Getting your children excited about quilting is a great way to bond with them and perhaps even prepare them for a future quilting hobby. Moreover, making your children a part of your quilting while they are young can help to impart in them essential skills that will serve them for years to come, such as sewing, fabric selection, and fabric care. Here are a few great ways to involve your children in your favorite hobby.
Let them Help Choose the Fabrics
Starting a new project for spring or for the next big holiday? Take your child with you to your local quilting shop so he or she can help you choose which fabrics to make a part of the quilt. Show them the differences between quilting fabrics, from quilter’s linen to voile to quilter’s weight cotton, and let them pick which fabrics are their favorite. Not only will this give them a foundational knowledge of fabrics and help them practice having a creative eye, but it will also show them that you value their opinion.
Make a Quilt Featuring their Favorite Animals or Cartoon Characters
If your children previously thought that quilts were reserved only for “grown-ups,” show them otherwise by making them a colorful quilt featuring their favorite animal or cartoon character. The variety of fabrics available today is impressive to say the least, and if you’re having trouble finding the right fabrics at your local quilting shop, try checking out what’s available online. You’ll find all kinds of options, from Disney and “Saturday morning cartoon” characters to playful designs featuring sailboats, zebras, and balloons.
Make a Quilt that Doubles as a Game Board
Here’s an out-of-the-box idea—consider creating your own quilt design by fashioning a quilt that can also double as a simple family game board. Some feasible examples? A checkers board, Scrabble board, or even a Twister board.
Quilt for a Cause
Try showing your children the service opportunities that quilting can offer by quilting for a charitable organization, such as a cancer center, animal shelter, or a shelter for the homeless. Many organizations will accept donated quilts both out of necessity and because a new quilt is perfect for lifting spirits for those battling terminal illness or struggling to make a living. When you quilt for a cause, you can involve your children by letting them choose fabrics and designs, which is especially great if the quilt you are making is going to be donated to another young child. You could even let them help by having them work on a related project to go along with the quilt like card making. Then, both you and your child can present your generous and heartfelt donations to the charity of your choice. And it doesn’t have to stop at charities—quilts are also a fantastic gift to surprise neighbors and loved ones with. No matter what you decide to do, your child will see how valuable a foundational knowledge in quilting can be.