I AM teaching a beginners class in September. I think it is my fourth or fifth year and it ALWAYS starts with the cleaning of the sewing machine, threading, bobbin making, and the proper way to sit at the machine. I also show them how to set up a sewing area with cutting place, ironing place and sewing place. Now, that being said, there is a fabulous book....I Can't Believe I'm Quilting! distributed by Leisure Arts. It goes in order of what you do from beginning to end of a completed quilt.
I have made a table runner with three simple blocks...
a six block and sashed floral wall hanging amongst other things but I NEVER assume they know anything, I encourage questions, and give simple, slowly explained and shown answers. This coming September, I will be working with half square triangles and solids only. Once they master a HST and learn how to check it and square them off all to the same size, we will spend time moving them around to form all different patterns and they will decide which way to put them into a small lap quilt. we will do sandwiching IN CLASS. I have them sandwich my quilt I work on with them. You can't believe how many little hints you get when doing things in class! I never realized how some people don't line their pins up for easier sewing, how many pull on the fabric while pinning which stretches the fabric, etc. so doing one in class is a great way to help them. We then make binding, and learn how to place the binding with mitered corners until, VOILA, they each have a beautiful first COMPLETED quilt. I always demonstrate one in class, slowly and I have people who love to quilt when we are finished. My students, who become better at quilting than I am, keep coming back and they start what we are doing and wind up with king size quilts and more friends. It is a joy to bring the love of quilting to others, BEST HINT....SIMPLE, EASY, COMPLETE AND GIVE LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. HAVE THEM BRING IN WHAT STEP THEY HAVE DONE AND GENTLY GUIDE THEM TO PERHAPS A DIFFERENT WAY OR BE EXCITED THAT THEY FOUND A WAY THAT WORKS. We begin each class, and spend most of the time, sharing what we each have done and suggesting what to do next, what went wrong and why, how to correct it. We are all around one very large table....there are usually 14-16 of us in each class.
LOVE IT, LOVE THEM AND ENJOY. Good luck from another Phyllis