Thursday, May 26, 2011

bits if progress, one step at a time

This weekend I am off to Cub camp where I will be teaching crafts to Cubs, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts. It is always a challenge to take a craft and tweak it up or down to make it easy enough for first graders and challenging enough for the older Scouts. We are expecting rain to add to the challenge.

The big event at the back of my mind will be the presentation of the Wedding quilt. I have asked to give "the Scoutmaster's minute" at the closing campfire. As much as I dread speaking in front of a group, I want to tell the youth about the importance of friendship, picking friends, keeping friends, and being a worthy friend. I hope I can pull it off.

Since that quilt was finished I have been working on several projects. Last year I made a table cloth for my son as a birthday present. This year my giftee is my number two daughter and I wanted to make something quilty for her
but she does not have a dining room table but uses a small coffee table for meals. I thought I might make her a series of runners for different seasons and began with some floral prints and some fabric left from my Son's wedding quilt and a border from one of my first quilts. I like quilted runners in my house because they protect the table from scratches and spills but I was not sure I was heading in the right direction for my daughter's house so I sent this one off and asked if she would like more or for me to make something else. This week word came back that it is a "go" and I will have fun making a series for the year. It makes good take-along work. I have lots of ideas. And, her birthday isn't until late in the summer.


Meanwhile I have been working on the border of the batik quilt. I could not find any fabric I could afford for the border but the floral print is almost like batik. I took scraps left from the blocks and cut assorted circles to applique over the centers of the flowers. I am thinking of using colored or variegated thread to quilt those flowers and quilt bigger flowers into the squares.

One reason I dragged out the tenugui is that my daughter is a teacher and might enjoy the series of children's games if there are enough to cover the back. This is the time I could use a very large design wall! It may take a bit of doing to figure this out but I still have three sides of border to complete before I get there. So... It's off to play Scouts... one step at a time.

6 comments:

  1. I think that border looks stunning on your quilt. Lovely choice! I'll be thinking of you out there in the rain teaching crafts to boys and girls. I used to spend a lot of time with school age kids when my children were younger - ski club, camping trips with the school, gym night at school etc. Now I am surrounded by young adults - friends of my kids - most of the time. It can be challenging. Hope you have a great weekend. At least you won't have to worry about bears :)

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  2. What a creative border idea--putting batik centers on your flowers. Your speech about friendship will have a profound influence on some who hear it. Speak from your heart and you will do fine.

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  3. Camping with Scouts - wow!...that's more energy & hard work than making a quilt :) !
    Very innovative borders & it's pretty too!

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  4. I love your idea about appliqueing batik circles over the centers of the flowers in the border. What a great way to tie the border to the center squares! And variegated thread sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. I hope that you have a blast with the Scouts. :) Relax, take deep breaths, center yourself, and share your experience, strength and hope about friendship and the beauty true friendship brings to a life. The batik quilt is beautiful...and I too love the originality of appliqueing the circles in the flowers of the border. :)

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  6. What a clever idea to put the circles on the flowers - that ties it together beautifully. And I don't blame your daughter for the table runner okay; it will be great fun to have seasonal ones. Have a wonderful time this weekend. I know you'll capture just the right words for your speech. blessings, marlene

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