Tuesday, July 9, 2013

granny camp 3


I picked Jade up on the Sunday before the Fourth, dropping off the boys and bringing her back. Jade is the eldest of the twins by about 15 minutes and she turned 15 last month.

Usually Jade arrives with a list of projects, a list of needed supplies, and a menu for the entire week. This year there was none of that. Monday, basically all we did was grocery shop while she worked on getting her sleep pattern adjusted.

While all the grandkids have liked to help me in the kitchen, and they still will make cookies or cupcakes or a pie if I direct one that way, Jade is the only one who has been interested in actually learning how to cook. So Tuesday night she made smothered chicken with just my supervision. She also made her usual key lime and blueberry pie on Wednesday. And she made a bacon wrapped water chestnut hors d'oeuvre for our Fourth of July dinner.




We went out Wednesday and bought some aerial fireworks and then found out Wednesday night that the county had instituted a burn ban and a ban of aerial fireworks. Thursday, however, two others in the neighborhood were shooting off their aerial fireworks so we joined in and for a short while the three of us had a little show going.


She did have one project that we had talked about doing during her week. She wanted to make a quilt she had designed on my tablet so Wednesday, we went to see Despicable Me 2 (very cute) and bought the material for her quilt.


After that, that was pretty much all we worked on. There were 80 8” squares of four pieces each. We both cut out the pieces. I did all the sewing, she did all the pressing of the seams and pinning the pieces together. She had a chart she made out that we followed and she caught all the mistakes.


















Sunday was her day to return and she was up when I got up and we started on it right away. We had the top pieced, now we had to put it all together. Having never made a quilt before, it took me a while to figure out how to make the top and the bottom and the batting fit all together. We finished it about 4 PM, jumped in the truck and got her back home.


Our finished size was supposed to be 68” x 86” (the size the All Knowing Oracle told me a twin quilt was). It finished at 66” x 84” so I figure we did pretty good. We didn't get it quilted or tied because we just didn't have enough time but we used a 'fusible' batting that you set with the iron. It's temporary, intended to hold it in place while it was quilted, and washes out but I figured it would be OK til she came back for a weekend and we tied it or as I'm thinking now, maybe get someone to do some very basic machine stitching for us.


She did one other little embossed glass project. After I deconstructed the images, she cut the fiber paper and arranged it on the kiln shelf.


















One more visit starting next Friday and then it looks like we will be getting back to work.



20 comments:

  1. Wow! She has your talent for design and construction! Much accomplished in so little time.

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  2. On the move! Continuously ! WOW! I want what you have for breakfast! The quilt , done is such a short amount of time is gorgeous- something that would have taken most people months! Lovely glass! wonderful food- You are the BEST!Most Grandmother's sit around and make the children feel self conscious with lame, awkward, questions like," how many friends do you have?" I know, lame, right? but that is my memory...You could write a book of Gramma instructions and include energy tips!

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  3. Yep, it's decided. Please send an application for Granny Camp.

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  4. WoW...amazing! What a good Grandmother! This memory will stay with her forever...

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  5. What marvelous memories you're creating with Jade!

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  6. I can't believe Jade is 15! Wow.

    She is so beautiful and sophisticated.

    Key lime blueberry pie? OMG. YUM.

    Her quilt is lovely and she looks cozy snuggled up inside it.

    You are the best granny EVER

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  7. oh my gosh! that quilt is stunning! wow!!! she is doing GREAT!

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  8. Bizzy, bizzy, bizzy. Lovely color choices.

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  9. What a fun visit. She is adorable.
    Enjoy
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  10. I love reading about your visits with your grands. I feel such a kinship to you and your love for them. We are lucky "olde broads" to have grands that want to spend time with us and teach them things that will make them strong and capable. Cheers to you and yours and me and mine. xoxo Oma Linda

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  11. Beautiful young'un you've got there Ellen. Looks like you had a much needed vacataion.

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  12. I can't believe she/you got all of that done in a week. Quilts take forever! Jade is amazing, so competent. Key lime pie...you kiddin' me?

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  13. Jade looks (and acts) like a younger version of her grandma. I love how focused she is. She'll do great things, but I'm sure you already know that ;-D

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  14. Wow, that's an amazing quilt. How cool that you can put together something like that, and spend such meaningful time with your granddaughter.

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  15. That quilt is lovely - just like Jade :)

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  16. She definitely has your eye for design. You are so lucky to be able to spend a week with her! Ususally they have so many other activities at her age, that grandparents fall by the wayside!

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  17. She definitely has your eye for design. You are so lucky to be able to spend a week with her! Ususally they have so many other activities at her age, that grandparents fall by the wayside!

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  18. Looks like you had a very busy time of it.

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  19. What a wonderful time and what memories you made together!

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  20. The quilt is beautiful. Almost as pretty as she is. Truly.

    And I have to agree with Linda - that quilt is amazing that you were able to do something so beautiful in such a short time period. You can contact a local quilt shop and they can hook you up with someone who has a arm machine and they can quilt it lickity split. I do like tie offs tho' too.

    And when you mailing out the Granny Camp applications [funny Gail] may I have one too please?

    YAY!

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