Teaching quilting
 

:eek::eek:My recent return to quilting has lead me to wax poetic about the joy of building a quilt to a number of friends.
The upshot of this is that one of them has asked me to teach her to quilt! While I have confidence that I learned the lessons of my grandmother and mother well, and I have learned an amazing amout during my brief membership here, I have no idea how to go about teaching someone else! I do not want her to be put off because of a lousy teacher - any advice, direction, words of wisdom would be appreciated!

Teaching a friend to quilt can be much easier than giving lessons to a group. Just choose an easy pattern, and start the quilt with her. You could even both work on the same quilt, or quilts of the same pattern, at once. At each step show her how you're doing it, let her practice, and give her honest feedback. You will both have fun.

Sounds like a really good way to create or deepen a friendship and make something wonderful.

I taught a friend. She wanted to make a quilt for her mom. Lessons were brief and frequent and closely scheduled together.
Day 1: peruse multiple patterns (that I had preselected) and pictures and pick a "doable" quilt
Day 2: shop for fabrics (I took home, washed and ironed)
Day 3: cut fabric
Day 4, 5, 6: make blocks
Day 7: layout blocks and sew rows together
Day 8: finish piecing top/pin/quilt (we used walking foot and very simple pattern)
Day 9: Bind

She had a good time, learned how to make a basic block and her mother loved the quilt. I made sure that the quilt pattern wasn't too difficult and the fabric wasn't too expensive.

The National Quilting Association has a booklet - "Teaching Basic Quiltmaking" It might be helpful to you.

Hopetoquilt - what patterns did you preselect? We will be working weekends, as she doesn't have a machine, and I am thinking that a tied quilt is the best option, as I can only hand quilt or tie!

Maybe start out with a simple table runner. Will give her a start to see if it is something she is really going to like, and not have much money tied up in it. It finishes quick so there is a feeling of accomplishment.

Make it fun. Just work with her and she will be able to ask questions. That will be very helpful for her. :)

All advice sounds good to me. My aunt and I did a block of the month club at local fabric store. I would do the class and then we met and I would go over it with her. We had a great time. Also cost effective. In 2005 less than 8.00 a packet. Enjoy. Teresa

If she doesn't seem to take to the table runner idea here's 2 more: a few different blocks and make throw pillows or a bed runner.

make a crib size. small enough to finish quickly and can aways be used or given away

What fun. I taught my sister and we had so much fun working together. I will remember those times forever.

I started by doing blocks of different patterns. And making wall hangings, table runners. They made me feel "safe" before I did a big quilt.

Great reply--love your outline--may I use your ideas to help some gals that have asked to "learn how to quilt" I have picked out an easy pattern and we will probably start a lap or crib size and address the "quilting" part after the assesmby.

Find a pattern rated "easy" and go from there. Visit any fabric manufacturer website, they have many free patterns you can download. I find teaching with a pattern is very simple. The pattern tells them what size to cut the pieces, all that's left for you to do is roam the room and help as they have questions. On the first day show them rotary cutting how-tos, and explain a few terms, such as "fat quarters" or "scant 1/4"" and go from there!

A dear friend taught me to quilt. We hadn't known each other long then, and she offered to teach me the basics (only lessons I've ever had, actually). We had a wonderful time, and we ended up making several small quilts collaboratively before she moved to a different state. She is still one of my best friends, even though now she lives far far away from me, and quilting is just one of the things we talk about. And when I visit her, or she comes here to me, we always make a quilt together!

Alison

I just taught my girlfriend how to quilt. Picked a simple pattern and I stressed 4 things:
1) Cut Accurately
2) where the magic scant 1/4" seam is
3) pressing (not ironing)
4) if your piecing is a bit off, don't sweat it, you will improve with practice.
She finished her first one and has 3 more planned. She even bought a new machine!

When my husband's grandmother taught me to quilt, she chose a nine patch, baby size quilt to teach me. It was a nice sized project to learn on. I hand quilt. Good luck!

Update! We started yesterday, and everyone on this post and this site has been so helpful! We started by choosing the fabric and the pattern (nine patch). It is from my stash (inherited from my mother) and my friend has a real eye for color. We spread her choices out on the floor, and she played around with them until she came up with a combination she liked. THEN - I had her press all the fabric (with explanation of why press rather than iron - more important when we get the blocks made, but a good starting point!) and she started cutting out the strips. It was a blast! Thank you all again, and I will post a picture when we are done! Trene (formally TeaHess)