Curious kids always wonder what mom is doing. My children were no exception especially when it came to quilts and sewing machines. Brilliant cotton shapes pinned to the wall, how could they resist? Shiny scissors slicing through geometric prints, how could they stay away? Steamy iron pressing pictures in place, how could they be content with plastic toys? My sewing room drew them in like a magnet. The more I was interested in a project, the more they wanted to be involved. I was perfecting my free-motion quilting skill. The more I refused them, the less I could practice.
In order to manage their curiosity and maintain my own sanity, I had to include them. We all would work together in that special creative zone. I cut large muslin rectangles and set up art stations near my sewing machines. I provided permanent markers, fabric paints, sewing shears, and fabric scraps backed with heat sensitive adhesive. My assignment: create a picture on fabric. Then, when they were finished, we would turn them into miniature quilts. I was there to help cut and iron and prevent any permanent marker or paint accidents. It was focused, intense, creativity in action. When they were finished, we lined them up and voted which ones would be completed as quilts. And finally, I had the chance to practice thread embellishment. Their fabric pictures gave me the opportunity to perfect my free-motion quilting. I dropped my feed dogs and let my machine hum. It was what I wanted from the start. The result was simply a treasure: children’s creativity transformed into miniature art quilts.
No comments:
Post a Comment