The Story Behind the Quilt

In a matter of weeks I finished up the Brown Bear quilt that I've been working on. I'm so proud of this quilt and almost wish I could keep it for myself but it's for a very special person - my son's preschool teacher. When I mentioned this to someone recently, she was a bit surprised that I would spend so much time and effort to make something so beautiful and costly for someone I hardly know.

Under different circumstances I might have agreed and knitted a cute little baby hat like I've done in the past. But not this time. This time is different because in the last few months we've learned that my 3 year old son has autism, dyspraxia, and sensory processing disorders. This past fall he started school in a 5-day-a-week intervention preschool program, one that specializes in working with preschoolers who are behind developmentally in an effort to get them up to speed in time for kindergarten. In that time we've witnessed him communicating more, even having short conversations with us. When he picked up a pen and drew a circle on a notepad, it brought me to tears. I don't take for granted the impact that a great teacher or mentor can have on a child. We still have a long way to go and no idea where this journey will take us but there are good people - special people - who are there to help us. THAT is why I chose to make this.

On my son's first day of school, I walked into his classroom and saw that it was decorated in pictures and posters of Eric Carle's book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" which is why I chose the Andover fabrics. It just made sense. Here's a photo of the label and the back:

  

Instead of adding the label after the quilt was done, I used the method that Kelly, from My Quilt Infatuation, shows in her tutorial. After much debating (on my part) I've decided I'm going to wash this quilt before I gift it, mainly because I'm dying to see what it looks like all soft and crinkly. Now I just have to wait until March!