Come Stitch With Me

The good:
* Camp project was a good match for campers’ current skill levels.
* Precutting the kits.
* Having students bring their own sewing machines.
* Second pressing station.
* Snacks/lunch.

Room for improvement:
* Start at 9:45 a.m.
* Add another 6ft table for sewing machines.
*Portable design wall.
*Extra table for laying out things.
*Have campers bring a lunch.

Future camps: Tote bag with extra details or ByAnnie bag as focus project with small accessories (zipper pouch, cord keeper, tablet pouch, journal cover/pen, etc.) Upcycled/zero waste camp, Creative Camp – cross stitch, hand embroidery, Cricut projects, fabric baskets, etc.

The unexpected: The biggest surprise for me was not sewing related. Teenage girls can put away some groceries! They were starving by the time we took a snack break. Food I thought would last all week was eaten up by Day 2.

It’s been a fun, but exhausting week.

Two of the girls completed their quilt tops. The third had a school event today. She needs to add 3 rows and her quilt top will be done.

One spray basted her quilt sandwich and began quilting this afternoon. She’s promised to finish it up this weekend. We’ll add the binding and label on Monday.

The other completed flimsy will go to the longarmer, courtesy of her grandmother. She left with backing and batting in case she changes her mind.

The final camper has said she wants to quilt it herself, but we’ll see once she’s finished her top. 🙂

Quilt Camp was extended by an hour to allow time for completing a top and getting the other one to the point where she could continue machine quilting at home. I had every intention of taking Sadie to Pet Wants for a bath after camp, but I was too tired. A wet wipe rubdown with extra brushing will work for tomorrow’s visit at our elementary school.

I took a 3 hour nap.

I woke up too late to make it in time for the Thursday night guild meeting. Instead, I returned my sewing room back to CraftLAB mode. The dynamic duo will be back in a couple of days to complete a top, reclaim a sewing machine and/or machine bind a quilt.

I will spend the weekend working on my own project.

Sadie has been in just about every picture I’ve taken of quilt camp progress this week. Big Girl greets campers every morning, provides encouragement and supervisory services, shares in snack time and walks campers to the door when it’s time to leave. She’s absolutely loved being in the middle of everything – typical Sadie. Next week’s schedule looks mighty quiet compared to this week.

Tomorrow is the last “official” day of quilt camp. Each girl should complete her flimsy, which is my goal. Getting a quilt sandwiched and beginning to straight-line quilt will be a bonus.

Biz bank update: New account was opened locally and biz funds are in the process of transferring from the previous bank (balance is now zero, so that’s a good sign). I ordered the smallest possible quantity of checks for the new account. Fortunately, everything should be back to normal within a week.