by I recently made a “get-well” quilt with a 3rd grade class. The children were culminating a unit on Bikkur Cholim. A member of our community was in the hospital and the quilt was made to coincide with her hospital discharge.
The background is fleece 72 inches by 59 inches. I cut 3 inch fringes and tied them into knots for the edging. The children worked on 6inch squares of white poplin. I ironed a product called “Wonder Under” onto the back of the poplin. This makes it easier to cut and then will be used to adhere the squares to the fleece without sewing.
The children first sketched their design onto white paper to work out the format. This also allowed the teacher to check the appropriateness of the content and to check-in verbally with each student as a unit evaluation. They used the Crayola Fabric Markers to render the design onto the poplin. The students spent a total of about 90 minutes from preparation to completion. I peeled the back off the “Wonder Under” and ironed each square onto the fleece. This also ‘set’ the fabric marker.
Purchasing fleece with a checked or plaid design helps with the fringing and the spacing of the quilt squares. The total price for the quilt ends up to be about $10.00. Other than the markers I purchased the fabric at a local fabric store.
The children were so proud of the result and I understand that the quilt is providing great comfort during recovery!
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From the Editor:
Laurie is featured in this month’s SchoolArts magazine. To read her article, click here. Then, use the toolbar on top to get to the table of contents. Her article is in the middle school section and is called History and Art that Touch the Heart.
The article discusses a project Laurie organized for a group of students at her school that involved the creation of an installation piece for Yom HaShoah. The finished piece (at right) is a bust covered with photographs of victims, partisans, and rescuers. It features a three-paneled mirrored background (with expertly cracked glass).