Karen Cutter's Quilt Project Suggestions
This California Here We Come quilt was made by 27 fourth graders in Mrs. Diane Earnhardt's class at Nesbit School in Belmont California. This project was a culmination of a year long study of a California site that the students researched, did a report on, visited, and made the colorful quilt block of.
We used the Pentel fabric pastels you recommend and loved the vivid colors they produce. The finished size is 47 x 56". There are 29 blocks 8" each. I brought two sewing machines to class (they were prepared with 1/4" "Dr.Scholl's" pad for a seam guide as well as "bunny tails"-- little folded over 2" squares of fabric that start and end a stitching chain so that the students don't have to lift up the presser foot or worry about the thread coming out of the needle. In addition I'd put a "governor" on the foot pedal by taping a rubber eraser upright to prevent the student from going too fast). The students sewed their block to a pre-cut 2 1/2" piece of dotted navy sashing fabric. They did this one right after another in a chain and it went very quickly with only one mom supervising both of them. I made any necessary corrections at home when I put the top together and handquilted it.
I'm the library/media specialist at the school and an avid quilter. I'd agreed to put together and quilt any class quilts that the teachers wanted to do. We all love the way the quilt turned out--it looks like a giant postcard of wonderful places to visit!
Karen can be reached by email at kacutter@hotmail.com.
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