Last week I reblogged the Legacy of Milly Part One from the blog of pre-school teacher Jennie Fitzkee.. here is the link to part two…enjoy
The Legacy of Milly, Part 2
In Part 1, I discovered a Peace Portal at a museum and recreated it in my classroom. Peace became a big deal and very real to children. When I saw quilts that were murals, I knew I had to make a Peace Quilt with children. The only problem was finding a quilter. At last I met Milly. It was an unexpected meeting.
Part 2
“Milly is the best quilter, not just in town but everywhere.” said the director of the Senior Center.
“Great! When can I stop by and meet her?”
“She’ll be here on Wednesday with her quilting group.”
Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough for me. As soon as school was over, I was there. I walked over to Milly and introduced myself. She smiled (sort of) and I bounced around, telling her all about the Haitian quilts I had seen at the Bennington Museum. I was so excited! I showed her photos of the quilts, spewing story after story of each one and their art. I noticed that the other quilters were looking down at their work, sewing like mad, as if making eye contact with me would bring a plague upon the group.
The more I talked, the faster they sewed, and the lower their heads dropped. All six of them. Hmm… Milly hadn’t said a word. Not One Word. It occurred to me that perhaps I was behaving like a child who had been let loose in an amusement park. But, this was such a terrific idea. And those quilts were stunning. Each one told a story. Here are but a few:
Thank you, Sally!
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