Quincy child finds her passion

QUINCY — Ashlee Boswell, 3, has a satisfied grin on her face as she holds up a tiny purple pillow decorated with princesses wearing gowns and crowns.

QUINCY - Ashlee Boswell, 3, has a satisfied grin on her face as she holds up a tiny purple pillow decorated with princesses wearing gowns and crowns.

The Quincy resident sewed and stuffed the "princess pillow" along with two other small pillows herself. Boswell has been stitching, cutting and piecing together fabrics since she was 16 months old.

"At around 12 months old she started helping me put pins in the fabric and would sit on my lap at the sewing machine and help me guide the fabric through as if she was sewing herself," said Margaret Coleman, Boswell's grandma.

Coleman and Ashlee's mother, Janissa Boswell, have sewed many items together for years. They enjoy selling hats and other children and adult clothing at various farmers markets.

"I remember bringing home fabrics from the store and watching Ashlee excitedly opening the bags and draping the fabrics over herself," Janissa said. "She loves fabrics and buttons. Her first word was, ‘fabric.'"

Janissa encouraged Ashlee's talent by allowing her to experiment with fabrics and sewing machines. Janissa bought Ashlee her own child's sewing machine for Ashlee's second birthday.

"She loved it, but it wasn't sufficient enough for her because she was already ready for something more complex," Janissa said. "We gave in and bought her a $150 intermediate sewing machine back in February and this is when her sewing really took off."

Ashlee can change the feet of the sewing machine, thread a sewing needle, pin, cut and hand-sew herself.

"I love to sew," Ashlee said, smiling. "Making pillows are my favorite."

Ashlee doesn't want to be taught what to do or helped when she is sewing, mom said.

"She does everything by watching us and then copying what we do," Janissa said.

Ashlee's favorite activity is going to buy fabric and buttons at a JoAnn Fabric store in Wenatchee.

"All the workers there know her and greet her when she comes in," Janissa said.

Her family describes Ashlee as "domestic."

"She is a very mellow child and loves to stay at home with the family," Coleman said. "She likes to vacuum, bake and garden."

Ashlee has already started her next project. She is making a hat and a pillow for her baby brother.

"The pillow fabric has lots of animals on it," Ashlee said. "There are lions, elephants and kangaroos."

Janissa pointed out she is glad she encouraged her daughter to pursue a healthy interest..

"She wants to make what me and her grandma are making and I can see her becoming a very talented seamstress," Janissa said. "I think kids have instincts to know what they might want to do at an early age. I hope this story will inspire other children to find something that interests them, learn it and go for it."