jaciqltznok: Very well said! No quiltmaker should be without graph paper and colored pencils, and more important, know how to use them! A sandpaper template and scissors are the best teaching tools. I see so many quiltmakers agonizing over the simplest things and it is mostly because they have no basic knowledge.
Holice: I would forget about color and artistry in basic classes. Mechanics of quilting would be my first class, artistry after the basics.