Symmetry 1st Grade How can a quilt be a work of art? Why do people make art? The 1st graders looked at and discussed quilts. We talked about shapes, layering and symmetry. We made a fabric quilt square using felt, fabric, burlap, ribbon and buttons. These squares were supposed to demonstrate the student’s understanding of symmetry.
This was a 2 day project. We decided as a class what our theme would be for the banner. We chose the jungle. Next, we brainstormed types of animals in the jungle. Each kid signed up for one animal to make. We cut these out of felt. Next, I hot glued them on to a piece of burlap and green felt. The kids also raided the fabric scrap box for extra details.
My students participated in a community art exhibit at the Overture Center in Madison, WI. The exhibit was fiber representations of microorganisms. The opening was this past Friday and it was amazing! All of the kids’ artwork was displayed, alongside other community artists. Here is a link to all of OUR microorganisms. You can see my post about this process here. Here are some pictures of the gallery opening night. My students’ work (and my own microorganism) is mixed in … Read more…
I am not a sewer, let’s just put that right out there. I think it is so fun though to use the sewing machine as a tool for collages. I just started doing it and wow, is it so much more fun to use a sewing machine that actually works as opposed to a junky one that does not work half the time. My art is imperfect. There is no way around it. I can’t sew a straight line, I … Read more…
The 5th/6th graders made fabric and fiber representations of microorganisms. This is a great tie-in to Science class. These are actually going to be displayed in a real art exhibition! To make a fiber microorganism, the 5/6s are cutting a large piece of felt into a desired shape. Then, they are layering other shapes of patterned fabric or solid color felt on top. These shapes are glued together and were embellished with stitching, beading and sequins (if desired.) The students … Read more…
Primary Quilt Squares Why do people make quilts? How can a quilt tell the history of a family? Can a quilt be art? What is a pattern? The Primaries discussed these questions and viewed pictures of quilts. In Science class, the kids are learning about properties and attributes. How do you observe things? How do you use your 5 senses to learn more? You can use your eyes to see and your fingers to feel these quilts. You can describe … Read more…
