www.KINDERART.com
Printer-Friendly Page

Grade: 2-4

Age: 8-10

Activity Summary:

Students will learn about the history of Victorian Crazy Quilts as they explore pattern, color, and shape in different ways.

What You Need:

• scrap construction and decorative papers
• glue
• scissors
• black markers
• large sheet of paper to mount paper patches

What You Do:

1. Show students a varety of samples of Victorian Crazy Quilts.
2. Pre-cut random shapes of scrap paper to get the children started.
3. If you have a scrap box of paper, give students access to it for this project.
4. Students are instructed to draw patterns on some of the plain patches. They can also use some decorative papers that look like fabric.
5. Next they are to set their patches on a background paper in random ways. Background paper should be sturdy.
6. After selected where their patches are to go (while working in sections, sections can be 1/4 of the background sheet at a time), they can then glue their patches.
7. Overlapping and trimming of edges can occur if needed.
8. To finalize the project and really make it look like a crazy quilt, students are instructed to draw stitching with black markers.

Recommended Books:

The Crazy Quilt
by Kristin Avery
This book starts out with a young bear finding a crazy quilt. Her mother explains that it was stitched together using fabric from clothes of her grandparents and other family members. The young bear then secretly goes around the house collecting her family's favorite pieces of clothes and (overnight!) creates a crazy quilt. Her family is of course very surprised to find their missing clothes chopped up into a quilt. Kids will think this is a fun and silly book, but will also learn a bit about quilting.

Crazy Quilts: History - Techniques - Embroidery Motifs
by Cindy Brick
From its front cover to the last page, Cindy Brick's book titled simply Crazy Quilts is a masterpiece of sumptuous and elegant photos of crazy quilts, both antique and contemporary, and is a true celebration of all that we might call "Victoriana."

© KinderArt ®

Do YOU have an idea to share?