Bloggers Quilt Festival - Spring 2012

It is Bloggers Quilt Festival time once again and this time I would like to share this quilt called Miss W's Wedding quilt. Being in a small country town and working at the same school my children go to, you do tend to get friendly with the teachers. We were so lucky when we first moved up here that Milly had Miss W as her pre primary teacher in 2010 and then she scored her again last year for year one. Miss W is one of these beautiful young ladies with a heart of gold. At first I thought I would make her a "normal" quilt for the occasion. But then after seeing the amazing quilt Andi had made with the 5 and 6 year old children in her daughter's class, I changed my mind and thought let's make a quilt for Miss W! This is how we did it....

I was able to sneak out at recess and lunch time and sit with 2 or 3 kids and assist them draw their square of 10 inch white kona. I've told them that it's for Miss W and Mr H and they are getting married, what can we draw?

Lots of love hearts, flowers and smiling faces. It's top secret from her, I have made each child pinky promise not to tell her and so far, so good! This one is by Milly.

There was 21 students in the class, 2 little girls don't attend regularly so I was sort of hoping that I could do one block for the both of them, but then they both came to on the last day! The above block is what one of them made, love the hair! So I had 21 blocks, not the best number to make a hanging from, so I added 4 more blocks, one for each corner, to say stuff like "Congratulations Miss W" and "Love from Room 12" so that will frame it nicely into 25 blocks, 5 across and 5 down. Then I sewed the red kona around the blocks, 2 inches it will come down too. I didn't have enough of these two reds, so I introduced another red and layed it out in sort of a Trip Around The World pattern. 

This is one of my favorite blocks. Alice is an indigenous girl, a mop of black curls on her head and the shyest smile. She was the wisest eyes of a 6 year old that I know. I think she has seen more than a 6 year old should see.

Then I quilted it, just in red ditched in the stitch. I don't like the way the kid's white squares "pop" out. I know its because the red area is quilted and the white squares aren't, so of course they aren't going to lie as flat as the red areas. And I know I can't quilt in the white squares as it that would just look odd. And maybe to a non quilter it isn't even noticeable. But otherwise very happy with the end result.

And here is Milly is all ready to give it to her!

We presented it to her a few days before term finished, I thought it would be nice to be in the classroom for a few days before term ended too. We asked Miss W to leave the room for a few minutes while we worked out what child was going to say what. Then she came back in and sat, very puzzled and curious. Six kids spoke a sentence each. "Miss W, we are very excited about your wedding." "We wanted to make you something special." (She starts crying about here!) "Miss Helen helped us do some drawings at recess and lunch." "It was top secret, we had to pinky promise not to tell you!" (More crying about here!) "We hope you like your present." "We wish you and Mr H lots of love and hope you live happily ever after." Then she got to open it and because the kids hadn't seen the quilt it was zoom, they all rushed in. Then there was squeals of "Look there is my drawing!" "Look that's mine up there Miss W!" "Look Miss W I drew you holding Mr H's hand!" It was fantastic!

Here's Miss W with Alice. I told Alice her block was my favorite, she got all shy.

And here is Miss W and I in that happy post quilt gift giving glow. She is such a beautiful lady, has a heart of gold, an amazing teacher, it is a joy to share her wedding day with her.

Here are the amazing kids of Room 12! Their art makes this quilt so special!

And then at the reception, we walked in, found our table, put our gift on the present table and I then turned around to see the quilt hanging on one of the walls! At the reception!! I was so surprised! And pleased. I thought to myself this must mean she really, really likes it. Later in the evening when I got to have a chat with the beautiful bride I said, wow, your quilt is here. And she then said that I have no idea how special it is to her and how much she loves it and how she'll treasure it always. Awwww, I'm glad it has gone to a loving home. :)

So that is the story behind my submission for the Spring 2012 Bloggers Quilt Festival . Thanks Amy for hosting such an amazing event and thanks for visiting!