Class Quilt

To end our school year, my class machine stitched together a class quilt.  Yes, machine stitched!  I always make a class quilt, but with second graders, I wanted to step it up a little and do some real patchwork!

For fabric, we used a set of pre-cut 5x5 squares that I had in my stash and cut muslin squares to match.  Each child made a four-patch and then we put them together.

On the muslin squares, the kids drew a self-portrait using fabric markers and crayons.  Then, they laid out a four-patch using the muslin portrait as well as three pretty fabric squares.   They got really into being a designer and figuring out their squares.  Our quilt discovery lesson helped prepare the kids for this activity.

 Next, they machine sewed the squares together using the presser foot as the guide.  They sewed two squares together twice, then put the sewn strips together to form a four-patch.  Great tutorial guide here if you want more info.

The scene in my classroom.  I discovered that I could put two machines on a spare desk.  Since most of my students had sewn before, this went quickly.  I did sit with students who needed help using the machines.

Sewn squares!  The entire class helped lay out the patches to form a quilt. The rule:  no two like squares could touch.

All sewn up!  I took the quilt top home and backed it with a soft flannel.  Using the Stripey Quilt directions in Sewing School 2, I made a quick flip quilt.  At school, we tied the quilt with craft thread.  We gave the class quilt to a dear classmate who is moving this summer so that she will always remember us!

Then again, how could she forget this silly group?!