My Patchwork Life

Quilting is becoming an increasingly important and integral part of my life. My creative outlet changes how I view the world around me, influences the activities I pursue with my family, and introduces me to new people whose life paths wouldn't ordinarily intersect mine. My life is much like my favorite types of quilts - scrappy and unconventional, full of interest and surprises, and with an underlying current of making do (and making something beautiful!) with what I have.

Monday, January 17, 2011

A Scout is BUSY!

I recently learned that only about 15 members of our quilt guild entered quilts in the quilt show last year. I am determined to encourage more people to enter quilts. As I was wondering who else could I cajole into submitting a quilt, it came to me - my Cub Scout den!! One of our activites that we need to complete is to create an original piece of artwork, and a quilt certainly qualifies. Plus, we can tie the quilt, and get lots of practice tying our square knots. So most of my (absurdly minimal) free time lately has been dedicated to prepping this project.

Coming up with an idea - a crayon-colored quilt that highlights some of the fun things we do in Cub Scouts.
Buying the fabric (see last blog entry).
Cutting the fabric into squares and ironing it onto Freezer Paper to stabilize it
Sketching and printing out images to put under the fabric for the students to trace and color
Making a sample block - my block is CAMPING, obviously

This project is going to have to be fast-tracked because we are coloring our blocks one week, then tying the quilt the next week so that we can display it at our annual Blue and Gold Ceremony the following weekend. I've already indicated how I work well with deadlines, right? Well, I'm going to be putting that theory to the test, big time.

Readers who've been with me for a while probably remember that last year, our Cub Scout den sang the National Anthem prior to one of my husband's basketball games. Well, we were invited back this year. So this past Sunday, we sang again. I don't know how the kids feel about this, but singing in public is NERVE-RACKING for me. We got through it, received a huge round of applause and then settled down to watch the game.

I gave the scouts each a stat sheet for a player, and they kept track of their points and fouls. Then, after the game (which we won, yay!) we lined up to give the team high-fives (OK, low fives - the boys are only 8, after all) as the players retreated to their locker room. As per previous arrangement, my husband sent the players right back up and the scouts collected autographs from and photos with the players they had been tracking.

Here's Donald with the team captain on the right