My granddaughter is 9 years old and she was in a fabric store with her step-sister (who is learning to sew at 17) and she was in heaven. My daughter said she was touching all the fabrics and saying what this piece or that piece would look good made up and my daughter told her "you definitely are your grandmother's granddaughter. She is wanting me to teach her to sew, so I think that might be a good project for this summer. I know 9 years isn't too early to start, because I started making doll clothes much earlier than that.