Peacemaker Quilt Art Project

Submitted by: Sandra Jahnle St. Anastasia School in Newtown Square, PA

Grade level: 8th grade / Middle School

Unit: Quiltmaking

Description:

The Eighth-grade graduating class wished to gift the school with an artwork symbolizing the Peacemaker Theme. The students chose to use their hand-prints in a palette of bright fabrics to create a quilt.

Materials and Tools:

Fabrics for hand-prints, blocks and backing, fusible web, iron, Scissors, batting, Thread, fabric paint, sewing machine, quilt magazines and books (See bottom), quilt exemplars.

Student Objectives:

Students will:

1 - Create a symbolic fabric wall hanging relating to Peacemaker Theme

2 - View works by quilt artists

3 - Discuss the use of color and design in works viewed

4 – Decide on color scheme and design for their quilt

5 - Experiment with a variety of sewing and fabric painting techniques

Vocabulary:

Quilt, fuse, seam, embroidery, block, embellishment, collage

Activity:

1 – Show students exemplars and discuss theme of Hands in Art – symbolizing character traits of giving, honesty, gratitude, work ethic, etc. Students will decide on the color and design of their quilt. (Note: My students chose a palette of bright color fabrics on a black and white patterned background blocks. Their design consisted of nine hand-prints joined in a circle on each of nine 18" (46 cm) blocks – there are 81 students.)

2 – Discuss and demonstrate techniques and procedures for working with fabric and fusible web.

3 – Have students trace their hands on fusible web, iron the web to fabric of their choice, and cut out.

4 – Students will arrange their fabric hand-prints in desired composition and fuse to fabric backing blocks.

5 – Students will use fabric paints, buttons, and embroider to embellish the surface of their blocks.

6 – Students will sew the blocks together, add borders, layer with batting and backing to complete.

Books

First-Time Quiltmaking: Learning to Quilt in Six Easy Lessons - Based on actual classes with beginners, the editors at Landauer created a first quilting book that presents information in teach-me/show-me text and photos that work. Six easy lessons. Four easy projects. Clear, accessible, easy-to-understand. Hundreds of step-by-step photos and diagrams. A featured selection of Crafter's Choice Book Club.

The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide - Reading this impressive encyclopedic reference for quilt lovers is like taking classes from 60 top-notch teachers, each offering different areas of expertise. The excellent illustrations make it remarkably easy to understand the many quiltmaking techniques described. The book is an invaluable resource for every quilt-maker!

Magazines

Quilter - Focuses on presenting new techniques in quilt making through feature articles and illustrated instructions. Readers are creative quilters at all levels of expertise -- from beginner to advanced, as well as quilting instructors and designers.

Quilting Arts - Quilting Arts covers the latest techniques in art and embellished quilting, wearable arts, mixed media, surface design, and other textile arts. Features guest artists and teachers, and addresses a wide range of skills including surface embroidery, thread painting, stamping, and fabric painting.