A community quilt.

A community quilt. "Did you say sew?" That is usually the first questionasked when I introduce my community-quilt project to my high-schoolcrafts classes. The apprehension about their sewing ability is alleviated once Iexplain that sewing is one small step in the process. They will beexploring color theory, textile design and linoleum-block printingbefore they have to be concerned with sewing, and then I will giveindividual sewing instruction. We begin our journey by discussing the role quilts have playedthroughout history. We talk about the Underground Railroad and the useof quilts to guide its travelers. We discuss Colonial quilting quilting,form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of an interlining (batting) are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back or running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers bees as away of lightening the workload and providing social events for women. Welook at quilts as family heirlooms that are handed down lovingly fromgeneration to generation. We examine, analyze, and interpret prints ofsome of Faith Ringgold's storytelling quilts. And, of course, weshare personal experiences of quilts as means of providing comfort andwarmth. Once we understand the roles quilts play in history, we begin tolook at them as designs--as pieces put together to make a whole. Wediscuss color, pattern, rhythm and shape, and their importance increating designs. The first class involved in this project decided tomake a patchwork quilt. Each student designed his or her 2-inch squareand used linoleum-block printing technique to print a repeated design on9" x 9" squares of unbleached muslin muslin,general name for plain woven fine white cottons for domestic use. It is believed that muslins were first made at Mosul (now a city of Iraq). They were widely made in India, from where they were first imported to England in the late 17th cent. . When I showed the quiltto subsequent classes, they were excited about creating their ownsquares and joining them to the quilt. We started with radial designs,but students revised these to suit their individual styles and usedvarious color schemes to give the quill a colorful crazy-quilt flavor. Each student begins by drawing several 2" x 2" thumbnailsketches. Once they have their ideas on paper, students meet in smallgroups to look at each other's ideas and help choose the best oneto transfer to his or her linoleum linoleum(lĭnō`lēəm), resilient floor or wall covering made of burlap, canvas, or felt, surfaced with a composition of wood flour, oxidized linseed oil, gums or other ingredients, and coloring matter. block. This peer critiquing methodhelps students to see some of the other designs that will beincorporated into the quilt. Students are now ready to carve theirdesigns into their linoleum blocks and make their test prints on paper.The test-print process gives students the opportunity to try differentcolor combinations and decide what will work for them. Finally, studentsmeasure a 1/2-inch border around their squares of unbleached muslin,measure off 2-inch squares within the 8-inch square and begin to printtheir designs on the muslin. Because students work at different paces, I gather them forsmall-group instruction, as they are ready for each component of theproject. For example, when there is a group ready to print, we gather ata table and I demonstrate the technique, enabling me to check forunderstanding and answer individual questions. Talking as I demonstrateappeals to aural and visual learners. Talking students through theprocess as they work appeals to tactile learners and alleviates thefears of reluctant quilters. We have noted that the room becomes veryquiet when everyone is quilting! To piece the quilt, students meet in small quilting groups. Two orthree students sit together to piece their squares, with more studentsjoining them until they have the required number of squares for a row.Volunteer quilters form groups to piece the rows onto the growing quilt.Everyone signs his/her square before piecing. We have enlisted the helpof the Applied Education classes who will build a frame for the quilt. The quilt was initially hung in our school's main stairwell stair��well?n.A vertical shaft around which a staircase has been built.stairwellNouna vertical shaft in a building that contains a staircaseNoun 1. .Then, in March 2004, the quilt was exhibited in the town library as partof Naugatuck's celebration of Youth Art Month. In May, the quiltwas hung permanently in the conference room at the Naugatuck Board ofEducation building. MATERIALS * Pencils (graphite and colored) * White paper (6" x 9") * Rulers * Linoleum blocks and cutters * Bench hooks * Block-printing ink and brayers * Burnishing burnishing/bur��nish��ing/ (bur��nish-ing) a dental procedure somewhat related to polishing and abrading. burnishing,n tools * Unbleached muslin, batting and thread * Sewing needles and scissors LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will ... * explore historical roles of quilts; examine samples of quilts(prints). * create several (radial) designs on 6" x 9" paper in2-inch blocks. * critique designs in small groups for the purpose of choosing one. * use knowledge of linoleum block printing linoleum block printingor linocut,20th-century development in the art of relief cuts. The linoleum block consists of a thin layer of linoleum mounted on wood; in this the design to be printed is cut in the same manner as for a woodcut. technique to createlinoleum blocks. * create several test prints and make adjustments to linoleumblocks. * measure unbleached muslin squares into 2" x 2" blockswith a 1/2-inch border and print their quilt squares. * baste baste?1?tr.v. bast��ed, bast��ing, bastesTo sew loosely with large running stitches so as to hold together temporarily. and quilt individual squares. * sew squares together and attach rows to the quilt in the colonialquilting-bee style. Rose-Ann C. Chrzanowski teaches art Naugatuck High School This article or section needs sourcesorreferences that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. inNaugatuck, Connecticut.