Warm and Natural has a recommended maximum distance for quilting. (I usually quilt way more than required but some want to be DONE.) You could ask (ever so innocently) if their quilting was within the batting requirements. After all, the newbie quilters don't want the batting to fall apart in the wash.

I agree with MarLeClair we all learn our best lessons by making our mistakes. With hard to handle teens I think they call it tough love. So you could call it tough love quilting.:eek:

I am with those that have suggested it be left alone. I am a perfectionist and am really thin-skinned when I feel my work is being criticized. I'm rather new at quilting and am learning lots every day, but think I may have been scared off of quilting if my first mistakes were pointed out to me. You definitely don't want to discourage their interest in quilting.

I would honestly not say anything more. At some point, we the teachers have to let go and let others learn, even if we bought the fabric or the book, or whatever. The relationship is so much more important than the density of the quilting.

It is quite possible that the quilts will be fine. If something happens after a few washings, and they ask you, then say, "that kind of batting might need more lines of quilting." Make sure that the subject of the sentence is the batting and not the quilter.

Compliment, SUGGEST, compliment. And suggest, every manufacturer of batting has differing information about quilting. Which one did you use? and Oh, what did it say?

I am one of those who prefers a quilt that is more like a comforter. They may be of this mindset as well. If so, they most likely wonder why you are wanting to do more quilting, since that doesn't seem necessary. And after all, they are happy with it as it is.

I don't know....I would nip it in the bud from the very beginning. I would just say it once nicely. Honey, this is not enough quilting. It's good that we have a chance to discuss this as you are learning. After all this work you did, you sure don't want that batting to slip down. Then instruct her where to do more quilting, you were after all teaching them.