The Principal of Whitney Young High School Was Almost Shot and Killed and I am Making Him a Quilt

The principal of Whitney Young High School was almost shot and killed on Friday and I am making him a quilt. They are saying it was random. Needless to say, everyone wishes him well that he is unscathed. He went on the overhead intercom and thanked his well wishers today.

I have a lot to say about the lack of gun control and mental health services that contribute to situations like this, most especially the with the scenarios I have seen having been a nurse for 25 years. I had a discussion with one of my coworkers who is also a Northeastern Illinois university student in education. She felt I had seen a lot as a nurse. I had to tell her that we will all see a lot more of what healthcare workers observe in their jobs because of the lack of mental health services. Those responsibilities are being given to schools, churches and, unfortunately, law enforcement, who do not have the training to handle it. 

My major is English. Ironically, I had to give a group presentation in one of my teacher certification classes on Monday on “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In group discussions, I shared that as a nurse, I happened to come into contact with a forensic psychiatrist who refused a high profile crime case because he felt the person was guilty, but he did not want that to cloud his judgment. He felt Even though in the end, this person was found guilty by a court of law, I felt this forensic psychologist was a real life Atticus Finch. This is America. Everyone deserves a fair trial. 

The children have their own way of handling it. Ironically, they are giving a presentation on the innocence project today. And I do agree, regardless of guilt or innocence, this is America and everyone is supposed to have a fair trial. 

At times like these, I sew because I honestly don’t know what else to do, so I am making him a quilt to wish him well.

My Patient is Graduating High School, and I am Making a Graduation Quilt

My Whitney Young High School patient is graduating, and I am making him a graduation quilt. His family was told he would never live past the age of five, but obviously the doctors were wrong.

I love it when that happens!

My patient and I were told we were considered a “unit” in terms of obtaining tickets to the graduation. I thought it was super cute. My family made quilts for all types of occasions: graduations, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, funerals, anytime in a person’s life milestone, really.

His family does not know I am doing this. It is supposed to be a surprise, but all of you look like trustworthy individuals, so I’m sure you’ll keep it to yourself (smile!).

The University of Chicago Lab School Community Quilt Project

My coworkers who knew about my job as a one-to-one nurse at Whitney Young High School, the 50^th anniversary yarn bomb and my volunteer work with school children involving community quilt projects that I had done for nearly 20 years told me, “Apply to Northeastern Illinois University for their teacher certification program.” I started the program in January 2026.

I found that my volunteer work with the University of Chicago Lab School was considered a service learning project in one of my teacher certification classes. I did my first presentation last night on Monday, April 20th, 2026 after I worked with my Whitney Young High School patient.

My 2026 service learning project was done at the University of Chicago Lab School. I am a member of numerous sewing circles and creative organizations, including, but not limited to, the Lakeside Quilt Guild. The Lakeside Quilt Guild donated fabric, sewing supplies and sewing books.

The University of Chicago Lab School decided in September 2024 that they wanted to do a community quilt project that was also an interdisciplinary lesson plan involving 1. math/geometry (tessellations), 2. visual art of quilting half square triangles and 3. English/writing.

Their first community quilt project took place from January 2025 to April 2025 and I also volunteered at the school during this time helping out with their community quilt project as I was still working as a one-to-one nurse at Whitney Young High School.

This was a volunteer project. I was not paid. I have done projects like this with school children in

Chicago for nearly 20 years. It was more important to me that the children have this experience. The only job I worked where I was paid was as a one-to-one nurse for my Whitney Young High School patient.

The first exhibition took place in May 2025 at the Gordon Parks Art Gallery. The University of Chicago Lab School decided to do their community quilt project again in 2026. It ended a couple weeks ago. The exhibition has not taken place yet as of the posting of this blog.

We worked with the students to create a community quilt project. The math teachers taught geometry. The visual art included equilateral triangles, which are triangles with three equal sides and each measuring 60 degrees.

We helped the students to create 6 inch by 6 inch half square triangle quilt blocks. These quilt blocks could be drawn over, painted over, hand embroidered over, applique placed on top or just left alone.

The class started with positive affirmations about being polymaths, which is a person with vast knowledge across multiple fields, hence an interdisciplinary unit lesson plan for a community quilt project comprised of geometry, visual arts and writing. The students were encouraged to use their knowledge to solve larger issues. They were told that two and sometimes three heads were better than one to come to the solution to a problem and that time and love conquers all because it does.

The students were then shown video profiles of deceased and living textiles artists. Music was played in the background. There was a hand quilting station, an embroidery station and a sewing machine station. The students were also encouraged to make a practice piece of a quilt block and a rough draft before creating a final quilt block and piece of writing.

Local textile artist Robert Earle Paige did come to the school and even created special fabric for this project through Spoonflower. I was taking an art class down the hallway from him when he was an Artist-in-Residence at the Hyde Park Art Center in Fall 2022.

I did create videos at my local library about how to sew a scant quarter of an inch, how to use a seam ripper as these were issues that came up with the teachers regarding the student’s progress. These videos were placed on the student’s padlets so they could view the information anytime they wanted.

When the community quilt exhibition is viewed, it is supposed to look like repeating tessellations of equilateral triangles.

The intended goal of this project, aside from teaching geometry, was the use of creativity to solve a problem. I shared with the class that there is a section of publishing known as medical writing. Years ago, I read in an anthology which contained personal essay titled “Dance and Medicine” by Dr. Danielle Ofri. The anthology contained personal essays written by doctors who shared how creativity helped them on the job to solve problems. Dr. Danielle Ofri was a dancer and doctor who was working during the beginning of the AIDS crisis in New York. Down the street from where she worked was a dance studio.

She noted that there was a large number of people coming into her job sick, but they simply did not know from what. She would go to this dance studio, dance in her classes, come back to work and said, “You know, this looks like a virus. We need to contact the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization to see if some medication can be created.”

It is not necessary to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine or even to win big awards. Art does help people solve real world problems.

I love my volunteer work.

At the end of the University of Chicago Lab School community quilt project, I was given a plaque with a half square triangle quilt block that had handwritten expression, “Thank you for your service!”

Saturday, April 11^th, 2026 Sneaker Ball Venue West Chicago: The Big Reveal of the Whitney Young High School 50^th Anniversary Yarn Bombing

When I woke up that morning, I couldn’t even believe we made it this far and I thanked God for every part of it. I had to get up super early because I started school at Northeastern Illinois University in their teacher certification program in January 2026. I had to meet with one of my graduate group members for a project that was due in a couple weeks. Two of my coworkers who were Whitney Young High School teachers wrote letters of recommendation for me mentioning the yarn bombing. I spent most of the late evening and early morning emailing, texting and making social media posts about the yarn bombing to family, friends, coworkers, quilting circles, knitting circles and anyone I knew.

I was told to get to Venue West in Chicago for the Whitney Young High School sneaker ball by 5 pm. I left early, but Chicago traffic is brutal. I arrived at 5:12 pm, but I did call and leave a voicemail message letting them know I was on my way. I had to park right outside the entrance to Venue West. The yarn bombing matched the front door entrance.  

I received help from a current schoolteacher who crocheted granny squares that went on the trunk. She also has her own long arm sewing machine business that she runs from her home. I am in numerous sewing and knitting circles. She and I are members of Needles and Threads Quilt Guild on the South Side of Chicago. A picture of our quilt guild is in the book, “Communion of the Spirits” by Roland L. Freeman who curated the “Quilts for Obama: An Exhibit Celebrating the Inauguration of Our 44th President” for the Smithsonian Museum.

“Try folding the yarn bombing like a quilt,” she offered. “It will make it easier to install.” And her suggestions proved to be invaluable.

Thank you.

We spread the yarn bombing across my car. People’s reactions were incredible:

“WHAT THE !*@#?”

“HA HA HA HA!!!!!”

“That’s nice!”

“OH MY GOD! My mother knits! She’s going to be so excited to see this!”

“That is hilarious!”

I walked around the car, channeling my inner “Wheel of Fortune” Vanna White persona (no pun intended), explaining the story behind the yarn bombing, showing people the design that was made and the art quilt I made on my iPhone, then pointing out who knitted, crocheted and/or weaved which section of the car. People took pictures, video, and mostly laughed hysterically, which, aside from fundraising for the school, was exactly the point. The food was great. The student jazz band was mesmerizing. Park and Ride Band, the band comprised of Whitney Young High School parents, was amazing. I loved the Frankie Beverly and Maze cover song. In the end,  learning is fun. Fundraising should be fun as well.

The kids are worth it.

Eight Days Leading Up to the Whitney Young High School 50^th Anniversary Yarn Bombing

A member of Studio Art Quilt Associates opened up her home to me to finish the Whitney Young High School 50^th anniversary yarn bombing. My logic brain said, “What are you doing?1?! There are serial killers in Chicago!” My heart and spirit said, “This is fun! Okedoke!”

She found out about it through one of her neighbors who was a quilter and had also done the exact same thing. We literally put the last stitch in at 6 pm the night before the installation.

People had seen us in the street, placing an oversized orange and blue afghan on my car, measuring it out. People slowed down to a near stop in the middle of rush hour traffic to watch us. We heard people say, “That is so pretty!”

People have asked me, “Where did you do all of this?” First, I was not the only one who did this. Whitney Young High School opened its doors on Wednesday, September 3^rd, 1975. Technically, 50 years was Wednesday, September 3^rd, 2025. We had until September 2026 to make good on this project. In June 2025, I sent inquiries to local yarn shops, quilt and knitting circles, and I placed postings on the internet. I asked for 10-inch by 10-inch knitted, crocheted, woven, embroidered and/or quilted in orange, blue and/or in the image of a dolphin. I worked with Friends of Whitney Young, the fundraising committee, who informed me that the big reveal was Saturday, April 11^th, 2026.

My yarn bombers were relieved.

There were a lot of retired teachers, current schoolteachers, school bus drivers, librarians, retired lawyers who had volunteered with Barack and Michelle Obama when they lived in Chicago, city workers, high school students who responded and participated. For the people who graciously opened their homes, their kitchen tables were the perfect size for a good old-fashioned knitting circle. Their kitchen chairs held the parts of the afghan that we had finished knitting and/or crocheting.

The driving dolphins on the windshield was done by a retired French teacher and president of Windy City Knitting. She had also yarn bombed a car and offered advice. There was a famous yarn bomber who lived out of state out East and learned about it. I sent orange, blue and variegated blue yarn to her in the mail. She crocheted the hood in orange and blue granny squares and sent them back to me in the mail. Those who were comfortable knitting or crocheting a part of the car did so.

Initially, the trunk, hood, back doors, front doors, back windshield, front windshield and roof were either knitted and/or crocheted. Those who were more reserved and/or overwhelmed (and understandably so!) did a 10-inch by 10-inch squares. Some people did one 10-inch by 10-inch square. Some people did 20 or more 10 inch by 10-inch squares. We had one person weave her 10 inch by 10-inch square.

In the end, every effort was helpful and more than appreciated.

Whitney Young High School alumni, their families and their friends were very involved. Some of them were not aware that Whitney Young High School was celebrating their 50^th anniversary. I let them know there was still time to be involved in the yarn bombing festivities. One person ate lunch with Michelle Obama in high school when she was a student at Whitney Young High School. There was a Whitney Young High School parents who owned her own yarn shop and had yarn bombed a car before. She was a treasure trove of information.

Secondly, there was never a real designated place where the Whitney Young high School 50^th anniversary yarn bombing took place. People did this in their homes, on the street, in knitting, crochet and sewing circles, and, like I said, out of state.

This was my very first-time yarn bombing a car! Yikes!

I will admit I didn’t know what I was doing, even when I had a book about yarn bombing in front of me. This is more of a reflection about me and not the authors of the book. I will say I learned as I went along. As mostly a quilter, I had a “The Gees Bend Quilters go yarn bombing” type of idea in mind.

Considering I did not use a gauge swatch, and my knitting was very loose, and I needed to drop down a needle size OR get thicker yarn, but I didn’t, this threw a lot off in terms of measurements (and I am so sorry about that!) but, I think I may have gotten the effect I wanted.

YES! I can hear the knit, crochet and quilt police coming for me!

Still, for 10 months, I knitted at home, in my car, at work between classes with my patient, in sewing circles, in doctor’s offices, and in restaurants. Many people walked up to me and asked, “What are you doing?” I explained what yarn bombing was, showed them pictures on my iPhone, shared profiles of famous yarn bombers and stated this was for charity. Even the art department at Whitney Young High School gave presentations about yarn bombing to the students. I placed the administrations capital “W,” capital “Y” and number “50”design right on top of the knitting that I did. The other parts I knitted draped so much that we used them over our bodies as afghans when we were trying to measure the yarn bombing against the car. Did I mention it is cold in Chicago? My afghan contributions helped when we were measuring the yarn bombing on my car!

I lived. I learned. If nothing else, I found the process to be very relaxing.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENDED WITHOUT ANY OF YOU!!! THANK YOU!

The Whitney Young High School 50^th Anniversary Design Started as an Art Quilt Banner

I took the drawing and made an art quilt banner first. There are a lot of banners in the gymnasium of Whitney Young High School. I felt it would be befitting to make the quilt look more like a banner.

The background was orange. The capital “W” and capital “Y” were blue. The number “50” had to be in either yellow or gold as I had been instructed. On the border of the quilt was dolphin fabric. The back of the quilt also had dolphin fabric and fabric resembling water. It looked like there was a school of dolphins swimming from the back of the quilt to the front of the quilt and into the orange background with the blue capital  “W,” the blue capital “Y,” and the gold number  “50.”  I received a ton of help from one of my sewing circles, Quilter’s Plus, from a woman who worked for years in a furniture store. She helped me center the letters and numbers.

The quilt was fun to make, but I felt there was something missing.

The Hubbard Street dance troupe gives art workshops around the city of Chicago. They suggest, as did my art quilt teacher, Sheila Frampton Cooper, writer Elizabeth Gilbert and late science fiction writer, Octavia Butler, to change your artistic medium or genre if you find yourself stuck or stymied in a project.

I felt the design would transfer from drawing to fabric to fiber quite easily, making a ton of artistic movement forward as a yarn bombing.

Whitney Young High School 50^th Anniversary Planning

I met with the administration and the art department about incorporating more textiles within the Whitney Young High School 50^th anniversary event planning. I was given directives: Because the school colors were orange and blue and the mascot was a dolphin, anything I created had to be orange and blue and/or have a dolphin. A drawing was made using a pen and computer paper by administration which had a capital “W” at the top of the page, a capital “Y” at the bottom of the page and a number “50” in the middle of the page which was supposed to be gold. We discussed multiple textiles projects. Me being me, I wanted to develop every last one of them, as I felt myself just coming to life at the creative brainstorming think tank I was immersed in.

I contacted Whitney Young High School alumni, their family and their friends. Some said they had no idea that the school was having a 50^th anniversary celebrations and were excited to share in the festivities by yarn bombing a car. During the four years of working with my patient, I worked at Whitney Young High School as a one-on-one nurse and was paid for my services as a nurse only.

I grew up reading Marva Collins’ books and watching the CBS movie about her life. Everyone around me had great respect for the personal sacrifices she made for her students. I did not see myself doing anything differently. I thought that this is what educators did. Certainly, nurses also did the same thing. I had a beloved aunt who had a Ph.D. in English who taught high school for 45 years. Each year, she took her students on a trip somewhere: New York for the Broadway shows, Orlando for Disney World. She was even the English teacher to Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens.

Further, even though my family is not affluent, but we have always believed in the value of an education. I grew up watching my parents fund raise for the elementary school I attended. That behavior was modeled to me and I thought fundraising for school was something that was normal and what everyone did. The Whitney Young High School 50^th anniversary yarn bombing was a literal labor of love.

The Whitney Young High School yarn bombing project raised $1,000.00 for the school.

Xenobia Bailey

The first time I learned about yarn bombing was when I learned about Xenobia Bailey. There was an article written about her in Essence magazine after she’d crocheted one of director Spike Lee’s movie sets. There was a picture of her seated in front of one of her creations.

The term “yarn bombing” had not been used. We just said, “She crochets movie sets.” And that is what she did.

Years later, when I took formal knitting classes, I spent a lot of time in yarn shops, in libraries, in thrift stores, looking through books. I was looking for the name of the Afghan pattern my paternal grandmother had on her couch when I was growing up. The book that contained my grandmother’s Afghan pattern was called, “Mason Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiener and Ann Shayne. The Afghan pattern was called log cabin knitting. There was also a picture and a small article about Xenobia Bailey contained within the book.

That book was a constant companion of mine. I adored log cabin knitting. I especially liked the article on Xenobia Bailey. With the advancement of technology including personal websites, and YouTube, I was able to keep up with Xenobia Bailey a little better.

I told everyone I knew when she did the Funktional Vibrations mosaic for the 468^th subway station opening in New York in 2015.

I literally cheered her on from a distance and not knowing that one day, I would yarn bomb a car for Whitney Young High School.

The Car on the Whitney Young High School Sidewalk Would Look Better With Yarn

One morning when my patient and I arrived at Whitney Young High School, there was a Nissan Versa sitting on the sidewalk in front of the school. I had never seen a car parked on the sidewalk in front of a school before.

This was a first for me.

There was no need for coffee. I was wide awake. I knew from talking with the staff that the car would be auctioned and the money would be given to the school. I’d seen these types of fundraisers before as a healthcare worker, but when I saw it, yarn bombing was involved.

As a fifth generation textiles enthusiast, I thought, “That car would look better with yarn.”

My patient/student and I love Best Buddies art class! Best Buddies is a non-for-profit organization that creates relationships and opportunities with people who have a diverse range of disabilities.

Whitney Young High School has a Best Buddies art class. Within the class, students who do not have special needs or disabilities are paired with students who do have special needs and disabilities.

The instructor educates the students about artists from an array of visual media, including, but not limited to late artist Keith Herring. Keith Herring created the Best Buddies logo because one of his own family members was medically compromised and very dependent on their medical staff.

The artwork is amazing. The bonds that are created are memorable. Some students go to college within majors that will allow them to do work that is similar to their experience in the Best Buddies art class.

I had never had an artistic experience like this before and I loved it. Sometimes we went outside to create art, which was a reprieve from the cold winters when the weather was warmer. At the end of the year, there is a big art exhibition with food, live music and an all-around wonderful time.

As I bought my patient’s artwork home, his mother proclaimed, “This is so cool! We are going to open an art gallery for you!”