Next generation quilters

I remember the first time I learned to sew.  I was 8 years old.  I just sewed random pieces of scrap material together , and even though it didn't make anything useful, the satisfaction it gave me that I created something out of scraps was the best feeling in the world!!!!    My mom then would give me felt shapes and I sewed sequins and tiny beads until they were covered.   We placed them on a Christmas table cloth all around the edge and I thought I was an expert sewer by then.

Back in the day, Home ec. was still a required in junior high.  I took half a semester of sewing and the other half was cooking.   Part of my grade was having to wear to school a garment I made in class.  I prayed it would stay together just long enough to get me through my classes, and it did.   I knew sewing was something I would do the rest of my life.   I made most of my clothes during my high school years.

About 20 years ago, about 5 of our family members took quilting lessons at Francis Tuttle Vo tech.
That was so much fun and I fell in love with quilting.  I went on to take more lessons at Oklahoma Quilt works (okquiltworks.com) in Casady Square.  If you have not ever been there, I really encourage you to go check it out.  It is a sea of fabrics, thread, patterns and home made quilts hung on every wall.
They offer classes for  the very beginner, to the very advanced.

In the summer, they offer kid's camps and offer a variety of projects to make.  You have to be at least 8 years old to take their classes.

So many of the arts are slowly dying or not being offered to our young adults.  There is a whole other world for our young people to experience, if we only make them available to them and encourage them.

All of my grand daughters are very talented and crafty and show interest in crafting, painting and sewing.

This past week, Alessondra, my oldest grand daughter, took a 5 day class to learn how to quilt.  When I saw the size of the quilt they would be making, I must say, I had my doubts.  12 rows with 7 blocks to each row.  For a beginner, that is quite a big project.

Each day, I was pleasantly surprised with what she got accomplished in a 3 hour period.  Now 3 hours to sit at one project is challenging for me, much less, a social butterfly like Alessondra.  The teacher said she stayed very focused and hardly talked. (Hmmmmmm- I re-verified we were both talking about the same child here!


The class came with a kit with the pre-cut blocks, but each girl was able to shop in the fabric store for the backing they wanted for their quilt.  This was one of Alessondra's favorite part- to choose her own fabric.

On Wednesday, she had successfully sewn all her blocks and rows together and was ready for the next step, quilting the front to the back fabric.   It won't shock many of you to know that she picked out a fabric with "owls" for her backing.

On Friday, 9 little girls stood proudly with their finished quilts for a picture.  I could see the same look of accomplishment " I felt "so many years ago.   I hope as each one of my grand daughters turn 8, they will let me introduce them to the world of sewing and quilting.   And the extra bonus- a warm feeling on the outside to match their inside.  Nindy is so proud of you!