Our quilt guild, the AuSable Quilt Guild of Grayling, Michigan, just completed a double-sided quilt with all the blocks from the book, "The Quiltmakers Gift". Since there were 39 blocks in the book, our guild block, the Crossed Canoes pattern, was the 40th block and we put 20 - 12" blocks on each side. We presented the book and the quilt to the Deveriux Memorial Crawford County Museum in Grayling, MI, to celebrate their first anniversary. It is now hanging in the Children's section of the library and is a most colorful addition.
It took almost a year to find patterns, draft patterns, pull fabric from stashes, make up kits for members and pass them out. It only took 2 months to get all the finished blocks back. We kept the colors and many of the fabrics true to the book so that children could easily find them during story hour at the library.
– Sue Gilpin
Michigan

I read the story to the children and let them make their own quilt patch. They made a large quilt that we displayed in the hallway. The children were able to explore generosity and listen to a great story!
–Marlena S.
NY

I am a second grade teacher at PS 42 in Staten Island New York. I purchased the Quiltmaker's Story from Scholastic Books. After reading the story, I introduced it to my class book club. The children loved the story. It sparked very interesting conversations for days to come. The children identified with the genuine kindness of the quiltmaker, and came to admire the King for the person he became at the end of the story. I enjoyed this story, artwork and most of all the way my class responded to it. –Elaine Krute
PS 42
Staten Island, N.Y

I have recently given a copy of your beautiful and inspiring book, The Quiltmaker's Gift, to my friend, Barb. I would like to tell you why.

My son and her son belong to the same second grade class. Despite being a wife, the working mother of three young boys, and a quilting teacher, she volunteered as an art docent for this class. As part of this project, she helped each of the 20 students color nine blank white squares by making replicas of famous beautiful paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, etc. The students learned about all the different artists as they painted each square over a period of a couple of months. Then she pieced each child's squares into a quilt, adding borders and backing.

In addition, she also made a quilt for the teacher. This quilt had 20 squares, one for each child in the class. The pattern was children — girls and boys. Barb cut out pants, dresses and shirts from fabric that she donated. Each child chose the clothes their "square child" would wear. Then Barb completed the "square children" by adding the clothes the children had chosen, and embroidering their names on each of their squares. Each child signed the back of the quilt. All this was accomplished without the teacher being aware that Barb was making a quilt for her!

At the end of the school year, all of the 21 quilts were presented to the children and the teacher. These children and teacher had all been together since the first grade. Barb's generous gift of her time, fabric and quilting expertise created a wonderful gift full of memories for each person that will last a lifetime! She has touched our hearts, and your book was a wonderful way to tell her how much her gift meant to us.
–Terry
Langley, WA