A Group Quilt

Is art disappearing in our schools?

It might be, but it doesn’t need to be that way.

Even in the late ‘80s when my kids were in elementary school (the 1980s, that is!), there was concern about art being cut so that kids could spend more time learning how to read.

We all agree that reading is critical. But why did art go on the chopping block?

Many of the parents at our elementary school asked that very question. The conversation began innocently enough – a few of us began talking over a quilt. Then we asked at PTA. We asked at our District Advisory Council. Finally, we asked at School Site Council.

Everywhere we went, we got some goofy educator answer designed to confuse us. We weren’t buyin’. We knew that art was important to our children, and we wanted art in their classrooms.

About the same time, Nancy was having the same conversation with herself; and, maybe with her husband. Nancy was a teacher. A reading teacher. And she loved art, too. She was also distressed at the lack of art in classrooms, and was determined to figure out a way to bring it back.

It seemed as if one way would be to combine art with reading. Nancy spent an entire summer creating that exact program. At the beginning of one school year, she proposed a trial run in a few classes at our school.

Fortunately the principal thought it was a fabulous idea. She scraped together enough to pay for Nancy to come into half of the classrooms once a week for ½ hour for part of the year. Not a lot, but it was a start.

The Perfect Blend

The first day Nancy stepped onto our campus, it was almost as if Mary Poppins herself had arrived! Nancy arrived with a pack of books and art materials. First she read a book to the class, and then she pulled out her art supplies. Colored paper, scissors, glue, crayons. Within minutes of Nancy’s instructions, paper was flying, glue was sticking, kids were laughing, art was happening, and we knew our kids were in creative hands.

Her book about the fall leaves and her construction paper activity that allowed our children in Southern California to make their own fall leaves was a hit.

Each month, Nancy picked a theme. Each class in the school had their story time followed with a hands-on art time. The reading was instructional, and the projects were wonderful. And there was magic in seeing children become interested in books, art, and happenings beyond our little berg of La Mesa.

I remember when my daughter, Stephanie, came home with a little skeleton, bubbling with a story about the Day of the Dead. It was all news to me. First time I had heard of the holiday, and fourth grade Stephanie was so pleased with herself to be able to teach me something.

One year, Nancy decided to have a theme for the entire year. The first year it was lighthouses. Each month, she found books about some unique aspect of lighthouses. She was even able to teach some geography, showing the kids where particular lighthouses were located. Even after 9 months of lighthouses, the kids were begging for more.

One year, Nancy did barns. Now, that was really interesting for kids from Southern California, some of whom had barely seen a picture of a barn, let alone experience all of the wonderfulness of a barn.

And Then, A Year About Quilts!

So, it wasn’t all that surprising when Nancy announced to some of us moms that she was planning to do a year about quilts. Imagine. Quilts. One entire year about quilts. By now, her program had expanded to all classes at our school, plus two more schools. And we were excited to think of so many children learning about quilts.

There are plenty of books about quilts to read to children at all ages. Stories about quilters making quilts for their families; tales of children watching their aging grandmother start a quilt, then having the granddaughter finish it.

There’s a story about a little girl who finds a quilt in her attic and has her mother repair it. A generation later, her daughter finds the quilt in their attic. The cycle continued. And, of course, Underground Railroad quilt stories. Lots of stories about quilts, lessons about history, and plenty of artwork around quilts.

But Nancy didn't have a quilt. She wasn’t a quilter, and nobody in her family was a quilter. It seemed a shame for her to have only pictures of quilts to share with her children all around the school district. And none of us wanted to just loan her a quilt. So, a group of us decided to make a quilt and give it to her at the beginning of the school year.

A Group Quilt in progress.

Taking the book Eight Hands Round, we decided to make a quilt using blocks that were in the book. There were 12 of us, including the 10 year old Stephanie, who got together to make this beautiful quilt. We each picked a favorite block from the book, decided on a size for the block, and committed to having our blocks done by a specific date.

We had some quilting bee-type parties to keep motivated in getting the blocks finished, sewing the quilt top together, and finally hand quilting the quilt. There were many midnight oil lanterns burned out during those months. The quilt was passed from quilter to quilter for the hand quilting, and at the beginning of the school year, the quilt was done!

Now, what was the best way to give Nancy the quilt?

One of the quilters was the school librarian, and a good friend of Nancy’s. Bea offered to have Nancy over to her house for some afternoon tea (a regular event for the two of them), and have us hiding in the kitchen when she arrived. The plot was hatched, the invitations sent, and the day arrived. There we were – twelve tired quilters, one finished quilt, and a shocked Nancy.

A Successful Group Quilt

Looking back, I think we were very lucky. Everyone did their part, the blocks were relatively the same size, and we really weren’t that organized. Still there were problems. Many times, I wished that it had been more organized and we had been able to anticipate some of the problems, let alone have ready-made solutions for them.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
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