Julia and Quilting

A couple of weeks ago I picked up some sewing equipment for Julia.  I got her a pair of scissors that are super sharp and much easier for her small hands to manage than my big, heavy Ginghers.  And I got her a little pin cushion (pink, of course) and a box of very pretty pins.

She’s been working sporadically on her second quilt.  It will have twenty squares, each square made of two triangles.  So far the squares have been created, and the other morning when Julia wanted to work on her quilt, I suggested she lay out the squares in five rows of four, shifting them around until she had a design she was happy with.

Once again, I found myself having to keep my mouth firmly shut.

She made her four rows of five, and called me downstairs so I could see.

I looked at the squares – some of the triangles going this way, some going that way – and asked her if she was SURE this was the layout she wanted.

Impatiently, she said it was. 

My hands twitched, itchy to reposition fabric.

But I held back.

All I suggested was that she make sure all the triangles were going in the same direction. 

I don’t know why.

Is it really necessary?

Will the bunny she’s making the quilt for even notice?

Will the quilt be any less warm?

No, no, and no.

It’s just one of my little annoying quirks.

I surreptitiously straighten pictures on other peoples’ walls, too.  Is there a support group for this?

Anyway, here’s the layout:

This morning Julia pinned adjoining squares together, and perhaps tonight, if there’s time, we can stitch them together.

Then she can unpin and snip threads and get to what is, I think, her favorite part of quilting is, apart from digging through my fabric. 

Ironing.

She adores the hissing sound when the iron hits damp fabric. 

I have to say, it is kind of a cool sound. 

Comments

[Lynne]

have you got her started on Bill's shirts yet??

I think it might be time....:)

[Jayne]

Hahahahaha - that would be entertaining!

[Kat]

Standing back and letting the little artists do their thing is soooooo hard! But, it very nearly always ends up being better than the compromise.
Chirp chirp chose tow fabrics to make a baby blanket for a new little cousin. the two she chose were just awful in my opinion, and in the opinion of everyone else in our small-town fabric store that day. They all "tsked" at me when I bought those fabrics for her. But, when the blanket was done I took it back into the store to show the ladies. They gasped, they smiled, and they all but offered her a job! It was amazing!