Hazlegrove Prep School in Somerset has enjoyed success in a national competition, The Festival of Quilts
Enthusiastic quilters at Hazlegrove Prep School in Somerset have enjoyed success at the national competition, The Festival of Quilts, with their entry, ‘The World We Live In’. Young people entered for the first time in 2019 and came third, so they decided to better this impressive first result and were awarded second place in the 2021 competition. Created in the school’s thriving Design Technology (DT) classes, the quilt is now on display in the school, having been exhibited at the NEC in Birmingham last summer.
Head of Design Technology Bonnie Barton said: “It started in DT Club – the children designed patchwork quilts based on the specific theme ‘The world we live in’. We then looked at how we could use lots of the ideas all in one quilt and came up with the overall design”.
The process involved children from Years 3 to 8 in Junior DT club, who tie-dyed large back panels using vibrant coloured dyes dispersed from anti-bac spray bottles. Years 5 and 6 created the central globe cutting up old, damaged uniforms to create the countries and the sea shapes. This was a particularly collaborative element and the globe is made up of many layers, all requiring careful cutting and ironing in place.
Years 4 and 5 children designed houses around the outside of the globe and cut out the windows and doors. Year 8 then embroidered on the houses to make them each unique. They used a variety of embroidery stitches to create tile effects on the roofs, the bricks, flowers and climbing plants. Year 7 designed and placed key landmarks and animals to represent different countries and areas around the world.
“This quilt is a truly collaborative piece of work with children across the whole prep school contributing in some way to make a really beautiful and creative quilt,” adds Bonnie Barton. Design Technology has gone from strength to strength at Hazlegrove with projects including using smart materials such as thermochromic (heat-changing) paints and 3D printing. The children have produced a wide range of work including iPad speakers, dark-activated night lights and USB memory sticks. They also take part in engineering competitions, such as the Flying Start Challenge.
Hazlegrove Prep School: hazlegrove.co.uk
Further reading: Southbank International earns Apple Distinguished School status
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