Here's a short summary (from memory - Kelly has all the original notes at home):
* My original suggestion of creating a stash for the girls
was well received. The following improvements were
suggested:
- Let the girls do some of their own purchasing
- Watch the discount stores, sale table are often $1 per
per yard. This fabric is good enough to practice on
- Don't just put fabric in, put some of moms discarded blocks
in for the girls to use
- Have 3 stashes: Moms (kids don't touch), Kids (mom doesn't
touch), and Common (everyone can use).
- The girls should pay for some of their own fabric (especially
if they want stuff that isn't on sale). I agree with that!
* Other suggestions were
- Provide the girls with their own tools that they can use
anytime. Let them have a place of their own to store the
tools.
NOTE: They already have scissors. I will let them 'have'
the small rotary cutter that I don't use any more.
I think that they can use this one pretty much on
their own - they are very safty aware. We'll share
cutting matts/rulers/pins/the large rotary cutter, etc.
They'll be able to use the new machine pretty much when
they want to - similar rules as w/ the computer: ask
first, but the answer will almost always be yes.
- The more time spent with them now, the less time they'll need later.
- Make a quilt with them, not for them
- Teach them now, while they are interested. They may not be later.
- Have them use the rotary cutter on a lower table.
NOTE: It isn't the height of the table (it's really low), it's the
long reaches. Their arms can not reach to cut a piece of
fabric folded in half. Sometimes even a piece folded in
quarters is too long. They do fine if I cut the strips and
they cut the squares/triangles.
I know that there were more great suggestions and that I'll remember them just as soon as I mail this note :-). Thanks again.
Oh - my youngest son wanted to sew yesterday. He was home sick and was bored. I didn't want to give him a sharp needle so I got out a piece of plastic canvas, a large dull needle, and a long string of yarn. He sewed the yarn through the holes in the plastic for about 10 minutes before he got tired of it and went back to watching TV.
I made a class quilt for my daughter's first grade teacher. It was a class quilt where each child using fabric markers drew a picture on a 5 x 5 square. It turned out beautiful but it sure was alot of work. It was worth all the time just to see the childrens reaction to their art work in a quilt. It took a total of three weeks: to get the children squares, buy the remaining supplies and fabric; piecing, binding and tying the quilt. I was only able to work on the quilt at night (after my babies were in bed) and one weekend. We even took a class picture and each child got a copy of the photo. The teacher loved it and it was the talk of the school. The other first grade teachers are anxious to get my other two kids in their class (they were only joking with me, I think!) My husband was really great support and kept me motivated. I credited me finishing the class quilt in time to him. He had to make the coffee and help me do some of the finishing work. He also cut 35 pieces of 8"x8" cardboard to mount each piece of muslin using masking tape.