no1jan

I was just wondering how many of you taught your kids or other kids how to quilt.

I just started a couple of months ago, and am totally hooked. I have a 12 1/2 year old granddaughter who has taken sewing in school. She even got an "A". I would like to get her interested in quilting.

How did you start?

Leota

I have taught children as young as 5 to use a sewing machine and hand sew. Usually the first project is a tote bag and then a pair of shorts and then a simple quilt. the other projects are 5/8" seams that are easier to guide the fabric and then they can move to "more advanced" sewing 1/4" seams. I hope this helps.

Pamela Artman

I taught my granddaughters to sew and they made their first quilt together when they were 8 and 10. It was a lot of fun and they love it!

Deb watkins

I have 4 girls in the after school program (high school students, had 8 girl scouts working on their sewing badge,and two grandsons - 3 & 6, who love to sew with Mimi!

Up North

I taught my granddaughter when she was 6 she loves to sew. I don't see her very often because she lives so far away but recently she made cabbage patch doll dresses. She completed a quilt with charm squares and her daddy helped her tie it.
A couple of my boys would embroider when they were 8 or 9. They also took home ec and sewed in there.

Crafty1

I'm teaching my daughter who is 11 and she is enjoying it!

Kathy N

I used to teach kids how to sew at the quilt shop I worked at. One of their favorite things was for me to be the sewing cop. I would give them tickets for speeding, taking illegals turns, not stopping in time etc. They thought that was hillarious. To teach them to sew a straight line we would take the machine with no thread and an old needle and they would sew down the lines on notebook paper. It was amazing by the end of the sheet how straight they could sew. We never had to repeat that exercise. It is rewarding to teach them, they are so excited to finish a first project. I've had boys and girls and the boys love it just as much and are probably even prouder!

Shelley

I used to teach quilting in 4-H, but gave it up around the time my youngest turned 3 or 4. Kayla is almost 11 now, and is more comfortable running the longarm than she is piecing. Maybe she'll quilt first, then take up piecing. I don't know why that can't be her path to this obsession!

no1jan

Well I guess quilting will go on, and on. With all of these children growing up and teaching more people.

I really like the idea of a sewing cop. Before my granddaughter took sewing in school she asked me if she could use my machine to see how it worked. I wouldn't let her speed, made sure all of the threads were cut, etc. After her class was over and she got her report card, she told me the teacher had the same rules.

Now she is wrapped up in the computer. She likes writing stories, which is good also.

She has Friday off, so will be here all day. I have 2 sewing machines sitting side by side. I am going to see if she will sew, but I don't want to force it on her.

littlehud

My DGD is learning from me. She started on a Janome Sew Mini and has graduated to a regular machine. She will be seven next month. She has been watching me since she was four. When I sew I push my glasses up on the top of my head because I don't need them to sew. The first time she used her machine she got her sunglasses and pushed them up on her head. Just like me. I laughed til I cried.