i remember when my daughter went through this stage...
what i ended up doing was putting her in the highchair with a bib, and sat a towel over her to catch the extra drips lol.
I let her feed herself for a while then she got frustrated and let me help her! She is 2 now and still has some difficulty in feeding herself with things like runny custard lol. but i just let her go and help her when she needs it!
Perhaps you could try it!
Hope it helps!

hi,yes i think at about that age they decide they want to be big boys or girls and feed themselves,very messy maybe put some newspaper under the highchair for a little less mess ,i used to cut up meat and cheese and different things for my children at that age for lunchthen bits of fruit.Then maybe give her the spoon for tea/dinner to feed herself.Good luck

                                                     cHAM

If you provide her with nutritious foods, she will be fine.  You can't just give her cheerios and sultanas.  Give her fresh fruits and cooked fruits and veggies, make meatballs, pasta (penne or something of the sort) with a bolognaise sauce with lots of veggies either shredded or chopped up, pieces of cheese or cheese sticks.  Another suggestion is to provide finger foods she can feed herself and also give her food you can feed her at the same time.  I find Harrison is more likely to eat from the spoon I give him if he is a bit distracted.

This is the age when they start to develop that independence and need the opportunity to feed themselves.  Harrison is16 1/2 months and is still struggling to get the hang of feeding himself.  Not true, he can get the spoon in his mouth but struggles to do the scooping bit.

Just be patient, give yourself time when you feed her.  She will get quicker!

The advice at http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/4608/How-to-Teach-Your-Baby-to-Use-a-Spoon may be helpful for you.

the trick i used with my 3 as they preferred their fingers over cutlery, was we wnet into the shops and they got to choose their favourite cutlery set- as most stores have variety kiddie ones on the market.... Cost is more but it works out for the best...

If that dobnt work, let her use her fingers, its exploring habit for them, and they dont understand what mess means at that age,....

Let her feed  herself that what she wants. It going to be very messy but she want to be a little lady and be like mummy. As she is feeding herself get a spoon and feed her to so most of it is goingin he rmouth rather her face lol. Good luck and hope you find a solution soon. Tee

my daughter did the same thing.  I found that if I gave her a spoon or a fork as well that she could use along with her fingers she would eat a bit more.  she still wont eat off a spoon or fork if she can't give herself the first mouthfull.  Goodluck, its messy but it does get better