Some of the files are still relevant while others I will be decluttering and recycling in the process. Each day during April, I will pick one of the files to focus on - either doing a hands-on activity or sharing some information from one of the files.
For the 17th day - Letter Q - I am focusing on Quiet Books, Quilling, Quilting.
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Quiet Books
I had two files that started with "Q" in my file cabinets: quilling and quilting. Since I've been featuring a trio of topics each day for this challenge, I wanted to add a third one, so I thought about the quiet book that I made for the girls when they were younger.
There are 19 activity pages in the book and each has a different theme and type of activity. Some match colors - like the flower page in which the buttons match the flowers (that can be removed).
Others have little shapes that a child can play with and then return their spot (like the insects and birds sitting on various flowers).
There is a page to practice skills - like braiding ribbons; and another shape and color matching activity page.
About the same time I made this activity book for my daughters, my Dad was diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer's Disease.
He was brilliant and compassionate...a social worker by profession and a Deacon later in life during retirement. He had a Masters in Social Work and only had his thesis to have completed and he would have received his Doctorate in Social Work. He chose not to do the thesis so he could focus on his career.
At any rate, I showed my Dad the activity book I made. Sadly, I watched him struggle with even the most basic of the activities in this book.
It made me realize that this activity book was good for two ends of the spectrum - children just starting to learn and master skills; and seniors who had lived a full and meaningful life, and needed something to keep their minds active and hands busy.
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Quilling
Back in 2008 around Valentine's Day, we did some quilling. First, I photocopied each of the girls' hands. Sophia was 7 years old and Olivia was 5 years old.
We made some simple shapes - hearts and swirls and arranged them on the photocopies.
Each one is slightly different based on what they quilled shapes they wanted.
We've put these pictures up on our refrigerator for many years now in February. It was an easy way to capture a moment in time when the girls were younger and enjoy that memory each Valentine's Day.
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Quilting
As I looked through the clippings in this file, a lot of the ideas are ones that are inspiring to look at, but I know that I don't have the skill or supplies to make art quilts (or even practical quilts) like the them.
So, rather than keeping images I know I won't use or refer to, I let them go.
One thing that's available now that wasn't when I began my homeschooling files is Pinterest. There are so many great quilting ideas on Pinterest that I would like to do. Many of them are ones that are more practical and fit my skill set.
I'm looking for ideas for finishing some quilts that my Mom had and never completed before she died. My goal is to finish them this year and give them to my sister, brother, and daughters.
Idea for modifying a traditional 9-block quilt square.
One of the ideas I saw that I liked was a quote quilt. For Sophia's and Olivia's graduation from high school (in 2 and 4 years), I want to give each one a quilt that has different quotes on it. Each will be a way to take with them advice from others that I think is a good guide in living one's life.
An example of a quote or poetry quilt.
If I start now on it, I should have both finished by then.
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In the process of going through the files that began with "Q," I recycled a half a bag of photocopies and magazine clippings. I'm now at 15 bags of recycling since the start of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
7 comments:
Cool...you have creative ideas and you use them for practical and useful applications!
I was moved by the "Quiet Book" and how it has made two different generations achieve two different set of goals.
Quilling idea, I liked it...M gonna be a copy cat!
Last and most important, Happy quiliting to you!
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Anagha From Team MocktailMommies
Collage Of Life
That is a lovely post & the practice books that you have made looks so cute.
Thanks for sharing
A Peice Of My Life
Never seen a poetry quilt before - wonderful idea.
Thanks for sharing your lovely quilts - I prefer to embroider as I'm a terrible sewer!
@Raesquiggles - Queen's coronation - Westminster Abbey
The Quiet Writer
How adorable.
That poetry quilt is lovely and so are the Quiet Books...such talent.
Writer In Transit
Oh wow, photocopying their hands is a cool idea. And good job with coming up with a trio of words for the letter "q." That's a pretty hard word, generally!
Visiting from the A to Z Challenge. You can see my "Q" post here: https://lydiahowe.com/2017/04/20/q-is-for-questions-atozchallenge-also-time-for-yall-to-ask-questions/
Your comments about your dad made me think of my father-in-law. He would spend most of his day at the nursing home with my mother-in-law who had suffered a stroke. He was always very attentive to her, but when she slept, he would work with one of the Alzheimer's patients there. He'd bring things like blocks and simple puzzles and patiently work with her. I don't know what the long term result was, but they both enjoyed it.
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