I’m trying to be a good homesteading mom and that means teaching my girl children how to sew. Not just a bit of mending with a needle and thread into something that “works” and will do, but to really sew things that are fun and useful. Like quilts and bags and other neat things. We’re working up to clothes!
But this past weekend we started on a fun beginning quilt idea that I saw somewhere and they loved. Bandana quilts! They love to wear bandanas on their heads, real little hippy chicks, and they also like the colors and all that of this assortment that we got online. So I had them each pick out 8 for the top and play with the patterns and combinations. We worked a bit on design theory and the color wheel of complimentary color matching and such. (I’m a homeschooling mama, I gotta teach!) And after a bit, we had the two tops ready to go.
There were only so many colors available, yet it was nice to see that neither was disappointed and got to grab up the colors that appealed to them right away. I’m blessed, my daughters and I all are great friends and get along famously. I just can’t even remember the last time we squabbled over anything. It’s a delight, let me tell you.
Maggie got started first, mainly because Jessy was still hmming and hwwwwing over the patterns and such. Maggie is a pretty straight forward, get ‘er done kind of kid and once she has her mind made up, she’s off and running. She’s actually my more experienced machine sewing gal, and has actually made a few things, including a cool pillow case and some jammy pants along with a lot of these cool little sock creatures.
Ah, a word of wisdom if you choose to do the same thing. All bandanas are not created equal. Or are the patterns printed the same on each one. Unfortunately we found this out after we got working on things. Still, it’s part of the quaintness of the project. Jessy was a little more careful about matching the sides up a little better than Maggie, but then Maggie wasn’t that worried about it. She likes a little imperfection in her world.
Evee liked to watch what we were doing. And yes, the little wort is sitting on an end table. She was sitting on the couch as nice as could be and we got sidetracked and I turned around from taking a picture of the stitched top and she was sitting just as nice as could be, on the side table, where she could get a better view of the goings-on. Silly little puppy. She’s learning good dog behaviors, but every so often she does what she pleases!
8 bandanas will make a nice topper for a single bed. We intend on adding a nice boarder strip and then adding a cotton bat and backing fabric, and then quilting the top. That is part 2 of the post. I know they want to have them done before my Dad comes to visit!
You may be thinking… WOW… those girls have a lot of colors and patterns and such going on in their rooms. Ah, yeah. But you know, teenagers need a bit of room to express themselves. I figure eventually they might settle down a bit, but right now, they love their wild circus room. Right down to the night sky ceiling with glow in the dark stars and such all over. Hey, they’re the ones living in it. (haha) And paint is cheap, in the whole scheme of things. Some day they will want to change it. Until then, I embrace their originality and let them have fun with it. So the bandana quilts will fit right in!
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