Monday, April 03, 2017

collaborating with my daughter, part 1

First off, thank you for all the kind comments on my happy quilt! I appreciate each and every one of them!

One of my goals this year is to collaborate with my daughter, who is 10, on some projects. She is an artist through and through and I love seeing things through her eyes. It's especially fun for me to see her color choices when it comes to fabric, as that is my medium of choice. This past weekend, we started working on a string quilt together. I have to admit, I had a bit of an ulterior motive. My string bucket (which is constantly overflowing) is not very inspiring to me. It's by far my hardest category of scraps to keep up with. She was more than willing to play with my strings... I didn't have to twist her arm at all! Hurray!
We decided to make 1/4 log cabin blocks. She chose the fabric and the arrangement, and I did all the sewing and pressing. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to relinquish control, it worked out surprisingly well! I am a little surprised that she limited her color palette this much, but I think she is doing a great job so far! The blocks are 6 1/2" unfinished and our goal is to make a baby quilt for one of her friend's soon-to-be-born baby brother. We will make either 36 or 48 blocks total. We worked on the blocks for about an hour or so before she was ready to move on to something else. I was fine with that, as I've learned that sewing with kids definitely works better in several shorter sessions rather than fewer, longer sessions.
For the past few weeks, she has been playing, sorting and arranging my 2 1/2" squares. (She set up a play store and everything!) Over the weekend, she designed a new placemat for herself. Again, she arranged the fabric and I sewed it up. She sure loves her blues and grays! Now I need to wait for her to pick out the backing and binding, as I'm sure that she will have strong opinions about both. :)
 
I'm thrilled with both of our projects so far. It sure is nice to have her help to use up some of my mountains of scraps. (haha!) Her fresh perspective is a welcome change of pace. Honestly, it isn't always easy to take the time to sew with her, but I'm always glad when I do.
 
Happy Monday to you!  

33 comments:

Little Opal said...

Your daughter has great taste! I wish I could borrow her for some scrap layouts :)

somethingrosemade14@blogspot.com said...

I've heard that quilting skips a generation but I don't think this is going to happen in your family. Your daughter has great taste in choosing fabric; I'm sure you were a great influence. It's nice to have someone to sew with isn't it?

EM said...

I have an almost 12 yr old daughter whose entire wardrobe is aqua, white, black and grey. She and your daughter might have similar tastes. :)

Mary J said...

I wish I would have done that with my daughters when they were 10, now they are 39 and 42 years old!!!

Brenna said...

My daughter just turned 11, and I love sewing with her. She's got eclectic tastes, and I have to work to keep myself from imposing my views on her. Yesterday we went shopping for material to make a maxi dress, and she selected FIVE wildly different fabrics to all go together. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Nothing better than sewing with and/or for your kids!! Love, love, LOVE it!!!

Jenny said...

What fun to sew with your daughter. It's interesting that although she is playing with scraps, as you like to do, she arranged the squares on the place mat "just so". As I would probably do - is she a Libra by any change, the sign of the scales who must have everything balanced and even?

Leez506 said...

She's doing a great job! So happy for you that your daughter loves to sew with you. Our daughter is grown, married and a mother - so our time to sew together is limited, but we so enjoy sharing each other's projects when we can! Keep sewing together always:)

Ioleen said...

She doing splendid. Love her colour choice in the 1/4 log cabin blocks. Her layout for her placemat is very nice.

Liz said...

Wow, those are some great color combos! Your daughter has excellent taste. I have so much trouble picking fabric still.

Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl said...

She really is consistent with her color theme and selections. It will be great to see how the quarter log cabins continue and what she chooses for finishing her placemat.

Di~ said...

Yes, she is doing a great job and you are a patient mama! I Love it all!

Little Black Cat Quilting said...

Oh, what fun! Your daughter has a wonderful eye for color and fabric. 😊

Unknown said...

Her placemat is fantastic! The layout is just wonderful; you can really see her artistic eye in that layout. FABULOUS !!

Jan said...

I really like her choices of fabric. Great collaboration.

Anonymous said...

your daughter cartainly has an eye for colour!
I used to love sewing sessions with my daughter. Sadly, she's all grown up now and lives in England, while I'm in France, so we have to chat and share projects over Skype. It's nice, but not the same.

KaHolly said...

How delightful! I can't wait to see it upon completion!

Kerry said...

My daughter also has a taste for colour - so much so that I have collected a lot of fabric that she chose years ago - most of which I have just made a big quilt for her before she has her own children! But it was fun to share quilt shop trips with her. Perhaps your daughter will make quilts in her own time - I was an "artist" first - but drawn to the quilting side much later. With regard to my daughter she started a quilt but never finished it. It will make a great cot quilt for her first born one day. Meanwhile it's a top crying out for a finish!

Ann said...

Her color sense is terrific. Now it is time to teach her to sew too! Sounds like getting her a used sewing machine of her own would be a great birthday present this year. I inherited a sewing machine at 10 and immediately started playing with it by designing and making doll clothes and whatever else I could imagine. Years later, I am so grateful to,have been given that freedom for creativity.

Little Quiltsong said...

Wow - great work! She is doing wonderfully. Love her fabric choices in all of her blocks.

Susanhusan said...

Your daughter has a great eye! It is fun to have help. My daughter is 26, and when home, she will still help with color choices. Enjoy your time with her!

FlourishingPalms said...

I'm happy for you to have a daughter with whom you can share your love of color, and to whom you can impart your sewing wisdom. It can be a touchy thing to have a daughter that you really WANT to love sewing as much as you do. Speaking from experience, it is possible to push a little too hard. Though my daughter is much older now, for a brief spell of adulthood she sewed. Though she doesn't anymore, I think she at least appreciates it. I hope your daughter always gives you joy with whatever she finds to interest herself.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

So fun that she continues to be interested in art, color and sewing.
P.S. Update your "About Me" to shout out your new book's name and author - YOU!

SarahZ said...

I surely appreciate her perspective and color choices as well!! How fun for you both, and me too! Please tell her I just love both of her projects, and her arrangements and palettes are already showing a sungular and recognizable style all her own!!

Janice Holton said...

Hopefully, you're making some great memories with your daughter and have something tangible to remember them by as well! Good for you!

Scrapatches said...

What fun for you to sew with your daughter! She does have a good eye for color and design ... wonder where she got that from ... ;) Pat

thatfabricfeeling.wordpress.com said...

You are an awesome mom! I love the mother/daughter projects. It is wonderful that you allow your daughter permission to explore different color combinations and give her space to create. Well done and I adore that log cabin design. It will be fabulous, I'm sure.

Kate said...

It's a lot of fun to collaborate with family members. Your daughter definitely has an eye for color. My Drama Teen will absolutely not learn to sew, but she did a lot of collaborating on the graduation quilts this year. She helped finalize designs and pick the fabrics. It's been a fun joint project.

Mom of Three Quilter said...

I would love a tutorial on how to make a log cabin quilt with different widths of "string", as you call them. I love the construction and your daughter's fabric choices!

Katherine said...

You make a great team! Time together, creating is the best, isn't it? Looking forward to more of your collaborations. :o)

Paige said...

Great job! Keep at it!

Unknown said...

Well done! Your daughter has a great eye! Super fabric choices.

Melanie said...

Wow, that's amazing color- and placement design. Tell her really well done!