quilting/sewing with toddler help

[Gloria H.]

My 2 & 1/2 year old daughter loves to play with my fabric stash and when I am quilting she likes to watch. I was cleaning my sewing space today and she told me that she wanted to sew. Then she said "Sophie make a quilt." The words "you're too young" stopped on the tip of my tongue and I told her "not right now" instead.

I'm racking my brain to come up with some fabric activity that she can do that is enough like quilting to satisfy her curiosity.

Any ideas?

What were the first sewing activities you did with your children?

Megan

[Gloria H.]

One of my grands "colored" a quilt for me using crayons; another likes to re-arrange squares or triangles of colored paper; fabric scraps, work, too. And you could use glue sticks to mount them on cardboard or paper.

[Gloria H.]

I do child care and I have had the children do several different quilt crafts. I have used paper cut into squares and triangles and glued on paper. I have cut some out of fabric and used a felt board for them to design their own quilts, this one the can make over and over. It could be like a mini design wall. I have had the children color pictures with fabric crayons then ironed the designs on to cloth then made a quilt out of the blocks. You could also give our daughter scrapes of fusible fabric and let her design a block then iron it down.

[Gloria H.]

I love the felt board idea - that one is probably the most age appropriate too. I would cut a bunch of squares, triangles, rectangles, circles... you get the idea ...in a wide variety of fabrics - use fabrics of as many TEXTURES as well as colors and prints - toddlers are very tactile. Terry cloth, denim, satin, tulle, cotton, etc are all good. Let her design away and if you get really adventurous once she really likes what she has layed out let her watch as you peice it together for her 8)

[Gloria H.]

Just thought of this idea as well. I you have an old sewing machine (preferably one you are not too worried about) take the needle out of it and you could let her "sew" some of her blocks - the feed dogs will pull the fabric through making it look like they are being sewn but without the needle there is little risk of injury. Just watch her close and let her know your regular machine is off limits. :wink:

[Gloria H.]

They have michanie for kids you should look in to it Happy

[Gloria H.]

How about using a fabric glue stick with all various shapes cut from your scrap bag on a fq of muslin?

For my 7 year old she made her quilt from a very basic block and used colors she chose from my stash. I set my machine on the slowest speed and she worked the pedal while I controlled the fabric at the needle. It measured 36" square and she still enjoys it today.

Lissette

[Gloria H.]

I sent my 5 year old grand daughter a bunch of small scraps along with a fat quarter of muslin and a glue stick. she has glued a really pretty montage on the muslin. Now they will send it back for grandma to quilt. She was so excited.

[Gloria H.]

Gloria, I am so happy she's excited. I'd love to see her work of art when it's completed.

Lissette

[Gloria H.]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Sophie already likes pasting down paper scraps with the glue stick - so moving on to fabric scraps sounds like a project she could do. I should look for a super cheap sewing machine at a yard sale for her to explore. She loves to get the screw driver out with her dad and take things apart.

A friend asked me to teach her 8 year old to quilt this summer. Her daughter loves playing with fabric and has been trying to figure it out on her own. I bought Alex's book about quilting with kids and am hoping I can get this girl hooked! I knew there was a reason I had all that extra fabric...

[Annette R.]

Our dgd (now ten) started sewing with me when she was about two and a half or three. At first she would sit on my lap and I would position her hands well away from the needle and allow her to guide the cloth under the needle while I ran the foot feed. That way we never went too fast and she was able to make some simple blocks for various things - Pot holders, small table runners, etc. When she was four we made a simple pillow using strips left over from her mother's quilt. Later at about seven she designed sewed, colored and quilted a small quilt for her American Girl doll.
I ironed the blocks to set the crayon coloring she did (she drew the flowers for the blocks too) and I sashed the blocks together. We were doing a quilt as you go or reversible quilt (ala Sharon Pederson) and I wasn't sure how to do the sashing so decided I couldn't teach what I didn't know so had to do it myself. I have always believed that kids can do a lot more than we think they can so have never said no when she wants to try something in sewing or crafts. (I just figured out the safest way for her to be involved and then went for it.)

Ann