Sew a quilt that is blue and green, with the green concentrated on one end of the quilt, like a grassy field under a blue sky. Applique a tree and handprint "leaves" done in yellow, brown, red and orange paint -- each hand on a separate piece of fabric -- to the blue and green quilt. This will create an autumn quilt that will remind the teacher of the start of the school year and the children to whom she devoted so much time and care.
Have the children make flowers on fabric squares with their handprints, applying multiple prints to the same piece of paper, turning their hands a little bit each time until a flower is formed. When the handprints are dry, direct the children to add stems and leaves to their flowers with green paint. Remember to have the children sign their names, too. Sew the squares in a checkerboard pattern, alternating with solid green fabric blocks, to make a "garden of children" quilt that will remind the teacher that the seeds of knowledge he planted will blossom as the children grow. This would be a particularly appropriate quilt for a teacher who enjoys gardening.
Gift the teacher with a quilt featuring a menagerie of animals made from the kids' handprints. Tailor the animals to the region in which the teacher's school is located. For example, for a school in Alaska or Minnesota, make a moose herd quilt. Give each child a fabric square and have them make handprint moose; use one brown downward handprint for the body, two upward-facing cream-colored ones for the antlers. Direct them to add eyes, a nose, hooves and their name with black paint. Alternate the fabric squares with blocks of tree-printed green fabric.
Sew a colorful quilt in a pattern that reflects some aspect of the teacher's life outside of teaching. For example, a teacher who is enthusiastic about old-fashioned handicrafts and small-scale homesteading might enjoy a log cabin patterned quilt. Surround the main part of the quilt top with a wide border of plain fabric decorated with the student's handprints.