I have a quilter in the making. My baby girl LOVES the quilting process… especially the cutting. I’m sure you can see where this is going to go… and you’re right. Princess Gwyn has taken to the cutting process like the proverbial duck to water.
At the ripe age of three, she has mastered the technique of the scissors. Kindergarten of the future be warned… Gwyn is armed.
Every time I go out to the Herb garden to snip some rosemary, she is right there. “I’ll cut it for you mommy!” The whacking back of the pampas grass is met with enthusiasm as well; “Out of the way please, MY turn!” Basically, every time I even think of touching the scissors, she is there on the double. I swear she has some kind of radar.
Now I know you are just waiting for the punchline… yup, you bet, there is a downside to all this gleefull helping. Any parent can tell you that children will be incredibly slow when they must do something they don’t want to.. but the other side of that coin? Oh yeah, she’s fast. In the blink of an eye she cut the trim off her dress. She was sewing you see, and the poor unfortunate cat, well, I’m sure will recover after his haircut. Thank goodness for tolerant cats.
Gwyn has such enthusiasm, I simply hide all the cutting implements and wait for the appropriate time. From an early age, she was right there at the table with grandma. Quick as a wink she was ON the table (closed) rotary cutter in hand and a ruler. Doing just as grandma did. “Look grandma, I quilting!” She was barely two.
These days she spends the afternoon in the family area of the store. Whenever new fabric comes in she runs up to the boxes and jumping up and down clapping her hands in anticipation says; “Open, open the box! What’s inside. (insert huge gasp here) Oh my! It’s BEAUTIFUL! Look mommy, it’s so pretty!” She then gently brushes her hands on it as if it would break and says that I simply MUST make a quilt out of it.
I look forward to seeing her grow into a truly great quilter. She has the makings of one.. she has the passion for the art. That’s all we ever really need. The innocent glee that comes from seeing that new line of fabric. The creative process that reminds us of much more simple times in our lives. Cutting and pasting is really fun... Except, we call ours quilting. Cutting, sewing and shaping the fabric into amazingly stunning works of art...

Truth be told, inside I jump up and down while clapping my hands in glee whenever the new fabric arrives too…..

New to the website this week: Benartex "Frosted Flakes" and "Snow Show"; Exclusively quilters "Always Lovely" and "Sweet Dreams"
Loading now: Exclusively Quilters "Sunflowers"

Diana
www.thequiltingcottage.com

Note: No cats were harmed in the making of this rambling.