I've had several questions about my pillows, so here is a note I sent to
another list member. I don't have any formal plans saved on my computer,
but I do plan to write these up for the IAD at some point. I wrote mostly
about the technical aspects of the lesson because different cultural or
historical themes can apply. The stencil printed pillows usually go along
with the fourth grade's colonial studies and the weaving pillows are usually
an end of the year motivational fifth grade lesson.
I focus mostly on the techniques for these two projects. For the woven
pillow (5th grade) we learn some weaving vocab. (warp, weft, loom) and we
discuss pattern. We use an 8" by 10" cardboard loom and we weave, mostly,
in the straight pattern (over/under). Instead of weaving with one long
piece, we cut lengths of string about 14" long and weave them through one at
a time. there is enough left at each end to tie two at a time together to
make fringes. Once the weaving is done we sew the weaving to a piece of
felt (because that is what I have in the room) and stuff it.
For the stencil printed pillow (4th grade), we create two oaktag stencils
using our own chosen simple symbols that depend on the theme of the lesson.
Before printing, I cut, fold in half, and iron 12"x16" pieces of muslin
(that way we have less sides to sew in the end). After placing a piece of
oaktag between the top and bottom layer of the muslin, we stencil print 5 of
the same shape and color, one in the middle and one in each corner, using
acrylic paint and stencil brushes. Then we stencil print the other shape
with a different color between the first prints. It can be done right away
without smearing if students are careful. I then sew two sides of the
pillow on a sewing machine (because students take a loooooooong time to
sew). Students then stuff the pillow, sew the last side, make yarn tassels,
and sew those to the corners.
