Second Graders Design Quilt Squares

Inspired by the work of Harriet Powers, 2nd graders have been learning about quilt folk art and how to use quilt-making to tell a story. As part of this effort, students read Barbara Herkert’s book Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist.

 

Harriet Powers was born into enslavement on a plantation in Georgia. She grew up learning how to sew from her mother and other women. When Harriet, her husband and her children were freed from slavery after the Civil War, they worked on their farm, and Harriet continued to make quilts for her family. The family farm fell on hard times, and Harriet made the difficult decision to sell one of her quilts to buy food for her family. She continued to make and sell quilts to support her family.

 

Harriet’s quilt art is considered among the best examples of this art form from the American South. Two of her quilts have survived. One is on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the other is at the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

 

After reading Harriet’s story and discussing her life, 2nd graders examined her work. Using the See/Think/Wonder thinking routine, students took a deeper look at Harriet’s quilt work. This routine encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry. Students explored Harriet’s quilts and the stories she was telling in the squares. Discussion focused on the inspiration for the quilt squares.

 

Next, students worked to design a quilt square. Second graders brainstormed and talked with teachers and each other about how unusual a year 2020–21 has been. They thought about the experiences they have had and what they would like to tell in their quilt-making.

 

Second graders used Maker-Center Learning ideologies and technology integration to create these beautiful quilt designs. Through an app called the Cricut Design Space, students designed quilt pieces that depicted their memories of 2020 using the app’s tools. The files were then saved and downloaded to the Kovler Family Library’s Cricut cutter, which cuts fabric and other materials. Students then received individual sewing kits and hand-sewed their cuts onto individual quilt squares.

 

Please check out the following website to see all the quilt squares, as well as recordings of the stories students have told to explain their work.