My friend Janice and I started a quilting class at our church last February.
1. I got permission from our pastor to use our classroom area.
2. I had the announcement printed in the church bulletin, with the date
the classes would start and also had flyers inserted.
3. I put a a sign-up sheet in the foyer along with a picture of the
first quilt that we would be making. About 20 ladies and 3 girls
ages 7,8, & 9. signed up for the class. Our class size ended up at 15.
4. Once everyone signed up, I gave them a basic sewing supply
list (rotary cutter, matt, machine, electrical cord, etc.) along with the
supply list for the first quilt.
5. We met twice a month for the first couple of months and then
we met once a month thereafter.
In lieu of payment for the quilting classes, each person taking the class was asked to donate their first quilt to a children's hospice that we had pre-selected. We ended up sending 25 quilts to the hospice in 2008. Plus three more for auction. We sent the first batch of quilts in May and the second in September.
After the first quilt was donated many of the new quilters wanted to make more to send to the hospice so we continued with another, this time making a different pattern.
The first was a "square in a square"/"nine patch" quilt.
The second quilt was a "log cabin" quilt.
If I were to teach a beginning class again I think that I would start with the log cabin first, it was much easier for them to grasp. Not much squaring up to do.
Each girl that signed up worked with their mothers as a mother/daughter team. It was a wonderful bonding experience for them. My daughter-in-law, Missy, and my grand-daughter, Maya, have even made one on their own and donated to the local cancer society for auction. It auctioned for $225.00 in November.
What a blessing it is to teach these ladies and young girls. It's even a greater blessing to see them be so generous with their time and efforts.
I have to tell you that most of these ladies had little or no knowledge of sewing. In fact a lot of them came to our first class with their brand new sewing machines still in an un-opened box, not knowing how to thread the machine or what a presser foot was. But, they do have willing hearts and that's all you need to learn.
We didn't meet in Oct., Nov., Dec., but we are in the process of starting up again in February. This time Janice will be teaching the class and she's decided on teaching a "Tossed Nine-patch".
I would suggest that you team up with someone, just in case you can't make it to one or more classes.
I wish you the very best of luck!