Animal poetry quilts.

When three classroom teachers at Lincoln Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon decided to merge their classes once a week for art, the search began for an integrated arts project that could span grades K-5. Because the students had pen-pals at a school in Australia, we decided on a quilt-making project focusing on Australian animals. The children learned about the habits and habitats of the various animals before studying photographs of Aboriginal art. We roller-printed the animal designs onto the quilt squares and had some help from parent volunteers in assembling the quilt.

Preparing the Animal Designs

After examining photos, the children were able to draw the outlines of their own animals on paper. Each design was taped onto a 5x8" (13 x 20cm) piece of 1/8" 1.3 cm) thick Styrofoam. The children retraced their lines pressing hard into the Styrofoam with sharp pencils. After removing the pattern, they cut out their animal shapes and embellished their designs by pressing dots and lines into the Styrofoam.

Brayers and fabric paint were used to roller-print the design first onto paper as a test and then onto an 8 1/2 x 8 1/2" (22 x 22 cm) square of pre-washed white muslin. Laying the muslin on top of the painted Styrofoam the children pressed the fabric down with their hands to get the paint to transfer well. The animal was printed toward the top of the fabric square to allow room for a poem to be added later. Both the paper print and the fabric print were hung to dry.

Animal Poetry

In a later session, after the children were introduced to poetry, they each wrote a short poem about their animals. They typed their poems into a computer and arranged them two to a page using a large readable typeface. I cut pieces of muslin and freezer paper to 8 1/2 x 1", and then ironed the freezer paper to the back of the muslin. The shiny side of the freezer paper will stick to fabric when it is ironed, which gives the fabric stability for printing or drawing.

Poems were printed directly onto the fabric by feeding the paperbacked muslin through a laser printer, one sheet at a time. Since freezer paper is reusable, once a page was printed the paper was peeled off the fabric and used for another page of poetry.

A Thread Between Art and Poetry

With the help of classroom mothers, the poems were cut apart and the edges ironed under. The poems were temporarily adhered to the animal quilt squares with a dab of glue stick. Using embroidery floss, the children sewed their poems in place and added stitches to embellish their creatures. We began each session with many pre-threaded needles and kept people busy threading throughout the project. Children traded in empty needles for newly threaded ones.

As quilt squares were finished, the children placed them on the floor and discussed possible layouts for them. Because we had so many children involved, we decided to create three quilts, mixing children's work so that each quilt would represent children in all grade levels.

A parent sewed fabric strips between the squares to frame each animal, then layered backing, batting, and quilt squares on top, and secured the quilt. When the quilts were returned to school each child stitched the layers around his or her own square with brightly colored embroidery floss.

Admiring the Quilts

The children were justifiably proud of their accomplishments and were delighted to have paper versions of their animals to take home as keepsakes. The trio of quilts hangs in the hallway of the school and children often stop to admire the pictures and read the poetry.

This project allowed the students to express their knowledge through illustration as well as the written word. Their sense of community was broadened as older children helped younger ones with poetry, computer inputting, and sewing. Often younger children encouraged their mentors as the sewing progressed. In all, the children learned about themselves as well as about the animal world of Australia.

Karen Bates Willing is a quilter, co-author of Quilting Now & Then and Cotton Now & Then, and a parent volunteer at Lincoln Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon.

See Resource Center page 50 for a review of Karen Bates Willings' books.