I love teaching. It is in my blood. My dad, my mum and my aunt were all teachers. I usually teach children, these days 4-6 year olds and younger. I have trained teachers- they are the hardest group to work with! But I haven't taught sewing to adults before so teaching classes at Fat Quarterly Retreat was a new experience. What you get from teaching is pride, the right kind of pride, the sort that makes you teary and smiley when you see how someone who has never done something before can now do it and you were a little part in that process. This is a snippet of what was made in classes.
You can click on any of these and it will take you to Flickr and details on their makers. I didn't get pictures of them all but I saw them in class- people who had never used freezer paper before making little hour glass and spool blocks like experts. I was so proud of you all!
And a few thankyous- to the Fat Quarterly team for inviting me to teach and for it being such a wonderful place for everyone to create. Thankyou to Trudi and Nicky for being lovely breakfast companions- Trudi has told me the secrets of free motion quilting and I will be putting it to the test. Thankyou to Rachel and Hadley for their little gifts which were pinned on my cardi and now live just above my sewing machine.
It was such a blast!
They all look so great together! And you were a fab teacher :-) I especially liked the part where you taught us kiddy songs :-)
ReplyDeleteI keep reading in blogland about what a natural teacher you are - I really want to see if I can find more teaching opportunities now so any tips are welcome. I was terrified during the whole of my first lesson and then adored every single second of the second lesson because the fear had gone. I think I'm addicted but could only teach quilting to grown up quilters - teaching kids would really properly terrify me and no-one would turn up to hear me teaching anything other than quilting!
ReplyDeleteI usually try to find a way around freezer paper or y-seams, but now I feel I don't need to anymore! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteAll the spool blocks look so perfect! I can see how satisfying it must have been for you to see people leaning to make them from you! And those little gifts are charming!
ReplyDeleteLook at all those cute spool blocks!! You did an amazing job teaching us Kerry! I am now a tick mark convert (although I probably will still cheat with my pins sometimes)
ReplyDeleteWow they look so fab. Katy showed me her freezer paper spool she did in class. Definitely a class I'd benefit from!
ReplyDeleteIt was a brilliant class, you were the perfect teacher! Thank you again, and again xxx
ReplyDeleteLoved your class and you made it all so simple. Plus I got to play with your scraps. Bliss!!
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you again and I cannot wait to do more now I have the basics down!
ReplyDeleteYou were a fabulous teacher! Your enthusiasm and knowledge was very apparent, and I wouldn't have guessed you'd never taught sewing to us grown ups (well, kind of) before. Thank you for teaching this year, I hope you'll be back in 2013.
ReplyDeleteTeaching is fun! Kids are easier because they are eager to try new things. Adults can be so easily intimidated. ;p
ReplyDeleteYay for all of you!
I love that 'ah-ha' moment...and then watching them go off and help someone else, full of confidence that they can do it - marvellous! All the blocks look fabulous, you must be aching with pride - well done!
ReplyDeleteYou did great. A natural gift for teaching. You remembered all the things you knew us gumbies would forget. I'm surprised you didn't have a spare pair of knickers in your bag! Thanks for a great class. x
ReplyDeleteSo proud to see my pincushion up there (both sides!). Thanks for patiently showing us how to do that, I think it will be a very useful technique and plan to have a go at the little house one when I get my week off in July! I could tell you liked teaching, you were very relaxed and happy doing it.
ReplyDeleteWell I would never have guessed that you hadn't taught patchwork before - you were brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed your class and couldn't believe how much I achieved, having never tried the technique before. Think I might be hooked. after being so excellent you had better book some more teaching sessions - I look forward to them!!
ReplyDeleteI cant believe you have never taught adults before. But I can believe you teach children as you were so patient. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteYou're obviously a great teacher, Kerry! What lovely projects your lucky students made!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had such a great time! From what I've been reading around the blogosphere, everyone loved your class... Maybe I'll get to come next time. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are lovely, I can imagine how proud you feel. Hoping so very much I'll be able to attend your class some time (next time?)
ReplyDeleteThe class was fab, and by great luck, I need to do paper pieced house blocks for a bee this month, so just need to decide which one to use :o)
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute! I volunteer in Charlotte's kindergarten class every other week. I am NOT a teacher. And I'm an introvert. So this week when the teacher asked me to read a book to the class I kind of freaked out. I know. They are 5-year-olds! But still....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, that was a tangent thought. I would LOVE to take a class from you. And you guide me through these set-in-seams. They kind of freak me out too. :)