The two children have designed and made quilts to exhibit in the Canberra Craft and Quilt Fair from August 6 to 9 at Exhibition Park. With help from their mum Gemma Jackson, who has been creating works of quilting art for about four years, the children spent their summer holidays on the project.

"They've always been really keen to sew, we've done sewing projects before," Ms Jackson said.

"At the end of last year, at the beginning of the school holidays, I told them they could design a quilt. They drew up a quilt on a big piece of butcher's paper and I gave them ideas of what could be achievable based on their design."

The children, who had both used a sewing machine before, had help from their mum to use her special 12-foot frame industrial quilting machine.

"It was important to me that they did as much of the process as possible so they had the sense of achievement," Ms Jackson said.

"Atticus has basically done every single part by himself. He's learnt to use the iron, he's learnt to cut the fabric, he's learnt to do hand stitching, and quilting requires a lot of patience, so he's learnt a lot of patience too."

She said the children were very creative and driven. Although they needed some guidance to complete the project, they were keen to finish the works.

Ms Jackson, who spends between 30 and 50 hours on her own quilts, said it took a lot of dedication.

"It's a really slow but enjoyable process," she said. But for her quilting was therapeutic.

"It's really interesting because it's quite grounding," she said. "It's a bit like meditation when you're quilting, you're looking at individual threads of fibre and fabric. Some people get frustrated, but I have found it really relaxing."

The modern quilting process used by the Jacksons is all about improvisation and freeform, with a basis in traditional skills.

"I love all sorts of quilts," Ms Jackson said. "When I'm quilting it's all about colour and contrast, and making things that are beautiful and make your heart sing."