Saturday, May 14, 2016

Teacher Quilt... Pieced by Preschoolers

For the past two years, my oldest child has been attending a wonderful Montessori preschool.  One of the teachers there is having a baby soon, so I wanted to make her a quilt (of course)!


Instead of making it entirely myself, I thought it would be more meaningful to get the children involved.


I decided simple would be best, since the kids are 3-6 and some are still learning to write their names :)


Each student was given six 5" squares, a small spool of thread, and a needle.  I cut all the squares and even drew on the 1/4" seam lines on every square.  Each family was given instructions on how to hand sew the six squares into a row using a simple running stitch.  


Instead of purchasing a cheapo spool of thread for each student, I bought a pack of bobbins and wound them with quality thread (that I already had).


As students finished their strips, I began figuring out a layout.


I decided to do simple quilting to reinforce the seams.  


I ended up adding another row of quilting stitches for extra durability.  The squares were sewn together by kids after all! I did have to redo a few strips that were sewn together poorly, and I reinforced a few without pulling them apart entirely.  But for the most part, the kids and their adult helpers did a great job!


One of the grandmothers I see often at the school is a very accomplished quilter, and she suggested having the kids sign the quilt.  She recommended this crayon and iron technique to set the ink into the fabric and it worked beautifully! I will have to follow up with the recipient in a year or so to see how it holds up over time.


I think she was very pleased with her gift!


One more thing! On Amanda's recommendation, I used this sheet set from Target as the backing for this quilt and for my Meadow Quilt.  I bought the full size for about 25 dollars and backed two quilts with it.  Quilt backings can be very expensive so I'm glad I have found a cheaper alternative.  There are many options in solids or prints.

Enjoy your weekend!

5 comments:

  1. I used to buy the solid color sheets when they went on 70% off clearance. I have even bought a couple of clearance flannel sheets for backing for a man's quilt. I always make sure the fabric is nice enough that I would have bought it in a fabric store. I haven't had any problems and bought at least 6 or 7 sheets for backing and bought a couple of clearance items to turn into complete quilts.

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  2. What an adorable idea! And super meaningful. I haven't tried the crayon and iron yet, but I have worked with fabric markers just recently and they worked super well. You'll definitely need to update us when you find out how it holds up. :)

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  3. Wow! That is brilliant! I love the sewing done by the kids! This will indeed be precious!

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  4. Lovely, lovely, and the kids must have been so pleased to "help". A great idea all round!

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