Saturday, January 15, 2011

Quilting 101 class today!

Teaching is my 'alternate' career.  I do it for the joy.  I love teaching, always have.

I'll be teaching a "Quilting 101" class this afternoon - I love introducing new quilters to the mysteries of quilting.  The tools, the fabrics, the colors, the 1/4 inch seam.... 
the pressing, well, you get the idea.... it's a lot to teach in 2 hours! 

Quilting is like a game that you can learn in an afternoon and spend the rest of your life enjoying. The experience of playing the game never gets boring!  Well, maybe for my sons, but not for me!

I have a very low boredom threshold, personally, so I try to keep my classes moving along at a  quick pace.

The block we make in the Quilting 101 class is a 'simple' 9 patch in a 13 1/2" size. 



  
I try to show them the 'value' 'contrast' 'scale' and 'design' options in this simple block by showing the students different samples...   and I watch for the moment when they 'get it'!  the light bulbs over their heads suddenly brighten and the big wide smiles cross their faces.... that magic moment is what I look forward to most of all.

They may or may not come out of the class with a finished block or have any idea what they will eventually do with it, but as long as that light inside of them is on I've achieved my goal.



"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

2 comments:

  1. Hey, Thea--

    You're at the top of the list from yesterday's webinar. Love the quote from Erma, going to use it on my blog today. Please come visit when you get a chance: joyfulstitches.blogspot.com

    Kathy

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  2. I'm one of those "visual" learners and wish I had a class I could attend where someone showed samples and I would get that "aha" moment. Because thus far, I haven't. If you could post those photos in a later blog and show us what you're showing your students, and telling us what exactly we should be looking for, I'd really REALLY appreciate it. My "aha" has evidently said "Aloha" a long time ago. Sewing and quilting has been struggle for me because I never got the "aha" in the first place. dmj53(at)hotmail(dot)com

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