Collaborative Quilts- Science and Art Bound as One!

Mandi Sigg taught her students various art and science lessons to create five beautiful quilts. These collaborative pieces will be a lasting display for years to come. 

Cactus – These blocks were individually created by the hands of first graders.  The students were learning about the cacti and its adaptations that help it live in the desert.  They used fabric markers to create this work of art. 

Animal Habitats – These second graders were learning all about animal habitats and what they need to survive.  They created these abstracted animals and their habitats by using a fabric dying technique call Batik, by using glue and fabric dyes.

Fossils – The third grade learned about the Earth’s beautiful fossils.  In this quilt, the students studied fossils found in our great state of Utah.  They did an acrylic painting showing all the tiny details of the fossil.

Batik – These fifth graders were learning about chemical change.  This ancient Art process of Shibori dying allowed them to see the change.  As the green dye oxidized it changed to a brilliant blue.  Each square is unique because of the way it was folded. 

Cyanotype – the third grade learned about the effects the sun has on our planet, including how it affects people, plants and animals. Cyanotype is a solution, or emulsion, of iron compounds that react to ultraviolet light. Coating fabric with the cyanotype solution, students used found objects as their ‘negative’, exposing the fabric to either sunlight or a photographic lightbox. By using this process, students were able to see the effect of the sun’s ultraviolet rays in real time, all while creating beautiful compositions with various found objects. 

Collaborative Quilts

BTS Visual Arts Educator

Mandi Sigg

Lewiston Elementary, Cache School District