jolo

You know helping is teaching. If you can think of it in that concept you wont be so nervous. Jolo

Arleners

Just remember - You know more than they do. I have been teaching quilting at an Adult Education class for 10 years. When I first started, I used to break out in a cold sweat for the first couple of sessions. Now I look forward to my night out.
1 - List supplies
2 - Make samples of each step
3 - Demonstrate each step
4 - Have fun.

Arleners

Also -
5 - Don't give them all the instructions at once. Otherwiese they go ahead of your lessons and then blame you when they make a mistake.
6 - Make them cut a swatch of the fabric they are using for each part of the quilt and tape it to a piece of paper. This way you will know what to cut. They will forget and expect you to remember all their fabric selections.

Anna O

I teach classes as well as retreats. I'm not a "professional", but I'm happy to share what I have learned. Students like handouts and information they can take home and digest. The internet is full of great stuff. Start with About.com (quilting). Samples are a really good idea. And don't be afraid to show them what DOESN'T work. Learning from others mistakes is good. And they know you make mistakes (if you do, hee, hee) and so when they do they won't feel so bad about telling you. Quilting is more than just sewing, so start simple. A nine-patch block or rail fence. I did a full year of just instruction with no hands-on. Like about value, contrast, color, batting, measurements, tesselations, fabric manufacturers, I could go on and on. An equipment list for the students is good. As you know, quilting is an expensive hobby, so let them know what is minimal for getting started. And then encourage them to sign up at JoAnn's and/or Hancock's so they can use coupons for buy stuff on sale or using a coupon. A quilting terms list will help them. We have our own language! Gosh, hope I didn't scare you away. You will love it and adult students are great. If you plan to teach children, that's a whole different story. Plan ahead, relax and enjoy. My first teaching experience was starting a group at my church with about 5 ladies. Seven years later it's still going strong. Hope that helps.

As for your priest, let him do the job God has assigned him and you do as God leads you.

patsyo56721

A charm quilt would be a good starter 4 5in squares sewed together to make a 9 1/2" square then sew them together.

jeanmezera

I agree with not showing or telling them the whole step. Show them the finished quilt, but when they get all the instructions at once they do not remember them, at least I didn't when I started. I was forever asking the next step when it had been told to me before. I still do when I go to a quilt class where they are instructing.
Jean

ORSunshineQuilter

Try not to think of yourself as the teacher but as the facilitator that problem solves with the participants. You give guidance and special help when needed. That is not necessarily "teaching." You will do fine! They just need a leader to keep the ball rolling forward! Be a coach, mentor, facilitator.

Cookie64

They are all right you know, Think of it as a challenge and go for it. I started teaching my grandaugthers and a couple of them loved it and a couple didn't. Alex Anderson was my inpiration, she has a book that could get you started also Quilt's Quilt's Quilt's is another good teaching book. Your going to do fine.

Cookie

Pamela Artman

I started teaching at church too! I was nervous, but after reading "The Purpose Driven Life" I could see that this could be my calling! And I loved it! Everyone was so nice! Almost everyone in the class was new to quilting, and most had never sewn anything before! I started with just an information night and I brought my quilts to show, and brought a big box of fabrics and talked about fabric selection and brought a bunch of fabric they could choose from my stash. I have so much and I knew that a few of the ladies could not afford to go out and buy new fabric. Then I talked about tools and showed them what each tool was and handed out a list of tools they needed and a second list of tools that were helpful, but not necessary. I showed them a sample of the quilt we'd be making in class and gave them a handout with all the fabric requirements. The quilt I chose was a sampler with 12 blocks (the quilt that's my avatar pic!) The second week, we covered rotary cutting and making a 9-patch. The next week was a checkerboard block, the following was a rail fence, then a log cabin. Then we added triangles with a shoo-fly block, and then a star. Each week I brought a new block pattern with typed directions and each block taught a new technique, squares, strips, y-seams, curves, and finally applique. By the time we finished the 12 blocks, they all wanted to continue and make their quilts queen size. I kept bringing block patterns with instructions, but they had all the skills needed to make any block they wanted, so there was very little teaching after that. The class lasted almost 2 years until I moved away. It was a wonderful experience and now I absolutely love teaching and don't feel at all uncomfortable in front of people. I'm sharing something I love and it's so much fun to see others "catch" the fever!

stnele

I teach quilting in a store and at an historic site.
If you are going to have a storage at your location then you should:
- get someone to donate an ironing board or two
- have 1-2 irons for a pressing station
- have the priest check the wiring/fuse /electric breaker location and access (had a class-all was well with sewing machines till all the ladies plugged in irons & out went the lights- no one knew where the fuse box was-turned out that was fuse that the heating system was on-the fuse box was behind a locked door and the janitor was away-not a fun day
-get some extension cords
Can you leave 1 or 2 cutting mats there?
If you can do that then you do not have to schlep as much stuff to class/

Have an email sign up ---blocks, patterns, refreshment sign up can be sent to each person--cuts down on printing costs

Make a first aid kit for burns,cuts from rotary cutters and other minor injuries
stuff happens.

I cover SAFETY<SAFETY< SAFETY at my first class and have each person sign that they are responsible for their own safety
no cords people can trip on
Absolutely no rotary cutters are to be put down open at any time-no exceptions---put it down it had better be closed!!!!
That training happens quickly and they remind each other.
Nasty things happen when cutters are left open and ladies are talking.

Do KISS (keep it sew simple)quilts to start.

Expect the unexpected and have fun.