Description: 8.5x11 sheet of colored paper with white reinforcement sheet on the back. Using string thread is stitched through the paper to create images using a precise method that gives the impression of an image made with a spiral graph.
Story: In 5th grade Miss Hanson had us doing various string art projects. We were give a grid sheet with numbered and lettered holes and directions with where to put the needle each time to make the right pattern. There were the usual frustrations, knotting thread, getting a few ahead and realizing you were in the wrong hole and having to pull it out to fix it. I deeply enjoyed this project.
Sixth graders at St Thomas Public school made more elaborate projects of string art that involved nails and black cloth and three dimensional effects. They were made to give to our parents at Christmas. Mr. Stuberg, the 6th grade teacher, didn’t change it up, but he did have a selection of patterns you could choose from (train, snail, ship etc,). Families with a lot of kids ended up with several forms. It was not unusual for younger siblings to say “Well, Mom said I need make this one." The joy of small town life. There were never too many surprises. The 5th grade projects were seasonal. We all did the same project at the same time. I think we did three of them all together, One was just circles, There was a heart for Valentine's days that we were to give to our parents. The bunny was by far the most complicated one we made as an Easter project. The fire was not kind to this work and some of the strings on the back broke so it no longer has the tight neat look I produced.
I wrote about all these archived objects in November of 2020. At that time I was asked to decorate a hand turkey for a display at work. I did it free form so there isn't the geometric precision of the fifth grade work, but I was inspired by the memory of the fun I had with those grade school projects.
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