Students Learn About Quilting

From November to January, Belleville Middle School 8th grade class has been traveling down and back to quite a different place than the classroom. This activity had us on pins and needles while we learned valuable life skills of communication, safety, the sacrifices that our Veterans make, and of course, sewing, from the lovely ladies at Patches and Petals Quilt Store.
We went downtown to our local quilt shop, Patches and Petals, and we became sewers, bloggers, photographers and leaders. Throughout the Quilts of Valor activity, we have learned many valuable lessons on a variety of topics. Bloggers explained the daily process of making the quilt. As a photographer, I was able to observe and document the entirety of the quilting process. From the sewing expertise, to the unique choices of fabrics representing their military and family experiences; everything flowed together into a beautiful final project. The ironing, while underappreciated, was absolutely necessary and helped the final product look as good as it does.
In addition to experiencing the quilting process, we were able to learn and further develop lifelong skills as well. Everyone basically already knew teamwork and cooperation, but this project made those skills leap into action. Communication was a key factor in making sure all the blocks were done properly, so they would fit together. If a strip was cut the wrong length, the whole block wouldn’t be the right size. So everyone had to cooperate and verify that everything was properly measured and cut. While everyone worked on their blocks, we worked in groups of two. One person would do most of the sewing and the other would iron the block and seam. This would help us develop our teamwork skills. We would then rotate responsibilities to learn the other skills of the project - everyone had a turn to sew, blog, lead, and of course, iron.
These teamwork skills were also used in the research process in order for us to gain as much valuable information as possible at our time at the Belleville Public Library. We learned about the military experiences our three Veterans were in: Persian Gulf War- Desert Storm, Afghanistan and the Vietnam War, with help from the Belleville Public Library. Through this research, we were able to learn more about the soldiers, their jobs, and their life at home. We put that knowledge, and the thanks we have, into this Quilt of Valor, the highest award a civilian can grant to a soldier.
The Quilt of Honor Presentation will take place on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, from 8:15 a.m.-9:15 a.m., at the Belleville HS/MS Auditorium. Three Veterans will receive a Quilt of Valor at this time.