Oh no...I've created a determined monster! Remember my 6yr old that made a little doll quilt a while back? She is now working on a crib sized quilt. She should be done today, but she wants to hand quilt it. I'm wondering how to teach her. Has anyone taught someone this young? I though about buying some pearl cotton and teaching her to do a long stitch. I'm worried about those tiny fingers of hers!

I don't want to sound mean but....
Teach her the proper way to do it with as small of stitches as she can manage. Tell her the smaller the better. After a few minor pin pricks she'll learn. We can't protect them from every little hurt as much as we want to. Let her learn and part of the learning is learning not to stick yourself.
Just give her some thimbles and keep encouraging her. Tell her that it will be so beautiful when she gets it done and that yes, it takes a long time but it's worth every minute.

Every read the story about the butterfly struggling to get out of the cocoon? All the hard work needed to get out also helps them develop so that they can fly. If you open it for them they die. Allow your "butterfly" to develop so that she can fly.

So well said!!
Good for her wanting to try, praise and encourge her all the way.

Raptureready you said that so beautifully!!!
Encourage your daughter the whole way. Handquilting I feel is becoming a dying art form so let her do it!!

I think this a great answer! Have her use thimbles and let her learn at her own pace, but encourage her as much as you can.

Maybe combine some SID with handquilting?
I think it is wonderful that she wants to learn to handquilt :D:D:D

Oh I definitely want her to learn the correct technique, I was thinking more of this style of quilting...http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vduCtjwfsP...h/P2170353.JPG I thought it looked really pretty, and she could get used to holding a needle and thread. My handquilting needles are tiny. I might let her use a larger one for her first try. Her quilt is purple and white, so I found some purple embroidery floss. She's excited and knows, although this "thread" is way bigger than mommy's, she will still be quilting.

What a joy to see her following in your footsteps! (or should that be handprints?)

My DGS (also age 6) is showing signs of wanting to make something as well.

I agree with all - it's much easier to teach the proper way than unteaching the wrong way - I learned that when I was teaching Math and had to help the kids relearn some methods from previous teachers. Just don't 'force' her to do too much - when she's ready to quit for the day, let her... I, personally, would probably finish it for her if she loses interest - but maybe in subsequent ones teach her to finish what she starts...

I wish someone would have taught me at a young age. Also I still am not able to use a thimble. Teach her that I think it is important and will save those sweet tiny fingers.

I think it is great that she wants to learn. let her pick a simple design and try it. Maybe a sashiko type design which is supposed to be bigger stitches is a good starting place.

I am still learning and all my teachers stress the evenness of the stitch length first. Then you work on getting smaller stitches.

Why not trace a simple quilting design on some plain fabric, make it into a sandwich, and then let her practice on that. It will be smaller and easier for her to handle, and she won't worry about messing up her crib quilt until she's ready to try that challenge.

I totally agree. My 7 year old GD started using a needle to sew when she was 5. SHe has made a crib sized quilt and is starting on her 2nd one.

I agree I wished I had someone to teach me when I was young.

When I was about 3-4 before kindergarten, my grandmother had me embroidering tea towels. That was what you did back in time. Teach her the proper way, how to sit with the correct light going over her shoulder ( was it right or left) and how to tear out the stitches that don't look perfect. The whole nine yards. My sons made potholders with buttons on them so they could sew buttons on their clothes. Thank heaven because the women they married never saw a needle much less thread...

You must be so very proud of her! :wink:

And she won't feel overwhelmed with a large project. :wink:

Good for her! And remember, perfect practice makes perfect, or so our swim coach always said.

I can't wait to see her project. She is one of us. And with your help I know she can do it.

i was probably 5-6 years old when my grandma gave me needle and thread and fabric to stitch, i was a pest, always right there watching every move when she was sewing, knitting, what ever...i didn't hand quilt back then i embroidered pictures on muslin squares...and i'm sure i poked myself plenty, but i don't remember, what i do remember is i've loved to sew since i was pretty young, and am so grateful to a patient loving grandma who let me do, without ever saying i was too young; her philosophy with all of us kids was if we were old enough to say...i want to sew too...you were old enough to sew.
i didn't get to use an iron until i was 8...then only at 4-H...grandma's was too heavy for me to lift :)

Personally I think little fingers like hers will probably take a while to be able to manipulate the 'proper' hand quilting stitch. It could be frustrating for her to master it. You have to gauge it to her own personality but if it were my grandaughter I would be happy to teach her The Big Stitch and have her master consistent sized stitches first. She can then work on making them smaller. Remember in kindergarten we all started out with the big, thick crayons and pencils? It's so our little hands could get used to being used for detail. Just MHO.

Great Advice

I use two thimbles, one on the top and another on the bottom. Prevents lots of pricks! I thank my blessed Grandmother every day for sticking with stubborm old me MAKING me learn to use a thimble. It was hard for me to get used to, but has allowed me to sew and quilt all these years! She gave me the greatest gift, and is with me every day especially when I sew. I use her silver thimble and thank God she gave me the gift of sewing.

I was about this age when I learned to quilt. It is this generation that will keep hand quilting alive.

She won't die from a few pin pricks, and she'll learn quickly not to do that (pain is a great teacher, no?). Imagine . . . if she's that interested in quilting at age 6, what beautiful quilts might she be making by the time she's 26?

Teach her the correct way from the start. By the time she's your age or much older, my age, she'll be better than anyone on the board. It's much harder to go back and correct something that was learned wrong, than to start the correct way from the start. I give her so much credit for learning at a young age.

This looks like it would be just perfect for little hands of someone just learning. I imagine she would love the colored thread, and she would learn more about making her stitches even. She can learn and perfect tiny stitches later as she matures. What a wonderful gift - for you, to have a daughter interested in learning quilting from you, and for your daughter to have a loving mom to teach her. I hope you'll post a picture of her finished quilt.

Being an experienced hand quilter, I'm not sure I agree with starting big. I made a quilt that called for pearl cotton and large stitches. It was very uncomfortable for me and took me much longer than I thought to finish. Of course, I'm comfortable with an 11 between and quilting thread. I guess my point is, if she gets comfortable with the large needle and stitch, it could be difficult for her to switch. How about loading a hoop with muslim and batting and let her try both methods before starting the quilt. Either way, you are the luckiest mother on earth to have someone so young to pass your skills along to.

I can say from experience that quilting with N0.5 Perle cotton is not that easy as it would seem...for example threading the needle and pulling it through. For a youngster it would be even harder to do in my opinion. I would get her some hand quilting thread and let her go for it. It will be easier for her and she won't get as frustrated..

this reminds me of my dd when she was about 8 and wanted me to teach her to crochet. i thought she was too young but she WAS determined - now she picks the most difficult patterns to work on and has since taught me to knit. aren't dd wonderful?

I was 3 yrs. old when my Grandmothers taught me to sew. It was all hand done for the first year. Then they started me out on the machine. My first quilt I was somewhere between 3-4 and my Grandma Horn taught how to make the small quilting stiches. Of corse they weren't purfect but she made me prode of them and incouraged my quilting from that time. I which they were still here. I miss both of them so much. I'm 65 Yrs. Old and have sewing and quilting for the last 62 yrs.

Good idea. If she has the mindset to hand quilt, she must realize the time it takes. I like the floss idea.

She is young but if she wants to learn then teach her the correct way because, as we all know, when we start doing something the wrong way it is hard to relearn the correct way. Her quilting may not be perfect to us adults but to her and for her it will be beautiful and what she learns now will mean so much more later on.

I think that is very doable for a 6 yr old. I started teaching my DGD a similar thing when she was 5 and she did quite well with it. I put my emphasis on making nice even stitches and following the pattern. As she practices, and matures, she can handle smaller needles and finer threads. At 5, my DGD sewed a design on the fabric and then sewed the edges of the fabric together into a pillow cover, all by hand and did a good job of it.

I love this idea! I think for her first hand quilting experience it will turn out great.

Also, try tiger tape to help keep her stitches the same size

I agree teach her to do it properly first, so she doesn't have to relearn it the right way. BTW great for your daughter, tell her to keep up the good work.

How well said. Let her learn the right way, can you imagen if she is tout the right way now, what a beautiful quilter she will be when she is an adult. Good for both of you, and God bless.

After re-reading the replies, I've come to the conclusion that if you feel your child can understand the traditional way of quilting (6, 8, 12 stitches to the inch [whatever]) then by all means teach away. All I can say is when teaching my child to quilt at 6 or 7; she just wanted a finished quilt. My teaching her to do it right at that age just frustrated her and at 17 the doll quilt is still waiting to be finished.

I totally agree.