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I'm not a quilter... but I'm related to an amazing one!


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My grandmother has been quilting since I can remember. I am blessed to have MANY of her quilts throughout our home... each of the kids' beds, our bed, the quest bed, in bags in the closet (she's started hand quilting a lot of her most recent projects and I'm afraid to use them!). Spoiled? Absolutely! My love of sewing comes from her... ok, so my desire to love sewing comes from her. She gives me the hardest time about not sewing more, and constantly tells me how her children never would have had anything to wear if she didn't sew. I don't think she desires to understand that things are different now... but I digress. My point is, I'm a homeschooling momma and my oldest daughter would love to sew. I thought that we would start with a 12 Month quilt, something where she could make a quilt block for each month, then we could put them all together at the end of the year. However, I am overwhelmed as to where/how to start. I'd appreciate any encouragement!

 

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i teach a kids sewing class at the quilt shop mwhere i work. there are a couple things i do to start thekids off. first, they just sew random strips together, log cabin-ish. this gives them a feel for the machine and helps coordinate hand/eye/foot pedal. It can become a doll blanket if they want. next class, they do a 9-patch block, this teaches control of the seam allowance, matching seams, and choosing fabrics.  third class, we make pillowcases. if you havent seen one, check them out-they are so fabulous because they are easily personalized using one of the novelty prints out now. 

after that they can choose to do a purse, tote bag or something like that. these are all easy projects with no fitting required like clothing would have.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

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When I first started to quilt about 2 years ago, when I made a quilt for my deceased sister's daughter who had just had a little girl.  I did it in remembrance of my sister, and because she always made items for my 5 daughters.  What I enjoyed about the quilt top piecing, was the somewhat instant gratification I had after a few hours.  In three days or so of after dinner working, I had a completed quilt top.  From that time forward, I was somewhat hooked.  Now it is the piecing, the quilting, and the pleasure it brings me to give something to friends or family that is hand made that I truly enjoy.

 

As strange as it may seem, I started my girls off learning to sew by sewing on their school notebook paper.  The lines are right at a quarter inch apart on the paper.  I had them practice sewing straight lines on the paper, and then learning to finger press the paper.  Press to the dark side, and the blocks will lock together better than you could ever do with fabric your first time.  Paper is easy for them to hold, and easy for them to sew on.  After they feel comfortable with the lines paper, try sewing colored paper together forming quilt blocks.  Making four half square triangles, and then sew them together.  They make a perfect top to a card for your grandmother.  Instant gratification--in under two hours you have a paper quilt top card for them to mail out showing their accomplishments to grandma.  

 

Feeling a little more adventurous the next day, have them make piece together some hot pad holder quilt tops.  Get the proper batting, and backing layer fabric, and they can even SID the entire top.  They now have their own hot pad holder for you kitchen, or they have a gift for family/friends.  Being a former homeschooler myself, you could easily work some outstanding math, measuring, estimating, etc. lessons into this project.  You would be educating them at multiple levels with this simple project/lesson.  

 

Take them to the fabric store let them pick out a few different fabrics to make their first quilt top.  What is their favorite animal, bug, interest?  Find fabric with the animal, bug, etc, and let them do some research or a report on their favorite.  Where was the fabric made?  Another report/learning exercise for your homeschool program.  Cut some long strips of fabric 1 inch wide.  Weave the different colors together forming your own fabric.  Sew around the outside locking the strips together, they have their own handmade placemats.   

 

Cut larger blocks for younger children, smaller blocks for older ones.  They can just sew the squares/rectangles together.  Then put on one or two borders, and they are done with their first quilt top.  If you used squares, you could be adventurous, and put the quilt top on point.  How much area did the quilt top lose by cutting the three triangles, and then turning them, and piecing them together forming a new top?  You may want to think about that before you ask them to explain it.  There are thousands of home schooling lessons you could bring into sewing/quilting.  It truly depends on how far you go with it depending on how much the kids are enjoying the project.

 

I for one believe a 12 month project is a little too long for their first project.  Just like us, they want instant gratification when first starting out.  They may enjoy the time spent with you, but that is a long time to have to wait to see their end result 12 months or more from how.  Make it a learning experience while at the same time making it fun.  Math, measuring, reading skills learned here can carry forward for a lifetime.  They just may come to love sewing, and quilting just as much as you.

 

Best of luck.

 

Cagey

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I started my grandkids out with what they wanted to make at the time. A doll quilt (age 8), placemats-quilting only, (age 5), a throw (age 7), a wall hanging (age 9) and a twin bed quilt (ages 12 and 14). The 5 year old is 6 now and reminding me often that she can piece on my Bernina now. Her brother started piecing at that age but I feel safer with her quilting her placemats on Millie. The funny thing about my grandkids is that they feel the need to finish a quilt before starting a new project. I didn't teach them that!

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I have taught quilting for a group of home schoolers and you would be astonished how those youngsters associated quilting to geometry and math. Figuring out how much backing fabric would be needed, the angle for a pin wheel block, and how many 2 1/2" strips are needed to make a 12" (finished) block. I am always amazed at seeing the aspects of quilting thru the eyes of a child. One thing they loved was making a small t-shirt quilt (6 blocks).

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geometry and math...yep. and when my kids were older and i would forget how to figure the diagonal of a square or whatever, they were thrilled to be able to teach me!

 

i always grumbled during math class in jr hi why did i have to learn this stuff, i'll never use it...lol-i use it more than i do my home ec cooking class!

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