Let Me Introduce Myself:
My name is Sadie Sue. I am a rescue Jack Russell/ border collie mix, and am about 5 years old. Mama Judy and I live in San Angelo, Texas, among such friendly folks. I am a Tail-Waggin’ Tutor at our wonderful children’s library, where — with my Jack Russell instincts — I excitedly greet children. While the children listen to and read stories, I settle down on the love seat with them and take a nap.
Mama and I recently moved into a lovely patio home where she is still unpacking from our move, and organizing her sewing studio and decorating with pretty things. With my border collie instincts, I herd Mama Judy around at times; and other times, I shadow her closely. She loves that we hang out together, which is a treat in itself for both of us!
Let Me Introduce Mama Judy:
Mama Judy is a retired public school teacher. She taught for 37 years, in Ohio and Texas, working with youngsters from kindergarten through grade 12. She also worked with special education students and special needs adults during her career.
During many of those years, she integrated quilt making, sewing and fiber arts into reading, writing, math, social studies, science, the arts, and other areas of the curriculum. She enjoys telling the story about her last year of teaching, when her second grade class interviewed the district’s wonderful superintendent. Mama’s children prepared by writing questions they would like to ask the superintendent, who was retiring that year. Working in small groups, they conferred, took notes, and modeled social skills in practice interviews with each other. Each student then wrote a first draft.
After final drafts were written and proofread, each child created in crayon a drawing to accompany his or her composition. Mama Judy washed yardage of muslin and cut it into large squares, then ironed a slightly smaller square of freezer paper to the wrong side to stabilize the fabric. She taped a muslin square to each child’s desk, where the crayon drawing served as a “first draft” for making a crayon quilt block. Each child signed his/her quilt block.
Mama then took the blocks home to arrange them into a wonderful quilt top, which was layered and quilted. When the quilt was completed, the superintendent was invited to come read and visit with the class. To his surprise and great pleasure, the class presented him with a gift: their handwritten interviews and his very own quilt.
Mama Judy Still Teaches…
Yes, Mama happily integrates her love of teaching, designing, quilt making and sewing at the drop of a needle. She often worked second jobs in quilt or fabric shops throughout her teaching career, where she also integrated her teaching skills. Mama happily reminisces, as I rest beside her on our little love seat, about the joy and wonder of pulling a needle and thread through a dish towel when she was 3 years old. This was when Grandma Morehead invited Mama Judy to sit beside her on her sofa and graciously took Mama under her wing to instill in her the love of hand embroidery.
Mama Judy teaches for Colonial Needle Company at quilt markets, and writes for the Colonial Needle Creative Ideas Blog. When she is away teaching, I get spoiled by her friends — not that Mama Judy doesn’t spoil me, too, by cooking healthy meals for me, letting me snuggle beside her in bed, and providing treats and a backyard with squirrels that I can chase!
Sew on and sew on!