Welcome to North School
by Shelley Schoby
Through the unique form of quilt making
first grade students were exposed to a variety of bed covers. The
first was the artist, Faith Ringgold, who celebrates events in her
life and her African heritage on quilts. Then the Amish group of
people that hand stitch bold abstract patterns when creating bed
covers. Finally, the Baltimore quilt that includes historical
events and symbols of national pride that tell a person’s life
story.
Students brained-stormed ideas that
could be incorporated on their class Welcome to Our School quilt.
First students drew a border around the edges of a piece of paper.
Then students drew a large simple object that might relay a
message, tell a story, or show an abstract design about Blair
Schools. After this was completed, students filled their quilt
square with fabric crayons. Each quilt block was then ironed onto a
piece of fabric. A fabric border, filling, and backing was added to
finish first grades’ quilt. Finally, each student helped bind the
layers together by tying the corners of a quilt square with yarn.
Betty Lunn, a former school employee, was kind enough to sew the
quilt that first grade students had designed.
