possible.
If your child is too young to complete the entire project on their own, there is still a lot to be gained and enjoyed. Choose a portion for the project for the child to do. Regardless of a child’s abilities, making a quilt together will be a special and memorable experience. My daughter especially enjoyed picking out some of the larger lizard motifs to be made into appliqués. Each time we put together quilt squares, Emily instructed me on what to do. By watching me, she had learned all the steps in making a quilt. When it was time to stitch, she’d enthusiastically shout “put down the ankle, Mom”…and then “GO!”. It was my cue to start the seam. We repeated the process again and again until finally the “lizard quilt” was complete.
