Now I've gone and done it!

While at the new LQS today (Miss Fussy Rose wanted to go), I was chatting
with one of the owners, and the idea of a kids' trunk show came up - a
display of quilts made by kids. That led to talking about a class for kids,
and I said I could teach that. I then said I'd like to teach a class on what
to do with those irresistible orphan blocks that you pick up at quilt shows
then wonder what in the world you'll do with.

I do actually want to teach some classes - this is something I've wanted to
do for some time now. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it, though!
Are there any books on how to create a class? How do I decide what materials
I provide, and which ones the shop provides, etc? I've got a million
questions whirling in my head! I know there are lots of folks here who teach
classes - any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

--
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-STUFF email address to reply

this is a subject that is of interest to me too - so please all share here
;-)

THANKS!!

--
Jessamy - still waiting on the publishing dates :-S
In The Netherlands
Take out: so much quilting to reply.
Time to accept, time to grow, time to take things slow
www.geocities.com/jess_ayad
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jes...pson/my_photos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While at the new LQS today (Miss Fussy Rose wanted to go), I was chatting
with one of the owners, and the idea of a kids' trunk show came up - a
display of quilts made by kids. That led to talking about a class for kids,
and I said I could teach that. I then said I'd like to teach a class on what
to do with those irresistible orphan blocks that you pick up at quilt shows
then wonder what in the world you'll do with.

I do actually want to teach some classes - this is something I've wanted to
do for some time now. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it, though!
Are there any books on how to create a class? How do I decide what materials
I provide, and which ones the shop provides, etc? I've got a million
questions whirling in my head! I know there are lots of folks here who teach
classes - any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

--
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-STUFF email address to reply

Depends a bit on the age of the kids. IMO you ought to restrict the age
range so they will all be at a similar level of interest.
Little kids (1st or 2nd graders) need quick projects. Something easy like a
bag for gym clothes (2 seams plus a drawstring, decorated with fabric
crayons) to learn basic machine techniques. then maybe move up to fusible
blocks to work on color and design. Sew the fused blocks into a big cushion
or small quilt.

For the orphan blocks, I'd see this as more of a 1or 2 day workshop. Each
person could present the orphan, and you could guide a discussion of various
ways to finish it. Great for the LQS, because people will need to buy
fabric!
Roberta in D

"frood" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
While at the new LQS today (Miss Fussy Rose wanted to go), I was chatting
with one of the owners, and the idea of a kids' trunk show came up - a
display of quilts made by kids. That led to talking about a class for
kids, and I said I could teach that. I then said I'd like to teach a class
on what to do with those irresistible orphan blocks that you pick up at
quilt shows then wonder what in the world you'll do with.

I do actually want to teach some classes - this is something I've wanted
to do for some time now. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it,
though! Are there any books on how to create a class? How do I decide what
materials I provide, and which ones the shop provides, etc? I've got a
million questions whirling in my head! I know there are lots of folks here
who teach classes - any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

--
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-STUFF email address to reply

Wendy signed
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)

Well, sure, Wendy, glad to. We'll even bring the Maalox and two ballpoint
pens for your autograph session.
Two random thoughts come to mind about teaching the little ones to
quilt.
Start very small. How about an afternoon with a handful of Cub Scouts
helping them earn a badge? A couple of hours some morning letting 1st
graders arrange fabrics?
And hie thee off to the library. There are just heaps of books and
magazine articles on teaching sewing/quilting to children. Martha Pullen's
daughter has demonstrated some on her Sew Beautiful PBS show and Alex
Anderson has a book that should be helpful.
And (!) bless you. We'll always be grateful to the patient loved ones
who taught some of us to sew way long before we could read. Polly

Wendy:
Cool. I remember you talking about an 'orphan
block' class quite a while ago.
For teaching children, you need to chat with
Kate Dicey. She does that on regular basis.
Good Luck, PAT

frood wrote:

While at the new LQS today (Miss Fussy Rose wanted to go), I was chatting
with one of the owners, and the idea of a kids' trunk show came up - a
display of quilts made by kids. That led to talking about a class for kids,
and I said I could teach that. I then said I'd like to teach a class on what
to do with those irresistible orphan blocks that you pick up at quilt shows
then wonder what in the world you'll do with.

I do actually want to teach some classes - this is something I've wanted to
do for some time now. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it, though!
Are there any books on how to create a class? How do I decide what materials
I provide, and which ones the shop provides, etc? I've got a million
questions whirling in my head! I know there are lots of folks here who teach
classes - any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

I have taught 3 of my children so far how to sew. The summer they are 6, we
start on a quilt. This gets entered into the State Fair in the fall, and
each has won a ribbon. This summer, Spike and Giles will be almost 6, and
are so eager to start, I can't see putting them off another year.

I have a basic idea of what I want to do with the kids' class. I'm mainly
looking for information on how one teaches a class at the LQS - how to
decide what to charge, what materials I can ask them to supply, etc.

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-STUFF email address to reply
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
ink.net...
Wendy signed
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)

Well, sure, Wendy, glad to. We'll even bring the Maalox and two ballpoint
pens for your autograph session.
Two random thoughts come to mind about teaching the little ones to
quilt.
Start very small. How about an afternoon with a handful of Cub Scouts
helping them earn a badge? A couple of hours some morning letting 1st
graders arrange fabrics?
And hie thee off to the library. There are just heaps of books and
magazine articles on teaching sewing/quilting to children. Martha
Pullen's daughter has demonstrated some on her Sew Beautiful PBS show and
Alex Anderson has a book that should be helpful.
And (!) bless you. We'll always be grateful to the patient loved ones
who taught some of us to sew way long before we could read. Polly

Jessamy wrote:

this is a subject that is of interest to me too - so please all share here
;-)

THANKS!!


OK, here are some tips from a qualified teacher (I came out of college
in 1978!), with both sewing and accademic subject experience, with
adults and kids! This is all sewing related...

1: Keep it simple! Just joining 6" charm squares will do to start with.

2: They will be TOTALLY IGNORANT! Not stupid - they just won't know
*anything*. Start by showing them how to thread and hold a needle, use
scisors (techniques are different for paper!), how to trace round things...

3: I mean ignorant! Many of them will never have had a sewing machine
in the house, never mind touched or used one! Start very slow and careful!

4: Expect to get through HALF of what you plan for the first lesson, and
revise your scheme of work to cope with this once you have their pace...

5: they will have some wild and wonderful ideas: be flexible and
accommodate all you can.

6: Make them TRY everything, but be prepared to 'catch up' the slower ones!

7: Rip it for them if you can! Ripping stitches is soul-destroying for
kids. If a seam allowance is too narrow, justv stitch again without
ripping, but help them a lot where rippong is essential. I make mine
try a few, but do what time allows for them.

8: SMALL CLASSES! Especially if you have never taught before! LOTS of
technical things can go wrong, so you want just a few there. Six is
plenty, four is better!

9: Good machines, good quality needles, sharp scissors, good fabric and
thread - your very best at all times! Cheap fabric and threads are
things WE hate, and we have the experience to cope! Kids need success,
so build in what you can in this way!

10: A comprehensive tool kit and a spare sewing machine for when things
get seriously snarled up! Oh, and you can show the kids what kind of
mess they can make (when it happens - and it will!) with tangled
threads, and show them what's involved with clearing it. I find both
boys and girls like to see the guts of the machines!

If you want to see some of my sample schemes of work and lesson plans,
just ask. And I know they have worked for me - but you can nick them
and refine them for your own purposes. Just let me know how you get on!

I'm off to teach for a couple of hours - see you later!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

I started when I was JUST 5 (had my tonsils out right after my HB). My
Great Aunt sat me on her lap and ran the treadle while I sewed the fabric.
Did a pink 9-Patch. After that was done, she taught me how to embroider
(black Scotty dog on a end table scarf--when I finished it my Mom burned it
(wood burning furnace) as it was 'so dirty'.) Have been quitling ever since
and did needlework until my hands wouldn't allow it any longer.
To this day I can still picture both 'firsts'.

Butterfly (I can't see you doing that to your kidlets firsts)

"frood" wrote in message
m...
I have taught 3 of my children so far how to sew. The summer they are 6, we
start on a quilt. This gets entered into the State Fair in the fall, and
each has won a ribbon. This summer, Spike and Giles will be almost 6, and
are so eager to start, I can't see putting them off another year.

I have a basic idea of what I want to do with the kids' class. I'm mainly
looking for information on how one teaches a class at the LQS - how to
decide what to charge, what materials I can ask them to supply, etc.

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-STUFF email address to reply
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
ink.net...
Wendy signed
Wendy (look for me headlining at a major quilt show some day!!!)

Well, sure, Wendy, glad to. We'll even bring the Maalox and two
ballpoint pens for your autograph session.
Two random thoughts come to mind about teaching the little ones to
quilt.
Start very small. How about an afternoon with a handful of Cub Scouts
helping them earn a badge? A couple of hours some morning letting 1st
graders arrange fabrics?
And hie thee off to the library. There are just heaps of books and
magazine articles on teaching sewing/quilting to children. Martha
Pullen's daughter has demonstrated some on her Sew Beautiful PBS show and
Alex Anderson has a book that should be helpful.
And (!) bless you. We'll always be grateful to the patient loved ones
who taught some of us to sew way long before we could read. Polly

In article ,
"frood" wrote:

While at the new LQS today (Miss Fussy Rose wanted to go), I was chatting
with one of the owners, and the idea of a kids' trunk show came up - a
display of quilts made by kids. That led to talking about a class for kids,
and I said I could teach that. I then said I'd like to teach a class on what
to do with those irresistible orphan blocks that you pick up at quilt shows
then wonder what in the world you'll do with.

I do actually want to teach some classes - this is something I've wanted to
do for some time now. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing it, though!
Are there any books on how to create a class? How do I decide what materials
I provide, and which ones the shop provides, etc? I've got a million
questions whirling in my head! I know there are lots of folks here who teach
classes - any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!


Good for you, Wendy! I've only taught a couple of quilt classes, so I
don't have much advice for you. However, be sure that your handouts (if
you have any) are crystal clear, and allow more time than you think
you'll need for everything. Then have a couple of "bonus" ideas lined up
in case you end up with a class of speed demons. G
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

In article ,
"frood" wrote:

I have taught 3 of my children so far how to sew. The summer they are 6, we
start on a quilt. This gets entered into the State Fair in the fall, and
each has won a ribbon. This summer, Spike and Giles will be almost 6, and
are so eager to start, I can't see putting them off another year.

I have a basic idea of what I want to do with the kids' class. I'm mainly
looking for information on how one teaches a class at the LQS - how to
decide what to charge, what materials I can ask them to supply, etc.

--
Wendy

Ok, here's my two cents.

No matter what you are teaching at the LQS make sure you have some sort
of written contract. One shop I work at sends out a letter to the
teachers stating what she provides and what she expects from her
students. Good enough. But have something in writing between the two
of you.

Does the shop give a teacher discount? At some shops I get a set
percentage off anything I buy; doesn't matter what it is. At other
shops I get a percentage off what I buy for classes - what I need for my
sample only, no discounts for random fabric purchases.

For your class samples (and at every place I've taught it's my
responsibility to provide them) you need to know...when does the shop
need them. How are they hung and labeled (I had one shop hang my
samples but not tag them for classes until the newsletter came out;
nightmare. One sample sold the book well for the shop but no one felt
they needed the class since they had been playing with the book for
several months already) Most shops will let you use fabric in your
sample from the shop and from your stash. Some shops only want current
fabrics for samples (which cuts into your salary if you have to make a
new one every season) One shop I teach at doesn't care about the fabric
but I cannot use plaids since the shop doesn't carry any. I make sure
any samples from other shops that might concievably become a sample for
the no plaid shop do not contain plaids. Do your samples have to be
finished, quilted and bound quilts even though the class is just for a
top, or can you just hang the top?

Every shop I've taught at requires the teacher to write the supply
lists, provide the copies to the shop and requires the teacher to write
the description for the newsletter. Find out if your shop does and when
they need this information.

Fill out a W-2. No, you shouldn't be a regular employee but if you earn
$600 or more a year they are supposed to provide you with a 1099 and
they can't do it if you don't fill out the form.

How does the shop pay? I have shops that pay a per hour fee for
teaching i.e. teachers get $20 per hour of teaching. Other shops pay a
percentage of class fees, so I get 70-80% of what the students pay. Do
you get a check at the end of class or do you have to invoice the shop?
If you have to invoice can you get net 15 days terms or settle for net
30 or "whenever they write checks next". Oh, and does staff get a
discount when they take classes, if so, how does that affect your pay if
you get a percentage of fees? Does the shop eat their sale price or do
you have to take a cut too?

What about class sizes and minimums? If you are teaching kids all by
yourself you will want to set an age limit (because you likely don't
want 12 year olds and 4 year olds in one class) You will also likely
want to set a student limit as the classroom might hold 20 but that
might be too many kids to provide adequate attention. For adult classes
you might want as many as the room holds or it might matter for the
class. One shop I teach at the room has 6 tables. Six students works
well. But, when I teach a hand work class, well 12 fits well because
you don't need cutting and sewing machine room since there are no
machines needed. I personally like a minimum as well. Frankly, I find
private lessons the pits to teach - you just don't get the fun
interaction you have with multiple students asking questions and
sharing. Also, if you are getting a percentage of fees it might not be
worth the time spent preparing and teaching for 70% of one students
fees. Remember your work time is all the time spent on class - making
the sample, writing up your notes, writing up any needed handouts,
traveling to and from the shop, writing your supply lists and class
descriptions and the actual teaching. But, your pay is only for the
hours teaching so if you teach a 6 hour class for only $45 and then
spread it over the cost of supplies and time spent you may find you are
paying to teach (because your sample alone might have cost $100)

Most of the shops I teach at the shop sets the class price.
Occasionally the shop asks the teacher to set the fee. Look around at
what other shops charge for classes. Around here shops charge $6-7 per
hour of class time and then generally round up to the nearest $5. So,
you teach your 6 hour orphan block class. You decide $7 an hour is
reasonable. $7 x 6 = $42 round it up to $45. Does that look in the
ballpark of what other similar classes are going for in the area?

Kids classes are a whole 'nother ball of wax or kettle of fish or valium
in the medicine cabinet ;-) There is always a wonderful group of
parents who want to provide their interested child the opportunity to
sew. These parents will send their child to class with a working sewing
machine - their child will even know how to do the basics on it, their
child will have everything on the supply list and it will be marked with
said child's name. Then there are the other 98% of parents. The ones
who dig a dirt encrusted sewing machine out of a dumpster, never open it
to see if there is say A Power Cord and shove it in their child's hands.
This child will likely have zero interest in sewing but is only there
because their best friend signed up or because your week long kids class
is only half the price of YMCA daycare and the parent likes the cost
ratio. If this child has fabric it will be leftover from when grandma
made all the cousins pajamas for Christmas. Trust me here. I am not
exaggerating. A couple of ways to handle this and weed out the "I hate
sewing and I'm not going to do anything you say and I don't have
anything off your stupid supply list anyway" kids:


1. Adult and child classes. Great for one day on the weekend type
classes. Adult brings child of choice - their own, a niece or nephew or
grandchild, etc. They work as a team with the adult doing scary
liability issue things like rotary cutting and kids get to sew.

2. Require a "preview" class for kids only classes. This is a short,
cheap class where the child comes with their sewing machine and learns
how to thread it, wind a bobbin, use a seam ripper, press, sew a
straight seam. They don't get in camp or a regular class without it.

3. I got to the point where I either built in the cost of supplies to
the class fee or required every parent to send $25 with the child and we
shopped together. Saves having to deal with cut up shirts and jeans
from the thrift store as fabric - which isn't an evil thing per se but
hard for kids who are trying to figure how to cut strips with a rotary
cutter. And, I've never had a kid who showed up with random hunks of
fabric have enough fabric to complete the project.

4. Require every parent who drops off a kid to be reachable. Crying
kids who have no supplies are a bummer when you can't find mom on the
golf course to OK a minimal purchase so junior can do something.

5. Charge like every other kids camp does for your sewing/quilting
camp. The first year I taught a summer kids camp we charged a whopping
$9 an hour. We were at least half price of every other kids camp. This
turned camp into baby sitting for uninterested kids. Not fun for the
kids who want to sew, not fun for the kid trapped there and not fun for
you. If the Y or the Jewish community center or parks and rec charges
$300 a week for 6 hours a day week long camp, then make sure your prices
are in line with that.

6. Have snacks for long classes.

7. Have an alternate activity for bored kids, kids with short attention
spans and speedy advanced sewing kids. I would photocopy off quilt
block coloring sheets or do them on card stock for "cards" so they could
take a sewing break when needed but still be busy.

8. Especially for camp - take the kids picture at some point and make
up a little certificate on the computer. Give them out the last day
(and have the parents show up 10 minutes early) and do a little
presentation. They really do get a kick out of it, and the kids like it
too.

OK, back to general teaching....

Keep track of everything you spend - spool of thread, whatever, mileage
to and from the shop. These things are deductions and you want those!
I have a binder and I tape in my receipts and write down what I earn and
what I spend and what "professional organizations" I pay dues to (local
guild, NQA, AQS etc) and record all that "professional training" and let
me tell you it feels good to deduct that trip to Asilomar for that week
long quilting class at the beach or any other classes I take. ;-)

Take lots of classes. You will learn a lot from other teachers as to
how to organize things, how to get students attention, how to set up
supply lists and handouts etc.

Get on every shop mailing list or bookmark shop websites or join their
e-mail newsletters. You will see what kinds of classes are being taught
and pricing as well as seeing all kinds of class descriptions.

Finally, there is a yahoo group called "quiltteach" and there's lots of
teachers there willing to share. Sylvia Landman also teaches a valuable
class through Quilt University called the Art of Teaching (oh, and
remember that deduction part for training) A valuable magazine is The
Professional Quilter; they do a quarterly magazine and monthly e-mail
newsletters. (and don't forget that deduction thing again....)
http://www.professionalquilter.com

marcella
sorry, that was way longer than 2 cents.
anything I forgot?