QuiltQuest/Children’s Sewing Day

A Children’s Art Activity of Red River Revel in Shreveport, LA

Spark creativity and inspire a child to sew and the child will take that interest into adulthood. Red River Quilters know that every child exposed to sewing has the potential to enjoy sewing as a lifelong hobby or career. Here’s the story about one way these quilters are doing it.

Each year over 200,000 people attend the Red River Revel Arts Festival, a celebration of the visual and performing arts held in Shreveport, LA, during the first week of October.

QuiltQuest is a children’s art activity of the Red River Revel. Launched in 2002, QuiltQuest is a joint project of Red River Quilters and Red River Revel to annually provide approximately 7,500 area fourth-grade elementary students in Caddo and Bossier Parishes an opportunity for creative expression by drawing a picture that would cheer a sick child. The children use fabric markers to draw a picture onto a six-inch square of plain white muslin fabric. Members of Red River Quilters then incorporate the artful squares into colorful quilts to be given to children in area hospitals and care facilities.

Now in its sixth year, QuiltQuest is a favorite activity of students, teachers, parents, and volunteers. QuiltQuest encourages creativity and teaches the children about caring for others. The project is a success at every level. The students enjoy the opportunity to use their imaginations and learn that they can help others. The community and families benefit from the children’s quilts that are produced. The project is carefully planned, months ahead of time by the quilters who enjoy the activity as much as the children do.

QuiltQuest is also a community service project of Red River Quilters, where the quilt guild’s members make over 200 children’s quilts per year. Individuals, organizations, and manufacturers provide fabric, thread, batting, and supplies. Members often provide their own fabric and supplies for the quilts. Donations of fabric, thread and batting; discounts from area retailers; and contributions are major sources for sustaining the project. Volunteers spend hours washing, pressing, and cutting the fabric; and additional time is donated to sew the quilts together and assist at the Festival site in downtown Shreveport.

A quilt is often the comfort that a child who is sick or in unfortunate circumstances needs. So often, the story is repeated -- children and families who have next to nothing, under sometimes terrible circumstances, with few resources -- get a handmade quilt, made by strangers who care, letting that child and family know that someone cares.

New to the Revel in 2007 was Children’s Sewing Day, a hands-on activity that exposed youngsters to sewing. Sponsored by the Red River Quilters, Fabric Boutique of Bossier City and Shreveport Sewing Center of Shreveport, the children were given the opportunity to learn more about quilts. They could draw a picture onto a fabric square, arrange quilt blocks on a design board, and stitch a seam with a sewing machine. The local dealers contributed machines for the children to stitch on. Many had never used a machine before. Some had never seen a sewing machine.

One threesome -- brother, sister, and friend -- completely stitched a quilt top. They took breaks from the Children’s Sewing Day to enjoy other activities at the Revel, returning to experiment with different machines.

A mother and daughter drew pictures and stitched, too. Before they left, the youngster was overheard saying, “Now I can sew better than my mom!”

Some crossed over seams matching the intersections like professionals, while others preferred to sew two squares together.

One four year old wasn’t sure about stitching on a sewing machine but she greatly enjoyed trimming the threads with scissors.

It’s always gratifying to see the children’s reactions and the look on their faces as they realize they have the ability to express themselves through their artwork.

Plans are underway to develop and promote Children’s Sewing Day at the next Red River Revel because it was so successful. The goal is to inspire a child’s interest in sewing. To get involved with QuiltQuest or Children’s Sewing Day, contact Sally Sherwood by e-mail at sssews@comcast.net, Jeannine James by e-mail at jjquilts@bellsouth.net, or visit www.redriverquilters.com.

What other activities can be found at the Revel October 4-11, 2008? The Red River Arts Festival celebrates the arts with more than 130 visual artists from across the country, five performance stages that feature live music, mouth-watering delicacies from food booths and a large area dedicated to providing arts education for children.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, February 2008