Local Artist Creates Commemorative Quilt for Early Learning Center

Over the past few weeks, Victory Frame Shop owner Jacky Murphey has spent hours visiting with some of the students at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, engaging each one in conversation and inviting them to illustrate a muslin panel for a quilt based upon their unique interests. She then embellished the children’s artwork, added extra panels to highlight numbers and letters of the alphabet, and sewed all of the pieces together to construct a one-of-a-kind quilt. The elaborate creation was presented recently to the daycare center staff and children who were delighted to see how their artwork had been incorporated into the final piece.

Murphey came up with the idea to create a special quilt after appearing as a Celebrity Reader at the Early Learning Center. “We decided to work with the 4 and 5-year-old children because they have the appropriate attention span and fine motor skills,” explains Murphey, who is an accomplished artist in addition to her work at her Lafayette shop. “I talked to each child and they knew right off the bat what they wanted. They were really good!” The individual squares completed by the students highlight their interests and include illustrations of family members, princesses, dinosaurs, cartoon characters, and vehicles. “I tried to emphasize the personalities of the children. They’re just adorable!”

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, which accommodates 83 youngsters from age 6 weeks to 6 years, is owned and operated by Project Self-Sufficiency of Sussex County. “We were thrilled when Jacky Murphey approached us about doing a quilt to memorialize the students’ time at Little Sprouts,” comments Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director at Project Self-Sufficiency. “Jacky has volunteered to create elaborate table designs for our annual fundraiser, A Taste of Talent, for many years and her work is always unique, thoughtful and exquisitely done. This quilt is will be treasured for many years.”