Ten is a great age to learn...just teach safety first! The gloves are a great idea. You may also wish to try the suction handles to hold the ruler and keep fingers out of the way.

My DGD made a quilt 4 kids but we used the scissors. She's 12 now and I'm not comfortable with turning her loose with the rotary cutter... I'm not comfortable with ME using it :)... I do like the idea of the safety gloves and $12.99 is not a bad price... I've seen them in LQS for double that...

I think part of it depends on the child. My 2 boys are so different - I would never have let my oldest anywhere near a rotary cutter until he was about 15, but I would feel totally comfortable with my youngest, who is 10 right now. And yes, I would explain carefully and then watch carefully.

i don't think you are being overprotective at all--
it is WAY better to be safe than sorry, isn't it?
When you least expect it---who knows?
there are plenty of ADULTS that shouldn't have one!

Thanks so much. Love the glove idea. Madison has made a small lap quilt and a few other things and knows this will take time - she wants to do most of it so she has ownership. I do the suction handles for the rulers.

I'll let you know how it works. Hope to get the fabric this week.

Here's one more option for Ruby - if what she's cutting is mostly strips. More $$$$ but it's your choice.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-129427-1.htm#3450099

NAYY.

I teach sewing & quilting to 9 year olds to adult each week in an after school program. We allow even the 9 year olds to use the rotary cutters after instruction and with supervision.
They are usually more careful than the adults. Stress the importance of retracting the blade every time before laying the cutter down. We usually have to help them hold down the ruler while they cut. This allows "supervision" in a non intrusive way. Good Luck.

both of my granddaughters were able to use the rotary cutter at 10 yrs old. i just stood over them and made them really "look" at what they were doing. if their attention started to wander i would have them stop work and do something else for a while.

just like jcquilts says : cut a little, sew a little. have fun grandma.

Great that she wants to start young. I taught my DGG. Lay out the rules. Make her wear shoes (in case she drops it). Mine were only allowed to cut if I was standing beside them. Any broken rule...she had to stop...and she had to do the dishes the rest of the week. I taught six of them and I never got out of doing the dishes...and none of them got cut. Have confidence in her and she'll be confident. Make the rules simple but unbreakable for her safety. Enjoy!!

fons and porter has the quilting gloves