Quilter's Cache, mentioned above, pretty sure gives a difficulty rating. I could be wrong, tho. The other suggestion mentioning certain technique is a very good guide. Good luck!!
Mariah

[QUOTE=dunster;7610668]If these ladies are novice quilters they might benefit more from the basics before tackling difficult blocks. "

I agree! What is you definition of " Novis". Beginning quilters need to learn the basics such as HST,FG, and other simple blocks. Quilting 2 can include more advanced blocks. Beginning quilters need to learn the basics so they are not scared off from quilting in general.

The first quilting class I took many many years ago was in Olde Town Alexlandria, Virginia. We made a sampler: curved piecing, eight-pointed star, applique (3-piece bird), Y-seam and bias edge stabilized by straight edge. (I used to know the names of these blocks, but have forgotten in my "older" age. Perhaps, Hole in the Barn Door, Drunkard's Path are two of them. We sashed, used corner stones, border, binding, sleeves, and quilting. To me, this covers about 90% of the techniques. We pieced the blocks by hand which gave us control. We stitched in drawn lines for accuracy. The instructor said if we could make these blocks by hand it was an easy transition to machine piecing. It was such fun and I have never looked back.

As I recall it was a six week course and we added sashing, etc by machine.

I think teaching an hourglass block would be a good choice, but I would also teach how to cut something bigger then how to square it up. Also teaching them to foundation piece would be good.

Accurate cutting techniques. You can sew the straightest 1/4 inch seams in the world, but if fabric is not cut correctly, it will be almost impossible to match corners, etc.

[QUOTE=cathyvv;7611822]Accurate cutting techniques. You can sew the straightest 1/4 inch seams in the world, but if fabric is not cut correctly, it will be almost impossible to match corners, etc.[/QUOTE

This step is sooooo important.

I couldn't agree more that novice quilters need instruction on cutting, sewing 1/4", etc. And perhaps I was not accurate when I said this class is for novice quilters. The QS owner will be the final answer on that and I always design my classes to fit the needs of the students. So I was a little surprised to get comments that sort of made me feel attacked. Really? What's that about?

But I do thank those of you that told me what things you struggle with so I can structure the series of classes to help others learn things that they might need some help with. And thank you to the other teachers out there that gave suggestions from what they teach. I do appreciate all those comments.

Totally agree. Thank you.

Perfect points! I have never tried a Y seam, prob never will!

I can't tell if your question is rhetorical or not, so I'll assume it's a genuine question and go ahead & answer it.

I truly believe that everyone here who took the time to respond to your post did so with kindness & helpfulness in their heart. I'm not sure whose post you're referring to so maybe it's mine. In that event, I'll provide a bit of context that might make more clear what can't be communicated simply by reading text because there is no tone to denote kindness or loving concern vs anger or condescension.

My background is teaching. I've taught grade school, middle school, high school, summer school, run special recreation camps & taught sewing/piecing to children ages 5-8. When I first started each of those, I would often struggle to match the level of my instruction to my students' ability -- especially if I was only working with them for a quarter, a summer, or a multi-week program and didn't have time to properly test their level myself. At first it was due to me not asking about the students' abilities. But as time went on, it was more typically because my definition of a "beginner" or "intermediate" student (whether it was a language student or a sewist) did not match the program coordinator's definition. In at least 3 cases that I can remember, there were people in my life that recognized the problem but were reluctant to speak up because they assumed I would see that kind of feedback as hurtful or belittling. Instead, they kept quiet and my lessons were complete failures. The students were overwhelmed & off-task; the parents were irate; I cried myself to sleep those nights. And then, to add salt to my wounds, each time someone who knew better would come up to me and say "They were really good lessons, but for students that were much more advanced than these. I knew when you showed me/told me what you were going to teach that it would never fly and something like this would happen." Ummm... congratulations? You rightly predicted that I was going to crash and burn mid-lesson?

I was so devastated by those experiences, I never would want someone I respected to go through that. I recovered and others have too, but it's stuck with me to this day. I've had plenty of successes since then, but I still remember the hurt of learning that someone could have clued me in on what might have been a better match for my students' abilities & chose not to. That's where I was coming from in writing my post.

By and large, we have little to no knowledge/memory of what classes, if any, a member has taught before. There are all levels of quilters, and many levels of teachers & professionals on the Board and trying to keep everyone straight is nearly impossible. I know the shops where I live teach how to turn on a machine, sew a straight line, change feet, use a rotary cutter, etc in the "novice" and "beginner" classes. Even our guild workshops tend to be basic things like sewing together FG, 60-degree triangles, postage stamp quilts, etc, which are all described as "confident beginner". When I took a Lone Star quilt class (out of the area), it was labeled as "advanced". But maybe quilting levels are like ski slope ratings. A black diamond (advanced) in Michigan or Wisconsin is easier to ski than a green circle (beginner) in Utah. :cool:

At any rate, please know that we are all on your side & only wish you the very best with your newest class. :thumbup: