Kids Can Quilt Too!

I just spent the last two weeks babysitting my two grand-daughters.  What an awesome time we had!  I thought that it might be fun to introduce four-year-old Rory to quilting.

So I loaded up a box full of random fabric strips and a few basic tools, and off I went.

Inspired by the improvisational piecing workshop I took with Pat Sloan a few weeks ago, I decided to keep this project very free-form.  These strips aren't cut to any specific size, and they're not necessarily straight.  I just cut them by eye, somewhere in the area of 2 inches, give or take...  I selected a wide variety of colors and prints so she would have lots to pick from.

I made two small design boards (styrofoam covered in batting), and showed her how to measure the strips and cut them to length (using a pair of Fiskars Beginner's Scissors).

I gave her TOTAL control of the design from this point forward.  She picked the fabrics, cut each strip, and arranged them on the board to her liking.  My job was to sew them together (under her supervision of course).

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a control freak, and it was really hard to just let her go.  In fact, a couple of times she had to put me in my place and remind me that this was HER quilt.

"Remember, Gramie?  You said I could do it my way!"

So yes - there are some fabrics that are wrong-side up, and some places where she placed the same fabric next to each other, and there is A LOT OF PINK!!!

But Rory likes it that way...  and now that it's finished, I do too!!!

She made nine blocks, so I brought them all home with me and just trimmed them all to one uniform size, then sewed them together this afternoon.

Rory even picked out her backing fabric when we went shopping at her local quilt shop.

Now I just have to quilt it and bind it, so I can give it to her during our next visit.

I think she's a natural.  Don't you?

Cheers!