when they are old enough to have an interest and to follow simple instructions.
my youngest granddaughter made her first quilt when she was 4.
i bought her a little (her size) sewing machine...a care bear table and chairs...also just her size. she laid out her fabric (she has her own 'stash-box'- she's a little textile obsessive)
on the floor, arranged and rearranged. when she had it (right- to - her) she started sewing...she had little safety shears to cut with...if she wanted something cut that was larger than she wanted to deal with she brought it to me to cut...and when she had her quilt top together...then and only then...she let me press it for her.
then we tipped a dresser on it's side for her to stand- walk on ; loaded that baby up and she quilted it with the 'big-machine'.
she pieced and quilted the whole quilt (twin size) in about 3 days of visiting and got that quilt into the mail...it was a special project for her daddy who had just been deployed...and she wanted to make sure he didn't forget her while he was gone...6 years later; it's still his favorite quilt :thumbup:
i did not stress over seams that were 1" wide...or crooked.. i know no matter what it would be ok ... and it is ... with all 3 girls i never (got on them) about technique...i did not want to discourage them in any way. as the years have passed their skills have improved through practice without me ever making them take anything out or 'fix' anything. they have always been happy- positive in their experiments. the older 2 girls spend most of their time anymore making bags/purses (self-designed) and the middle child is a wonderful hand-embroider-er...she does an absolutely beautiful job and makes pillows & stuff like that out of her finished embroideries...she did mention before christmas that she thinks it would be fun to just sit at the machine with a box of my scraps next to her and start sewing them all together until its' a quilt...FABULOUS IDEA! i so want to take her up on that one...just have to find some time...those girls are so dog=gone busy!