My volunteer art lessons this last week were on Pilgrims and what little they actually had.
We talked about fabric and where it came from. How they made different colors and then what they did with clothes when they wore out and couldn't be fixed.it was really interesting to watch their reactions.
I found this cute book at the library. Its called " That Summer" and written by an imaginative guy by the name Tony Johnston and beautifully illustrated by Barry Moser.
There was no way I could read the whole book because it is a story about a boy spending the last summer with his Grandmother and his really sick brother - who died- but this part of the story I could make it through without sobbing. Plus it is a great description on what goes into a quilt.
.... "How do you make a quilt?" Joey asked. "Cut scraps into shapes of all the things you love," Gram said," then join them with thread."
So in the hallows of the night when he could not sleep Joey pieced a quilt - a patch with an owl because he loved it's call, the cow he squeezed from clay (first grade), and his fishing pole and a lightning bug and a country road and his baseball glove."......
Since I knew that I didn't have time to actually teach kids HOW to sew and how to MAKE a quilt square, I came up with this idea. I gave them 9 3" squares in a rainbow of colors, 2 5" squares - they could choose their 2 colors and one 12"x12" black square. These were the instructions I gave each class.
1- You have to stay within your 12"x12" paper.
2- Anywhere on your quilt square you need to write 1 thing you are thankful for.
3- The square needs to represent you in some way. And you need to have fun and be proud of YOUR square.
It was so fun to hear the quiet chatter of little brains at work. They were so cute creating. They are thrilled with their squares. But they were even MORE excited to see their squares made into a quilt. Even if it's a paper one.
1st grade:
2nd grade:
3rd grade;
Pix to come
Special Ed: 3rd-6th grades
Pix to come
I'd like to encourage you to borrow that book... And even more - to make a quilt with your kids... Even if it's a paper one.
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