wesing

My sister and I went to a retreat in May and worked on our Lone Star quilts. In the process, the teacher and the venue owner suggested I teach a Quilting 101 class. I’ve decided I’d like to do it, and we scheduled the class for June.

I am writing up a pattern for an Irish Chain quilt and have a couple of pattern testers on standby. The retreat goes from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon. I think that’s enough time for them to finish their tops. I’m going to cover very basic info like tools, materials, how to use the rotary cutter, troubleshooting sewing machine issues, how to read a pattern making a pressing plan. I have a quilter lined up who will quilt the projects and mail them to the owners. I also plan to have them make and bind pot holders so they’ll be able to bind their quilts when they get them back.

I want to show them a bunch of basic units and possibly demonstrate how to make some of them. I want to give them a list of acronyms and abbreviations. I want to touch on picking colors and establishing contrast.

I have taken a couple of classes, but most of what I’ve learned above the very basics is from this board and watching YouTube videos. I’ve often thought it would have been nice to have a lot of what I’ve learned early on.

Now my question: Is there some bit of knowledge that you consider essential that you think every beginner should hear? I’d really like to make the class helpful so the attendees will enjoy the process and want to continue.

Thanks in advance for your comments!

quiltingcandy

How large is the quilt you think they will be able to finish? Are they going to be told to bring their fabric and how much to bring? Or will you be providing it in a kit form? You said you have a quilter lined up, who will be paying for that? I am concerned the cost of your retreat is going to be astronomical. But then I am thinking of California prices.
I would suggest you send a list of tools they need to bring to the class. You say it's a 101 classs, but they should have the basic tools to bring, you could provide a list of these items. Otherwise they will be standing around waiting to use them. I love your plan to provide the list of acronyms and abbreviations - we use so many without even realizing it and people get lost. And also the reading of patterns, seems so simple but so very important, so easy to think the pattern is self explanatory but the pattern can have some twists that aren't so obvious, like when to cut a mirror image of a piece.
Have fun and be flexible. Everyone is there to learn and have a good time.

dunster

My advice would be not to try to cram so much into one weekend. Keep in mind that people's bodies and minds can only take so much, and then they shut down. Make it fun, let people get away from their sewing machines, even out of the retreat rooms, especially if there are things to see or quilt shops to visit nearby. Irish chain can be a very pretty quilt, but it's basically just squares and rectangles. I might introduce HST's too. And don't make it about finishing the quilt top. Some people might, some won't, but it shouldn't be a race. Just my 2 cents.

bearisgray

My thoughts, too. I think it would take at least a week to even touch on everything you mentioned.
It took me years to learn some of these things - and I had a sewing background

I know everyone has to start somewhere -

I'm old( er).- and I think most girls had ar least some exposure to sewing way back when

I have no idea what the starting Pont would be for your students - some may not know a needle from a pitchfork - and others may be experienced sewists that have decided that quilting might be something to add to their skill set.

maybe you could do a practice run on -for example - the bound potholder. It would take me hours - and that last join on the binding would be a pain because of the short side length.

all the topics mentioned are worth knowing about - but as Dunster said - most people can only learn so much at a time.

copycat

When I took a beginner Quilting class , we made placemats as you see in my attached photos.
After we learned different blocks, we had to learn how to figure out the sashing sizes to complete the placemat. We learned how to make a quilt sandwich and get it ready to quilt. Yes, we quilted it in class, too. We made the binding as well. The goal was to finish one placemat, but have the skills to complete the rest, using our blocks we made in class. Some did just one mat, and others made more. Most went home with one completed mat and the rest had the tops pieced and ready to sandwich.

bearisgray

Do you renenber the time frame ? Was it one class? Several classes? Weekend? Did you get all the work done while in class? Did you do some of the work at home?

The placemats are cute, by the way , really like the idea of figuring out the sashings to make the blocks fit.

bearisgray

In some ways, I am an instructor's ideal student. Other ways, I can be a bit of a bother.

Of course I will have questions after the initial explanation I just won't know what they are until I get stuck or confused somewhere along the way.

Need to decide how much time to allow for bquestions and exres help. Will you bring along a helper if the class is large?

copycat

To answer your?'s : The class was given by our local home extension, titled : beginner quilting class. Machines were provided. It was ,Mon- Thurs. 9 to 12, then break for lunch or stay and sew if you brought your lunch. The afternoon class 1 to 4. Some people only came for the morning. Our instruction was given in the morning and the afternoon was for extra help and sewing time. We had homework to come with our fabric pressed and ready to go for cutting out.
I did some work at home as I had my own machine. I finished 3 mats and the others were done at home.

Onebyone

I have taught many quilt classes. For beginners I use the disappearing nine patch using charm squares. It's simple and give the beginner a big confidence boost when the blocks look complicated and weren't.


First, if beginners, I stress the importance of safety in cutting and using a safety cutting device. No one cuts in my classes without one. I bring all the safety items I have to be used. A glove, Quilter's Slide lock, Quilter's select stick on knobs, ruler guards, etc. They can try each one to see what they like.


For binding I show how to curve the corners so no miter needed. The simpler is easy and will keep the confidence high. I keep the feeling of everything is easy and we are here to have fun and sew together. I sew right along with them at each step. After each block made we all applaud each other as we hang our block on the wall. A lot of blocks make the design and all are eager to make more to make a quilt like that for themselves.

GingerK

The biggest thing for me (coming from a clothing sewing background) was learning to PRESS not iron.

But to go back to your teaching plan--think of it as packing to go on vacation. One lays out all the the clothes one thinks will be needed and then puts at least half back in the closet.

You have an extremely ambitious plan that really sounds more like 'Quilting Boot Camp' than Quilting 101. I would be intimidated by the amount of information you want to cover in a weekend and I am an experienced quilter. What happens to the person who is turned off by your first lessons or just can't get past the first few steps?