December Quilt Camp is one of my favorite things about the Christmas season. My mom runs 7 quilt camps through out the year but this one is extra special. This gathering of mothers, daughters, aunts, cousins, grandmothers, nieces, friends, and neighbors brings together women of all ages.
This year I brought my friends Annie and Molly--not only did we get to hang out but we led the Hot Chocolate Club and made Molls her very first quilt. Molly became an expert at ironing, Annie was the block organizer/pinner, and I got to trade on and off sewing with Mom.
When we weren't sewing downstairs we played with the girls of the Hot Chocolate Club. This group of twenty younger quilters ranged in age from 7-18 years old. Some of them have been coming for years and we've grown up together--kind of a quilt camp family.
Every year a couple new faces join the mix. Some of these girls are camp kids like me, a few are Tecumseh campers, and some are children of alumni counselors.
Our first HCC craft of the weekend was holiday colored potholder headbands.
My favorite moments are when we're just hanging out working on a project. The room is buzzing with sewing machines and project chatter and Katrina singing and girls running in and out of the rooms.
At about noon we took the HCC on an adventure.
We had a pizza party....
... each made our mini melted crayon craft (note the glitter swag)...
... soaked up being able to just play and be weird...
... played favorite camp games....
... had fun with new and old friends...
... and played the iPod game as we hiked.
Molls and Annie sprinted out to the DC site. It looks so empty and bare with just the two of them standing on picnic tables but this place is so special and holds so many of their favorite memories that they about cried tears of joy.
I loved being able to hang out with these girls for three days straight. They fit right into quilt camp like I knew they would.
It was a weekend with some of our favorite people and being intentional about giving hugs and having fun and just being together.
Brenna, Annie and Molls were campers together for years, in the same 2010 CILT session, and on staff together this past summer. Now they're all quilters together. Precious. I think they'll be doing this till they're 80 now.
We played Come On 6 which led to screaming and laughing and pencil grabbing and dice throwing.
And yes, we did get back to the quilt. It's beautiful. One of our favorites ever.
It's really all about the process. Talking about books and playing song games and writing lists and working on mind meld and creating fictional guest lists as we sewed was the best part.
Wow. Talk about a beautiful quilt.
We loved it so much we had to test it out right away.
Boiler Gold Rush was in a different part of camp so late Saturday night, after a trip to the suspension bridge, we searched the River Village until we found our friends and fellow counselors Margaret, Kellie and Kelsey. It was so great to see them and get to catch up for a little bit.
Our baking project was to make the cake pops that Katie, Mom and I tried out last weekend. They were more of a success this time around and the girls know how to make them back at home.
Annie and Molls are such pro DC counselors I knew they would be rockstars at this. They're like kid-magnets.
We couldn't help but join in two rounds of Sardines before we left. It just wouldn't be December Quilt Camp if we didn't hide in a shower stall with sixteen other people.
With the quilt all finished we got to spend more of the morning just hanging out and talking about camp things.
This weekend was such a blessing. I loved being with friends, I loved getting to play with my Mom and getting to craft and laugh and talk with her, I loved getting hugs from little Katie, I loved hanging out with Scar and watching Tangled together, I loved that we got visits from Jordan/Adam/Krafty/Katie/Nick/Linc/Dad, I loved Kirsten's devotion this morning, I loved the way that Quilt Camp has this overwhelming culture of family and friendship. Merry Christmas everyone.
Life doesn't get any better than this. The Christmas spirt was alive and "blooming" at Mother Daughter Friend Quilt camp. Heaps of thanks to Sarah, Molly , and Annie for all their awesome help with the Hot Chocolate Club.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Mom