Sleepover Number 2 and Sleepover Number 3

Sewing with the Zoom group

Last month, our oldest granddaughter arrived for a sleepover. Earlier in the week she had called with her meal choices. Her requests were sourdough pancakes, overnight French toast for breakfast. Chicken noodle soup for lunch, Papa's spaghetti and Papa's burgers for the dinners. It is always interesting to receive the grandchildren's menu requests. Chicken noodle soup, Papa's spaghetti and sourdough pancakes are the most requested.

Making hot cocoa

When she arrived in the afternoon, she and Papa played cribbage. After our spaghetti dinner, she worked on her string top. Since it was a Friday, she joined the Friday Sit and Sew group. She got a kick out of stitching with the other ladies. Her comment was, "You do this every Friday? It is sort of fun." Ha. . .just because one has white hair, one can still have fun!!!

Finished top

She started this top in 2021 because she was intrigued with string piecing the blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month. I had stitched two months; but, she stitched the rest. At a previous time together, she had stitched the blocks into rows and had begun stitching the rows together. We stitched a couple more rows together
before it was time for bed.

In the morning, she made a cup of hot cocoa as well as the pancakes. After breakfast, we worked some more on stitching rows together. We took a break to attend the neighborhood block party. 

Riding a pool toy

Then we stitched a few more rows together. For a break, she picked out some backing fabric. We were still full from the potluck at the block party so leftover chicken soup was the right dinner! We made overnight French toast and placed it in the refrigerator. She likes me to tell historical fiction stories at bedtime. The following day, she will pick out the fiction parts and ask about the historical facts. I get such a kick out of her comments like, "My mama did THAT?"

The second morning, we baked our French toast. It was delicious! We also had bacon and blueberries to eat too. After breakfast, we finished sewing the top together. We finished just as her mama pulled in the driveway to pick her up! 

Her mama snapped a photo of Miss K with her finished top. I said I would press the seam for her. 

Lounging on a poot mat

The next time we are together, we will layout the top and measure it. We will also check to see if the backing fabrics are enough. She was so tickled to have finished the top!

Last weekend, my friend, Wendy, invited the girls to swim in her pool with her two granddaughters that are about the same age as my granddaughters. My granddaughters wanted to swim and they received the okay to have an overnight. 

They arrived just in time to head to the pool. We swam. It was a good opportunity to introduce our grandchildren. . .they are so similar in their likes and dislikes. I hope that they will become more comfortable with each other. They were all sort of shy!

Chicken noodle soup lunch

After swimming, we had chicken noodle soup. No leftovers were left behind which was good! We also had carrot sticks, apple slices with peanut butter. After lunch, the girls played a game of "Don't Spill the Beans." I was resting in my chair. . .next, I heard raised voices over who was hogging the quilt. Turns out, I snoozed and they felt they needed a snooze. At this house, one doesn't have to share a quilt as there is a whole cupboard of ones to wrap around yourself. Once the quilt issue was sorted, the house was quiet for about three hours!

Making the batter for mug cakes

One weekend activity was to make microwave chocolate mug cake. They loved this activity. Miss J made her cake and her papa's cake. Miss A made her cake and mine. We mixed the batter in a small bowl and poured it into the cup. It was delicious cake. 

The chosen block

The other weekend activity was quilt related. I gave them the choice of designing a cradle quilt or a baby quilt. The cradle quilt will be sent to Carol in North Carolina as part of an outreach program between stuffed bear makers, woodworkers and quilters. The folks make a wooden toy that includes a bear wrapped in a quilt. At Christmas, a child will receive the handmade bundle. These quilts need to be no larger than 18 inches. The baby quilt is for a woman having a baby at the end of October. It is important that the grandchildren practice giving to help brighten someone's day.

Auditioning the outer border

They decided to design a cradle quilt. Miss J ended up snoozing through most of the process. Miss K picked a block that I had made a long time ago. It has been living in the "parts department" for years! It was an extra block from "The Road Home" quilt. We picked border, binding and backing fabrics. We spent a little time that evening and the next day sewing. Miss K was quite perturbed that the time to go home came before she was able to finish increasing the size of the block to 18 inches!

The outer border is the wrong side of the fabric. The binding is the right side of the fabric. Miss J thought the wrong side of the fabric looked best as the outer border. 

Auditioning the borders

Dinner was Papa's hamburgers and tater tots. After we had cleaned the kitchen from dinner, we ate our mug cakes and made the batter for the sourdough pancakes. Miss K made and cooked all of the pancakes Sunday morning. I didn't help flipping any pancakes this time! It was a fun to have a sleepover. I hope we get another one scheduled soon!

Aqua/Teal nine patches

After the granddaughters went home, I finished sewing the little top. I cut the binding and the backing. I also worked on a second cradle top. Again this one started with leftovers from the "parts department." This time the nine patches were from my Chilhowie quilt. I didn't have enough; so I sewed more! Since teal/aqua is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color this month, my blocks fit right in! I'm linking to Angela at her "SoScrappy" blog. This is the first month, I've participated this year. Maybe it won't be my last!

 Nine patch within nine patch

I looked through my 3 1/2 inch purple scrap fabrics and found enough purples to stitch four nine patches. I chain pieced each block.

Finished block

Next, I sewed the blocks together. I also cut binding and pieced the back for the project. 

Finished 18 inch top

By then, the day was over. On Monday, I layered and basted the two tops. I started the quilting process.

Finished Road Home block front

On Tuesday, I quilted both little quilts. For the Road Home block, I stitched in the ditch. Then, I quilted diagonally in both directions with a monofilament thread. I love the texture quilting diagonal lines created. I free motion quilted this piece with a ruler and ruler foot. For the Nine Patch quilt, I used the walking foot. I also stitched in the ditch. I eyeballed a straight line through the purple squares. I found that when I looked ahead to the intersection of the purple square to the nine patch, I sewed straight. I created a different grid. I had this project quilted in about an hour! I used the monofilament in the needle and a purple cotton thread in the bobbin for both projects.

Back of Road Home cradle quilt

On Wednesday, I finished sewing the bindings. Yesterday, I asked Carol the best method to send the quilts to her. She suggested a Tvyvek envelope. I went to the post office and asked the clerk. She suggested a small priority envelope. I was able to squeeze both quilts into the envelope. Monday or Tuesday, I'll mail the package! 

 Finished front of non patch quilt

While all the fabric came from scraps, I figure that I used about a yard for both quilts. This brings my total of yardage used from my stash to 20 1/2 yards! Because this little finish is aqua/teal and because it is planned to help a stuffed bear sleep well, it also meets Joy's rules at The Joyful Quilter for her little challenge. The challenge letter this project fits this month is the letter Z for ZZZZZzzzz. . . snoozing! At the end of the month, I'll be linking to her! 

Finished back of second quilt

In the meantime, this post takes care of goals number nine and eleven on my September list! I'm linking to Cynthia at Oh Scrap/Quilting is More Fun Than Housework. She was the speaker at the Mt. Hood Quilt guild on Thursday evening. She talked about scraps and scrap quilts. It was an inspiring presentation!