This past year our Chapters and many of those who are using CSH in their domestic schools (aka at home but without a Chapter yet) covered Tour I.  Our kids saw tons of American History, AND American Art.  Do you remember Weeks 10-12 in Art? Well we learned about colors and quilting!

By now I think a lot of us have finished up school, had a couple of great weeks off, and now our kids don’t know what to do with themselves.  Enter in the

Catholic Schoolhouse Quilting Book!

I wrote a post about the quilting book last year as a precurser to going over American History, and now I’m recommending it as a great review!  Last year my daughter Eva, made only rail fence blocks, since it was her first time really sewing on a machine. She also cut out the fabric with scissors using a rectangle piece of cardboard as a guide (instructions for this in the book!).

But this year I’m challenging her to make the sampler quilt laid out in the book.  That is 2 rail fence blocks, 2 four-patch blocks, and 2- nine patch blocks.  And wow, kids change so much in one year.  Last year a rail fence was about all she could handle. But this year, she breezed through a 9 patch with no problems at all! (She’s 7 years old) Plus she used a rotary cutter to cut her fabric.

(Eva’s 9 patches and my messy craft shelves behind her!)

I’d say that 6 is probably the youngest you’d want to have at a sewing machine, but even my 4 yr old son had fun ‘designing’ quilts with us by laying out the fabric pieces on the floor while I assisted Eva at the machine.  Family unity is one of the best parts of CSH, so find ways to make even the quilting fun for everyone.

They really grow up fast, so make some memories this summer learning a fun historical skill together- quilting.  All you need is a little fabric, thread, sewing machine, and the Catholic Schoolhouse Quilting Book to spend some awesome quality time with your kids, while reviewing the art and history we learned this past year.  Make it even more review by playing some Bach, Beethoven, Sousa and Joplin in the background (or just pick your favorite composer from Tour I). Or get the Little House on the Prairie Books on tape (CD, MP3, audible or whatever you use). Or just play the CSH CDs and sing along with your favorite ones! (Remember the Alamo anyone?)

Send me your quilting pictures! I’ll feature them right here on the blog 🙂

Email me at kristenLrabideau[at]gmail.com include in the subject line Catholic Schoolhouse Quilting.

Thanks for reading! Hope you are having a blessed summer!

Kristen