Patch: Stitching Together Memories

Age Level: All ages

Purpose: The purpose of this patch is to learn about the art and technique of quilting, working together, and rekindling an American tradition in today’s youth. As a result of completing the patch, the participant will have a better understanding of what goes into making a quilt can have when given with the purpose to serve the community.

Requirements: In addition to the three (3) starred activities...

Brownies must complete 4 activities.
Cadettes must complete 7 activities.
Juniors must complete 5 activities.
Seniors must complete 9 activities.

Please feel free to adapt activities to the appropriate age level.

Activities:

Visit a fabric store to learn and identify which fabrics are best to use in the making of a quilt.
Compare the different types of batting used in quilts, examine the thickness, pliability, quality, and cost to make the comparison. Learn how to prepare the materials for quilting.
Gather together tools used in quilting and learn their uses. Discover the history behind the different tools and their uses, explain how they came to be used. Make a template for a block pattern.
Become an expert in quilting vocabulary by putting together a glossary of terms, names of
materials, and quilt patterns. Look through quilting books from the library or talk to quilters to help in the gathering of terms as well as the defining of terms.
Analyze the different types of quilting used in other countries and other cultures. Compare and
contrast these techniques to the different techniques used in the many traditional American quilts. Also examine how the other quilt techniques influenced American quilting.
Make a color wheel to use in selecting colors and combinations of colors in designing a quilt. Select a quilt block pattern, such as the Log Cabin or Ohio Star, and create the pattern in different colors showing contrasting, shading, and the effects colors have on each other.
***Attend, participate, or put on a quilting event (quilting bee, show, display, or workshop) with your troop, service unit, or at a council function.
Quilts represent different things to people. Research the different symbolic uses of quilts in our
society (i.e. AIDS Quilt, Story quilts, friendship quilts, album quilts, etc.) Write a story, poem, song, or skit about how a quilt could symbolize an important part of your life.
Learn about the care, cleaning, and preservation of a quilt. Visit a museum and speak with the
textile curator or invite a member of a quilting organization to speak at a troop meeting.
Compare the different patterns and techniques of quilts: piecework to applique, charm quilts to
crazy quilts, wholecloth to echo, Hawaiian to Amish, Trapato to Italian. Make a sampler block using the pattern of technique you like most.
Make an object using folded patchwork (Cathedral Window or Folded Star). Or make a project
using yo yo quilting.
Decorate a piece of clothing or make a household item using a quilting technique.
Design and make a sampler quilt (of fabric or paper) with the girls in your troop, allowing each girl to select a different type of block pattern to display.
Using computer technology design a quilt pattern.
Album, autograph, and friendship quilts were usually made with friends or given to friends.
Typically, these quilts were decorated with poetry, inspirations, favorite sayings, words of wisdom, encouragement, or love, and autographs. Research the history of the quilts and make your own booklet of writings to be used on a quilt.
Using recycled materials (jeans, ties, ribbons, scraps) make a quilt or quilted household item, such as a pillow, potholder, purse, etc.
***Learn the steps of designing and making a quilt.
***As a troop or as an individual project, design and make a quilt (lap quilt, baby quilt, bed quilt, etc.) that can be given to a community service organization in your area.