Camp Quilting Arts… it’s a Surface Design Staycation
It is that time of year again: the sun is shining, the air is warm, and the kids are… gone! For the first time in ages, I’m an “empty nester”. My two younger sons packed their footlockers and headed off to their jobs as counselors at a summer camp just last week. Their days will be filled with swimming, sunburns, and s’mores. I’m proud of their independence: being in charge of a pack of seven-year-old boys who have never been away from home before isn’t an easy job, but they are excited for the adventure. I know they will be great role models.
Camp Quilting Arts
I may miss my boys already, but honestly, I’m looking forward to having a bit of free time to pursue my own summer adventures. Last year I started what I hope to be an annual event: Camp Quilting Arts where I invited my art quilt friends to my house for a week of play. We created mini tea bag art on the machine and by hand. We dyed fabrics in a rainbow of colors, and even had a sewing marathon, creating a quilt for charity with some of the hand dyed yardage. But most importantly, we had a great time.
Year Two Agenda
I have already started planning for the second annual “Camp Quilting Arts” and I’m using the latest issue (June/July 2018) as my guide for creative and artistic exploration. We’ll start by creating intentions for the session and maybe make some gel printed fabric for prayer flags using Lisa Thorpe’s instructions.
Then we’ll move on to making hot glue gun stencils with the guide of Deborah Boschert. I’ve already been inspired to design a few stencils to match my coffee mug… I wonder how they will work? I haven’t tested them on fabric but have high hopes for creating some bold cloth that can be incorporated into a table runner.
Lastly, we’ll take a vote: should we attempt Indigo Itajime dye in the backyard, or stay inside and do some stamp carving? It might depend on the weather. Whatever the choice, I hope we’ll have lots of additional fabric for another charity quilt.
Doesn’t this sound like a plan? I hope Quilting Arts readers will join the fun. Tell us about your own backyard art adventures. We can all share the excitement and joy of a summer camp adventure made for our inner artist.
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