Class Quilts Preview

Instead of waiting 'til the first of the year, I figured I better get a jump on the quilt project ideas that I have for the kids' classes.  Last year I didn't do any class quilts because I had planned on getting all the blocks designed in February during the kids' class parties, and have them ready for the end of April auction.  Well, it turns out they changed the auction date to February and I didn't know that until January and there was no way I could throw it together in time.  Well, maybe I could have... had I ignored my family and everything else for an extended period of time.  I wasn't willing to do that.

I'm ready for them this year: one each for Kindergarten, 3rd grade, and 5th grade.  For kindergarten we're going to do handprints (inspired by this quilt).  The 3rd grade teacher wanted the kids to draw a pic of themselves (similar to this quilt).  I'm excited to try out these new styles--at least new for me.  And then the 5th graders can design their own 9 patch blocks, which is what I did 2 years ago with two of my kids' classes.

I started w/ 3rd grade and as always, working with kids is interesting.  Only 10 of 24 were able to complete their drawing on the first day.  I spent 1 hr. each for 3 mornings working with about 3 kids at a time.  You could do it more quickly if you have LOTS of fabric markers.

Here's what you might expect when working with kids:

• One giant meltdown because I wouldn't let this boy take home his fabric square, even when proclaiming "it is special to me" and he would do another one and bring it back.  Uh....no!
• Pic of boy morphing into Pokemon, even when I told him he could NOT draw that for this project.
• Cyborg boy...see above. Ditto.
• Pics that might inspire the phrase "less is more".  Really girls, you don't need to fill in every blank space.
• On the flip side, sometimes more would be better--there are a couple really sparse self-portraits.
• "To each his own" as our mom would say.
• Missing hands or feet because they were too busy drawing other important details.
• Twins:  i.e. some copying of each other like 2 boys with the same multi-colored hair and another set of girls with the same polka-dot background.

Other notes:

• Fabric markers work better than Sharpies. Sharpies bleed some, but if you don't care, they are certainly cheaper than fabric markers.
• Iron freezer paper onto the back of each block before the kids draw.  That way it holds it all in place and makes it easier to draw.
• Freezer paper can be reused again after you peel it off.
• The kids think it is so cool to peel the freezer paper off themselves.
• I took an individual pic of each kid with their block so they can have a memento themselves. 
• Once the quilt is all completed we'll take a group shot and I'll get copies again for all the kids.