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!
