Orchard Park Elementary, 600 Toccoa Highway, #318 Orchard of Learning

The Orchard of Learning, was painted by the 2nd grade class of the 2013-14 school year under the guidance of the art teacher, Jennifer Hindman. The quilt is representative of the stages of learning students go through in a school year – from vessels ready to be filled like the winter tree, to blossoming and growing in their learning until they reach the stage of full fruit. The pattern for the tree itself came from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 7, Apple Tree block #660, by Jane Dudley. The pattern for the four seasonal trees was published in Quilts from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Spring 2014.

Pat Huggins, a retired Orchard Park teacher, volunteered to made the cloth quilt. Pat grew up in Edgefield, SC among a family of seamstresses. Pat was active in 4H and sewed throughout junior high school, high school, college and beyond. Her marriage to Gil Huggins created an interlude in her sewing life, but when he developed an interest in and took up quilting, she experienced a rebirth of her sewing interests. They both became active in the Lake and Mountain Quilt Guild in 2008 and soon found themselves living in what looked like a quilt shop. Both have won ribbons on individual and joint projects. Together, they have produced over 30 quilts of all sizes and styles for personal use and as gifts for family and friends.