Oh boy do I love teaching. I love traveling. I love seeing quilters become much more confident in their quilting. Today (Sunday) in class, I admitted something. It’s a little something difficult to admit as a quilter, as a woman. You know that whole womanly, female stuff.
I’m confident as a quilter.
I get this.
I get what works for me and I’m happy to help others find their path way, whether it’s my way or not. In fact as a teacher I’d rather not create mini-me’s. It’s not my style as a person and, as a teacher I think that helping quilters find their style, helping them discover who they are, helping them develop the technical skill to pursue the playing they want in their quilt making. Update: check out what Lisa Calle wrote on her blog.
In chatting with another teacher she made a good point about the Master Painters. They painted a lot of crap before becoming Masters. They learned how to mix paint and use the brushes and lighting and color to their best advantage. Their styles developed over time. They didn’t wake up one morning saying “I’m a Master Painter and I’m going to paint Master Paintings” it happened slowly, over time as they did the work. One brush stroke at a time.
As I worked with my students in Let Your Foot Loose, be Fancy and Free I can see this being a two day class. Which means down the road it will be a two day class. And will work on developing that. I’ve been talking with another teacher about a whole cloth workshop. We have completely different, complementary styles. We’ve both worked long hours to develop those styles. Just like the Old Masters – stitch by stitch.
There’s a bit of snow back home. My flight was cancelled right after I went through TSA at the airport. I’m with friends and will get home eventually. In the meantime I have fabric, thread, my laptop I see some writing and quilting over the next day or so.
Happy Quilting,
Teri
I had hoped to make it to Road, early in the show, to peak into your class and say hi. But I didn’t make it till Sunday. I love the idea of you teaching a 2 day class (or full 5-day workshop). Sorry your flight was cancelled going home, but glad to know you are with friends. If you want to make a drive South, let me know if you want to get together before you go home. I’d be delighted to show you around.
Darlene @ QuiltShopGal
http://www.quiltshopgal.com
I’d wondered if you’d made it. Thank you so much for the input on the workshop. I hadn’t really considered a 5 day but I see that as a possibility.
Great post and oh so true!!
Thank you! We’ll chat about this soon.
So well put! That moment when a quilter realizes she can follow her own path is so rewarding for a teacher. Much better than a mini me!
I taught at Innovations for a few years, but my class was all about quilter’s making samples for their customers. I would stress not to show pictures of other peoples feathers or swirls, show YOUR feathers and swirls. Develop your style, track your samples and keep them up to date. I look back at my early samples and I laugh!
That’s so cool Sharon! I like tracking and keeping samples up to date. It’s shows progress and skill development.