Sam’s epic Chemistry teacher quilt

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen a few hints around the place of a mad project concieved by DS2, to make a thankyou quilt for a very special teacher. Due to distance issues, Sam is changing schools next year, and this is the teacher that had the most profound effect on him over the first three years of his High School life. Simply making her a zipper pouch wasn’t going to cut it for him. So a quilt it was.

 

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  The fabric was a mixture of lines, including Robert Kaufman’s Mod Geek and Science Fair lines, Botanics Graph Paper Garden and some of the new Ella Blue line, Ella’s Basics. All bought with super fast shipping from Clair’s Fabrics. He chose a pattern from my favourite go to book, Beyond Neutral, and we set about working out quantities for a 62″ square quilt.        

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I cut all the pieces out, but from then on, it was his project to sew. He used my design wall to work on his layout, he pinned, pressed, sashed and worked for hours on this quilt. He was out in the studio most evenings and most of the weekend, working around his busy school homework and performance schedule. But he was determined to get it finished!

 

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Of course, I was more than happy to longarm it for him, and he was very helpful in loading it up and learning how to attach the quilt layers, pin and baste it before setting up the quilting design in the computer. He stayed with me, keeping me going right until the last row. Binding had to be my job due to his heavy school and performance workload, but finally it was all finished and ready for gifting.

 

Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge

 

Here is the finished quilt, minus the label which was sewn on a couple of hours before it was given away.

 

Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge

 

The digital edge to edge design that he chose is called “Champagne Bubbles” however it very much resembled the both the bubbling mixtures and the molecules shown in the quilt, so it was ideal for a science quilt. This is the same pantograph that I used on Jessica’s star quilt, so it’s a very versatile design.

 

Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge

 

The texture that these overlapping circles gave the quilt was really fabulous, I think it will look even better washed up. Included in the teacher’s gift parcel was a card with care instructions and a packet of colour catchers, although given the quality of the fabrics used, I would be very surprised if there was a significant dye shed.

 

Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge Chemistry Teacher Quilt - Cassandra Madge

 

Although it was a little bit stressful making a complete quilt in such a tight timeframe and busy time of year, the look of triumph he had as we pulled it off the quilt frame, and then the next day when I had finished binding it, made every second worthwhile. His teacher was completely blown away. She carried it with her all around the school for the afternoon to show all the other teachers and staff, and has asked us if she can put it into the school newsletter as well.

 

Quilting really is more than just a hobby or a fad. It truly has the ability to touch lives. When you consider how much effort that this 15 year old boy put into such a gift, giving up hours of his own time to do so, it’s so much more than spending the same amount of money on a gift card or a fancy bottle of wine. It’s a profound way of expressing your appreciation for someone, a gift that will last and be treasured for many years. It’s putting a piece of yourself into their hands. Dare I say that it’s love in fabric form.

 

 

Linking up with Alyce at Blossom Heart Quilts – Sew Cute Tuesdays.

 

 

 

 

Have you experienced this kind of profound gift giving? Have you given, or been given, something so unexpected but obviously a real treasure, a piece of someone else’s heart?

 

 

 Happy Crafting - Cassie.

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