My love of cookie baking will take a backseat as I plan the Summer Kids Camp at one of my local quilt shops. I hesitate to fuel my already energized “little bunnies” with more sugar. My friend and co-teacher Alethea, a former middle-school home economics teacher, suggests snacks of peas and carrots. Who would have thought? Last year they loved them!
A healthy snack for our hungry young campers.
Kids Camp is a special week of creative sewing with a class of very enthusiastic young sewers, age 9-12. Here are some photos from the sessions we taught the past two summers.
Crazy quilt pattern tied with perle cotton and buttons - Summer 2009.
Kids first pieced the background and then designed original appliqué shapes - Summer 2010.
Look at these adorable creations the students made in camp last summer. Their creativity is heart-warming.
Hand-drawn and embroidered by student.
Original design by student.
The kids are so quick at completing their projects that we have been scrambling this year to come up with a new line-up of ideas to keep them busy for the four-day event. We are including totebags, aprons, pillowcases, placemats & napkins and zippered pouch.
Simple placemat, double-sided napkin and yo-yo napkin ring.
I found some simple, free patterns with instructions on the new PatternSpot website by C&T Publishing.
Designer pillowcase and matching tote.
This may be the first time some of these students have been in a fabric shop, so we always start the session with a short discussion on “Shop Etiquette” and a tour of the shop. We include: how to behave in the shop, respect for other shoppers, handling bolts of fabric and where to place them after pulling them off the shelves, finding supplies and notions, how to have fabric cut, etc. (Shop employees love this).
If you haven’t tried teaching kids, consider starting with a small group and simple project. Be sure to pace the day, allowing time for socializing and snacks. It’s very rewarding and don’t forget the peas (and carrots too)!
Until the next post, keep creating!
