I've been doing coloring quilts with a local preschool for 14 years now- we make 2 every year- I prepare the bleached muslin- (pre-washed with detergent, no fabric softener) then press 12" squares to freezer paper- folding over 1/2" and taping to the back *this serves 2 purposes- keeps the fabric secure and gives me a seam allowance* then I take the squares to school- the teachers coordinate this project with their curriculum, so sometimes the pictures have a theme---when the pics are all colored I get a call- then I go in with a large bag of colorful fabrics, my ironing board & iron, and my small brother sewing machine that has speed control. while I heat set the pictures (protecting my ironing board and using brown paper as a press cloth to absorb the wax) the kids dig through the fabrics choosing what they want for sashing strips. when the pictures are all heat set I set the machine up on one of their little tables- so every thing is just their size- and cut their chosen strips- each child sits down & frames their picture (the boys love this part best & sometimes frame blocks for the girls who are afraid of the machine!
) when the pictures are all framed I gather everything up & go home to finish putting together the quilt, quilt it & bind it- then we have a little *family* get together at the school where the quilt is displayed. this has been a highlight of the school year every year since we started it.
