In this workshop I will share my quilt making methods with young learners. “Liberated Quilt Making” can be found in all kinds of cultures in history. It is a method of quilt making where you use what you have and have an improvisational approach to the design. In a powerpoint I will show examples from quilts of Gee’s Bend, African Nova Scotian quilts, and contemporary artists and quilt makers. I will show some of my own work as well as images and some smaller examples I can bring in person.

I will show students how a “log cabin” or “housetop” block is made and draw it on the whiteboard. This is a fun way to doodle a quilt idea as well which I will invite the students to draw along with me. In our art activity we will make our own liberated quilts on paper.

I will bring strips of fabric in all textures, colours and sizes. The students will pick their strips that they would like to use and take them to their desk. Using watered down white glue and a paintbrush they can start to construct their quilt block. They can decide to use the “log cabin” or “housetop” technique or come up with their own strategy. I will ask them to think about the colours they are using and where they think they should be placed. They will add fabric strips until the page is full. For older students once their work is dry I can show them how to add stitching on top. This requires a needle and thread so I will discuss this with the teacher beforehand.

When all the students have finished their quilt blocks we can arrange them together. This can be on a bulletin board outside the classroom or some other surface. When we are done we will have a class quilt that can be seen by other teachers and students in the school.