Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Kid stuff

Some people wonder how and why I do all the "extra" stuff I do.  After all, I've got a full time job, a family, a hobby that keeps me busy.  But I gotta tell you, that "extra" stuff is what keeps me sane when the job is a drag and the kids are driving me bonkers and my dirty house makes me feel like an unfit mother and wife.  I can go into the karate studio just as low as can be, but after taking my black belt class and then teaching my intermediate class, I am flying high - every time!  And then Cub Scouts and the Ready To Quilt workshop at the elementary school - those are just more opportunities for me to be creative and hang out with kids!

The kids are almost finished with their colored and embroidered blocks for the Fair entry quilt we are making.
My Kindergarten through 2nd graders have turned out to be the most industrious. 
I guess I didn't realize until looking at these photos that they tend to self segregate by gender. But aren't they cute? 
Of course, I didn't have a real plan for the quilt design when we started, but yesterday I started whipping up some alternate blocks for them to sew their blocks to.  Here's a preview of how that quilt will look:
This will go across the top or bottom
They aren't sewn together yet - the kids will do that.  They outlined the letters with a backstitch and colored inside. 
Some ladies in my guild donated fabric for the Ready to Quilt kids, so I picked four the four largest pieces to combine in these quarter square triangle blocks.
And then, last Friday, the Cub Scouts and I were in the Christmas parade (whoever heard of a Christmas parade in NOVEMBER!?!).  We partnered with the drive-in movies again, and marched along behind a truck that was playing Frosty the Snowman on a big screen while we munched popcorn.  We made our "cars" again this year, but I gave myself a break and instead of making them out of cardboard (I swear I nearly got carpal tunnel from cutting so many boxes up last year!), I bought poster board and made them into "sandwich board" cars with some muslin strips across the shoulders.  The boys got really creative with their cars:
Yup, that's a deer peeking out the back window of the FORD truck 
My son even thought to put a seat belt on his driver!
Can you see that his lights are made out of tinfoil?  Who thinks to bring tinfoil to a parade? Clever kid! 
Can you see the little Christmas lights he drew around his windshield? Get my vote for most festive! 
Yesterday and today, the weather has been in the low 70s.  I'll admit to being affected by the weather.  This balmy weather has me skipping around and singing like a kid!  Just think, I'm on my porch in short sleeves and barefoot writing this right now, watching the sun go down...in DECEMBER!  For this child of the Maine woods, that is nearly unheard of!  The hubby and I like to joke about taking off for Panama when things get rough at home and work - well, guess where I got quilt blocks from yesterday?

Thanks, Marina from Panama! (Hubby wants to know why they quilt in Panama if it is warm all the time.  Don't worry guys, in time, I will educate him to our ways.)

And today, I got 71 more quilt blocks in the mail from Lola in VA and the Rainbow Plantation Quilters in AL.  Thanks, guys!

Luckily, I made room in my sewing room today - I mailed out 8 quilts to Blankie Depot in NJ.  That's 14 delivered so far by me, and I believe 3 or 4 more have been delivered directly from the people who have been kind enough to quilt quilts for us.  And there are many more to come.  

Do you know that I've received over 1165 disappearing 4-patch blocks so far?

That doesn't include the ones made by me or those in my quilt guild or those that were made and delivered to me in quilt form or all the orphan blocks and unfinished blocks and tops you guys have sent.  Together, we are making a difference in the lives of those who are still suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  Everyone reach over your shoulder and give yourself a nice pat on the back!

And for my final bit of kid stuff - look at one of my little fellas drew for me in Ready To Quilt yesterday - just melted my heart! (and he obviously knows I love scrappy, improvisational quilts!)

10 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I know what you are into - been there and done that. I loved every minute of it, too! Three kids, every sport, scouts, morning and after school programs, PTA, community events, yes - all of it. Now retired and everyone grown (and doing that whole thing themselves) - I can enjoy time!

Unknown said...

Wow, that's almost enough for 28 quilts! Don't think you need me to send you any more. :) I've ironed the blocks you sent me, and once I get my next paycheck will be picking up a new square ruler to help me square them up (nothing like a project to justify purchasing a new quilting tool). I agree, it's the projects outside of work that help to keep us sane!

beth said...

So much to comment on here today...but i think I'll just say that I LOVE that last picture. It is SOoo wonderful!!! It melts my heart too! ;)

Lisa said...

Yup, it's the last pic that got me too. ;>

Michelle said...

That's so funny what he said; my NH friends tease me about why I still knit if I live in Virginia!!

Oh, it's all good stuff that you're doing Erin, I hope things at work are getting better!!

jirons42 said...

I just marvel at all the things you do. What a wonderful relationship that you are building with your sons. A life-long love.

Teri said...

It is wonderful what you are doing for the Sandy victims...and all the other good things you do....you will have to give us a final total of quilts that you sent to NJ...thanks for all your hard work....

Terri said...

You should enlist some help to get that all sewn and out to people who need it now. I bet some of your buddies at the guild would help.
Hugs

Unknown said...

I'm glad to hear that you received the blocks I sent you from my quilt guild here at Rainbow Plantation in Alabama. They are excited by updates on this project so I have lots to share with them today. Thank you for spearheading this venture and all the work you are putting into it.

BTW, where in Maine are you from? I'm from the lower end of ME - Boothbay Hbr. and Portland later in life.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

It's the 'extra' stuff we do that makes our lives fulfilled. Love those cub scout cars. Thanks for gathering all the blocks and getting them done and passed out. Great job!