Vanderbilt collaboration gives Metro students hands-on lessons in quilting, community

"Stitched Stories: A Children's Literature and Quilting Journey" brought members of the Zuri Quilting Circle and students at Ida B. Wells Elementary School together this spring. (Photo courtesy of Tiffeni Fontno)

An after-school program at Nashville's Ida B. Wells Elementary this spring encouraged students to explore the intersection of cultural heritage, literature and STEM skills through the art of quilting.

"Stitched Stories: A Children's Literature and Quilting Journey" took place over six weeks and brought upper-elementary students together with members of the Zuri Quilting Circle, a collective of local Black women quilters who use fabric to tell stories about their lives and traditions. The students read and discussed four picture books about quilting before designing their own quilts and learning hands-on techniques to assemble and sew them.

Vanderbilt Peabody Library Director Tiffeni Fontno secured funding for the initiative through a grant from the university's Community Engagement Collaboration Fund. Sponsored by the division of Government and Community Relations, the fund seeks to support partnerships between Vanderbilt and local organizations to address a community opportunity or need.

Under the guidnace of the Zuri quilters, students learned hands-on techniques to assemble and sew their quilts. (Photo courtesy of Tiffeni Fontno)

Under the guidance of Claudine Taaffe, principal senior lecturer in African American and diaspora studies at Vanderbilt, the students read and discussed The All-Together Quilt by Lizzy Rockwell; I Am Enough by Grace Byers; The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom by Bettye Stroud; and Charles and his Gee's Bend Quilt by Tangular Irby. This literary exploration of Black quilting traditions was designed to deepen the students' understanding of their heritage and identity. In addition, each student got to take home copies of the books to add to their personal libraries.

The Zuri quilters then incorporated STEM concepts into their lessons in quilt design. The students implemented mathematics by measuring, calculating and understanding geometric patterns and explored engineering principles by planning and executing a multistep design process. This interdisciplinary approach nurtured several essential STEM skills, such as spatial reasoning, precision and innovative thinking.

The students also used color, pattern and texture to express their artistic creativity and individuality. Each student created a quilt square that reflected their personal story as well as their shared experiences.

Students at Ida B. Wells Elementary used color, pattern and texture to express their artistic creativity and individuality. (Photo courtesy of Tiffeni Fontno)

An exhibition of the completed quilts will be hosted this fall at the Peabody Library on Vanderbilt's campus. It marks another example of the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries' ongoing engagement with Metro Nashville Public Schools, as well as Fontno's efforts to connect colleagues from across campus with projects that strengthen Black history programming at Ida B. Wells Elementary.

"Our goal with Stitched Stories was to offer a unique and transformative learning experience for these students," Fontno said. "By fostering their creativity, cultural understanding and STEM skills, the program empowered students to embrace their identities and, hopefully, inspired a stronger sense of identity through literacy and the art of quilting."