Thoughts on teaching people how to make quilts

I really enjoy teaching people to sew and to make quilts. Having taught at both small quilt shops and large chain stores, as well as community education programs, I have hit a variety of students. Ages have ranged from 6 to 84, and while most students have been females, there are notable exceptions. One pillowcase class for kids had a lone boy, who was not chagrined by the five giggly girls. While he proudly showed his mom the pillowcase, he asked if he could sew one for his little brother too.

It can be particularly fun to teach a class for people wanting to learn how to use a sewing machine. People sign up to master some basics, like threading their machines, getting the tension right, and sewing straight seams. One group of six had many reasons for wanting to sew. Two high school girlfriends wanted to make some colorful skirts for summer. One woman wanted to create something for her first grand-baby, while two others were tired of how store-bought clothes fit and wanted to either make clothes or learn some easy alterations. The lone twenty-something guy in that group had inherited a machine and wanted to learn to make stuff sacks for camping items. After going through all the basics, the group all made simple drawstring sacks in various fabrics and colors. He was thrilled, and asked for fabric ideas and how to add a pocket.

A month later, as I was set to teach that class again, it will filled with eight Cub Scouts, and that one young man. He brought along several bags he had made since, and each scout managed to thread machines, sew straight, and make a bag of their own in just over two hours! Later he signed up for a one-on-one class and we did zippers and grommets and such too.

Teaching how to make quilts can be very challenging. To begin with, many shops use a “beginning quilting” term for the first class, implying that you are quilting. Almost always, though, this an introduction to piecing a simple block, using rotary cutters and irons and sewing machines. The terminology is deceptive. People come thinking they are quilting, but actually they are piecing. Unless you are making a whole-cloth quilt, you have to start with a topper of pieced fabric. After a three-hour session where most use a rotary cutter for the first time, and they now have a completed block, almost every students looks up and asks “when are we going to quilt it?”

Of course, the idea is that will lead them to another class, but many never return. Occasionally someone comes in to learn to assemble and quilt a piece with a dozen blocks made from that first pattern, or maybe three and the goal of a table runner.

Sometimes a student comes to the class with a topper and is looking to learn how to sandwich and quilt the item. I encourage them to sign up for a different class, but always invite them to stay and share their experience. Half of the time, they walk away saying that the never used a rotary cutter that way before, and their skills and safety level are hopefully improved.

Teaching people to make quilts should involve a series of well-defined steps. Planning the project. Fabric selection. Learning to cut, press, and then piece a block. Assembling blocks to make a quilt. Sandwiching the quilt. Quilting (ah, finally that word makes sense here!) or maybe tying the quilt. Machine quilting and hand quilting are different classes. Binding and finishing. When the steps are defined, people can select the appropriate class.

My other notable exception to the ‘mostly female’ student tendency was a real delight. At a class for ‘finishing your quilt’ a gentleman in his 70′s showed up with three gorgeous quilt tops in tow. Two were flimsies or toppers, but one was about halfway hand-quilted. “My wife was working on these before she died.” he shared. “I suppose I could hire someone to finish them, but I spend a lot of time sitting in front to the TV myself, so I thought I would do it myself. Three quilts, for my three kids.” He did! Four months later he emailed me to say he had finished quilting the first one, and needed to bind it. He joined the next class for that, and has since sandwiched and started working on the next topper. What a lovely legacy he is leaving his kids. I am secretly hoping they sit with him and stitch a bit sometime too.

March PSQ Swap notes:
Finally (well over two months later!) my mailbox has quit filling up with swap emails. For the most part, I think it went pretty well. I goofed on a couple of swappers info, which was pretty easily corrected. Some prolific charm cutters did not get as many swap partners as they hoped for. Many people are looking forward to the October swap, which will be announced in a post in October 2013.

But some problems persist, and almost a third of the swappers let me know that they never got an email saying the charms they sent had arrived. While this may sound petty to you, it can be a lot of work and some expense to get these parcels out into the world, and a simple email saying “they got here!” should not be that hard to pull off. If you have not yet acknowledged receiving charms from a swapper, please do so!

The other challenges come from the handful of people who feel compelled to write critiques of their partner’s cutting techniques or fabric selection, often verging on hurtful. Some have been told they are not permitted to swap next round, which I find hard to do, but feel is necessary. This version of “the quilt police” is akin to bullying, and has no place in the swap. If you don’t like what you get, tell ME, please, and treat other swappers with respect and concern.

For PSQ joy while you are waiting for the next swap, there are two upcoming posts over the summer (well, Northern Hemisphere summer) that will inspire you with new ways to use your little charms! In September I am going to do a little survey about swapping success and issues and I hope that all you swappers will take the time to answer it then.
© 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.

Swap Match Lists are Heading Out

Like lint in my sewing room, fabric charms will be flying everywhere!

Finally. The matching is done and the emails with March 2013 Swap partners are being sent. If you do not have one yet, you will in the next day or two. I thank you for your patience, and I hope that you can connect with all your partners right away. It is amazing; there were nearly 100 Newbie Gifts donated, and 515 sets of charms up for swapping. Barbara K. is sending out the Newbie matches, and I am sending out the swap matches. Now, I want to challenge each of you to find a quilting friend who wants to join the fun in October. The more, the merrier!

The Basics

Notes About Mailing

The Fine Print

The Basics:

• When you get your match lists, please take a minute to check the size of the charms on that list. If you are swapping multiple sizes you may get more than one email.
• Then email each of your partners, asking for the mailing information. DO NOT FORWARD your email, the names and email addresses of ALL swappers are private and cannot be shared with someone they are not swapping with. I am serious about this, and expect you to respect the privacy of others.
• Once you receive the mailing info, please send off your little parcels as soon as possible. Then please drop an email back to your partner to let them know it is heading out. See the Notes about Mailing below.
• When you receive parcels from your partner, please email them and let them know that the parcel arrived. THIS GOES FOR NEWBIES TOO!
• Check out The Fine Print if you have concerns or questions. What the heck, check it out anyway!
• Enjoy your new little treasures!

Notes About Mailing:

• 

  Check your SPAM folder if you do not see mail soon.

  Always send your fabric charms in little plastic baggies. It keeps them neat, keeps them together should the package get damaged, and keeps them dry should the postal carrier spill their morning java on them (joking there!) I recommend a slip of paper with the destination address on it be included in the baggie.
• Put your complete return address on your parcel! This ensures that the person who gets them knows which swapper they are from (and makes that java-deprived postal worker happier too.)
• Check with your postal worker for mailing options. I have mailed sets of 100 across the USA for about $1.50 in an envelope with a piece of card-stock cut to fit. Then again, I have mailed the same set across the USA for three times that in a bubble envelope.
• If you are mailing a 50 piece Newbie gift, it should run under $1.00 for USA mailing, and about double that for international.
• Some kind swappers include goodies like pictures or chocolate or other treats. This is very nice, but not necessary, and it will mean your postage costs are higher, and your packaging materials might be different.
• When mailing internationally, you will have to fill out a Customs Declaration. I always call the parcel “Fabric Samples” and value it at $5.00. In some countries the recipient has to pay a customs fee to get their parcel, and it is based on that value.
• Remember that mailing times vary, city by city, country by country.

The Fine Print:

• You may not have matches for all of your charm sets. This is especially true if you had a dozen to swap. It just doesn’t always work out, and varies by the number or swappers in your charm size. For example, we had very few 1.5 inch charm swappers this round. Some people will not swap internationally. That meant that some people will not have new homes for all of their charms. I try hard to get them all assigned, but it doesn’t always work. I make every effort to distribute what is available evenly between swappers.
• If you elected not to swap internationally, but I have more sets available to you if you change your mind, I will have noted that on your email. Let me know – first come, first served.
• I tried very hard to spread the new swappers around, so returning swappers had as few ‘repeats’ as possible. It didn’t always work.
• If you share your swap partner info with another swapper, even just trying to be helpful and get them connected, you will be on my WATCH list. Yes, people have been removed from future swaps for doing this. If you think swapper one would LOVE to meet swapper two, drop ME a note instead of linking them. I am careful about sharing your contact info, and expect swappers to do the same.
• We are not swapping to judge each others’ fabric collections or cutting expertise. We are swapping as a fun way to expand our stash. Accept your charms graciously–even if you do not like them! What we like, or consider to be acceptable quality, is subjective. And it is a friendly swap, so please keep it that way. SHOULD THERE BE REAL ISSUES, perhaps start with a friendly email like “Hey Cricket, I got six duplicates in that set. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you can fix it before the next swap.” ANYTHING BEYOND THAT, please email me and let me deal with it. I put people on probation until they figure out how to cut, or not to include chiffon pieces. Hey, we all had to learn, this isn’t inborn knowledge.
• People have real lives beyond swapping, and that can get in the way. If you don’t hear back from your partner, nudge a bit, then let me know. Perhaps they are sick, on vacation, or have a really good reason that the swap has fallen to a low slot on their priority list. They will probably come through when they can.
• The Curious Quilter (yep, that’s me) really wants people to have fun, share, and nurture their partners, as we all grow our collections. Please do not wait for permission, start sewing!

© 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.

March PSQ Charm Swap deadline extended until 3/25/2013

Two Inch Treasure Four Squares

I have been getting a lot of emails from people who are not happy that I set the March swap to close on a Friday. So I am giving in and moving the last day to sign up to 3/25/2013 instead! 3/26/2013: THIS SWAP IS NOW CLOSED.

Now, if you are already signed up to swap, that means you can try to get a friend to join the fun. New swappers help keep it fresh for all of us.

Also, if you have many sets to swap, please consider converting one set of 100 to two sets for Newbies and donating them instead. We have a TON of Newbie requests this round! We also have many Newbies from previous swaps who have become swappers, so it is a very good way to grow the ranks of swappers.

clker.com

Speaking of Newbies, I am pleased to say that Barb K. is returning this round as Queen of the Newbie Gift Exchange. She will be emailing donors after the matching gets done. Donors then email the Newbies. I want to say a big THANK YOU TO BARB!

Remember–do not sign up here. Go to March Madness! Postage Stamp Charm Swap Begins and sign up by leaving a comment. All the details about the swap can be found there.© 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.

My New Toy

Well, perhaps I should call it an OLD toy, but it is new to me.

I have been wanting a working treadle machine for some time. I found one in my price range, and bought it on my birthday a couple of weeks ago. My new toy just for me! It came complete with manuals, bobbins, attachments, even some vintage thread in the drawer. And it works. It needs a bit of TLC and would benefit from a new belt, but that I can cope with.

Now, like some of you, I try to follow a rule that when I bring something new into my home, something else should leave, just to maintain balance in my small house. Does the garbage count? Worn out clothes? I certainly am not parting with any of my other sewing machines! What would you purge to make room for a fun toy like this? © 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.

March Madness! Postage Stamp Charm Swap Begins

Are you tired of seeing this picture of a PSQ that I made with over 4,000 two-inch charms?

Here we go again! The March 2013 Postage Stamp Quilt Fabric Charm Swap begins today. You can sign up to swap, or request a Newbie Gift, anytime between March 15-22, 2013. 3/26/2013: This swap is now closed. Come back in October! Read on to learn more!

Start packaging your sets and sign up to swap. I KNOW that many of you are already hooked, but I encourage you to invite a friend to join this time. The more swappers, the more variety. Returning swappers, I am glad to have you back. If you are a new swapper, I encourage you to review all the rules below carefully. You can find inspiration in the Postage Stamp Quilt pages on the menu bar above.

Yes, I am repeating my words from previous swaps, but there are new swappers out there too, so bear with me please. Even if you didn’t take part in a previous swap, you are most welcome to take part in this one. And if you have been here before, I am comforted to know that my obsession is shared. Be sure to put your collections and progress shots up on our Flickr pages! We have lots of photos, and there are a couple of really fun variations shown.

What is this all about? Postage Stamp Quilts (PSQ’s) are made with small square charms, ranging from 1″ to 2.5″ before sewing. Most quilters strive to make one with as few duplicate fabric squares as possible, but there are some really striking quilts out there that have alternating solids, or lots of repeats. A lot of people are like me, they collect fabric scraps or charms with the plan to make a PSQ sometime. The goal is to get people to actually MAKE a postage stamp quilt.

Me? Obsessed? HA! My collection of two-inch treasures reached well over 40,000 charms, and I started stitching them up a couple of years ago. I have finished seven of them, with 3-4,000 charms in each. If you are new here, or just want to prove to your family that SOME people have more piles of charms than you, read more, and even more, about my journey to use my collection.

There are many ways to play with little fabric charms!

Help a New Quilter start a charm collection! Newbie Gifts are included in the swap this again round. I hear from new quilters who want to make a PSQ quilt, but do not have 100 fabrics to cut charms from. This is NOT a swap, it is a gift. If you are a new quilter who cannot swap, but would like to start a charm collection, sign up below. If you are a quilter with charms to spare, please sign up to donate a set or two. Details below.

Special note about newbie gifts. Many previous Newbie Gift Donors do not want to do it anymore because their Newbie Partners never acknowledged receiving their gift. Some common courtesy is absolutely required. Your donor makes the effort to cut and pack your charms, and pays the postage to get them to you. Let them know when the package arrives!

I am repeating the basic rules (updated here!) for swapping below, but also want to refer you to the main Postage Stamp Quilt 2012 Swaps and Challenge page, and the FAQ’s About Postage Stamp Charm Swaps.

One note for returning swappers: I am not a meanie, really, but if your partner(s) still hasn’t received their charms from you, I will not be matching you with a new partner this round. Fix it, and you can join!

How to Swap PSQ Charms

Preparing your Charm Sets to Swap

Sign Up to Swap

Newbie Gifts!

Puzzled? Find help!

Preparing Your Charm Sets To Swap:

Before you sign up to swap, you should already have your charm sets ready to mail. That saves time at the mailing week, and ensures that you actually have as many sets as you want to swap already cut and ready. Last minute cutting messes up swapping big time! Please note, for this March 2013 swap, you are limited to swapping 12 charm sets in each size that you select.

You have to decide which size charms you want to swap. Check out the info in Let’s Talk Size, which compares sizes and the number of charms needed for a quilt, then pick 1.5″, 2″, or 2.5″ charm squares, get out your scraps, and start cutting. Cut some for you, and some to swap. Please use only 100% cotton fabric that is suitable for quilting. When you hold it up to the light, you should not be able to see through it. Homespuns or flannels should not be used for this swap. Hopefully, your fabric has been pre-washed before cutting, but that may not always be possible. Be sure to use good cutting practices while preparing your charms, no selvedges, never torn, no ripped out stitch holes showing, and so on. No one cuts perfectly, but strive for accuracy in your cutting.

For this swap, if you are interested in one inch charms, please cut two-inch charms to swap. You will have more people available to swap with, although you will have to quarter the ones you receive.

Novelty charms are fun in these quilts!

Keep cutting. Fussy cut some fun novelties. Solids, stripes, plaids, prints, metallics, embellished, almost anything goes. Bust up as much stash as you want. Cut up strips and charm squares that you are not using.

Make sets of 100 to swap. Count them out into stacks of 100, with no duplicates in each stack. (Large-scale prints may read as different fabrics when cut into small charms, which is acceptable.) So every set of 100 charms will have no duplicates, and is a UNIQUE set. If you cut 400 squares from 400 fabrics, you have four unique sets. If you cut 400 squares, 4 each from 100 fabrics, you have four matching sets. OK, that may sound confusing, but think of it this way: with unique sets, you could swap them all to one person, but with matching sets, you would swap one set to each of four people, so no duplicates came through!* Don’t sweat it, just holler if you are stuck. If you have 100 charms to swap, you will get 100 charms back. If you have 1,000 charms to swap, you can get 1,000 charms back. You are limited to swapping 1-12 sets in each charm size you select.

*Note: A UNIQUE set has each one different. Two UNIQUE sets have 200 different fabrics. If you only have one set, with all different fabrics, it is UNIQUE. TWO MATCHING SETS means that you have two sets cut from 100 different fabrics, but each set is the same. The sets match each other. A goal with postage stamp quilts is to have few or no repeats, so ‘coordinated sets’ – say with 4 each of 25 fabrics, are not acceptable for this swap. That said, however, some duplicates are acceptable in Newbie Sets, read below.

Keep some for yourself. Set aside the number of these stacks that you want to keep for your own stash, after all, they are YOUR little treasures! Once you get started, you may want to make more than one quilt.
Sign Up To Swap!

Now that you have cut and counted, you are ready to sign up to swap. I will be matching you up to one or more other swappers, and emailing you both so you can share mailing addresses. I will be getting those emails off as fast as I can, but please do not worry if you do not hear before March 31! (Remember, I have a job and write two blogs, so it takes me a little while to pull it all together.) Once you have the swap info, you should contact your partner/s and arrange for mailing your charms and get them out within one week.
SWAPPERS! Any time between March 15-22, 2013, NOTE: Extended to 3/25/2013, leave a comment below ON THIS POST ONLY, stating each of these items: (it will be helpful if you use the numbers to answer)

1. Your first name.
2. Your City, State or Territory, and Country.
3. Are you willing to swap with people in other countries? (Often more variety, but slightly higher postage rates may apply.)
4. What size charms you want to swap, 2.5, 2 or 1.5 inches. If you are doing a 1 inch project please swap 2 inch charms.
5. How many UNIQUE sets or MATCHING sets of 100 you have to swap. LIMIT 12 SETS per charm size.
6. How many NEWBIE GIFTS you have to share.
7. A brief comment progress report on what you are doing with your charms. Please, start sewing asap, do not just save charms!

Please DO NOT include your email address or your mailing address! You email address is held privately when you submit the comment form. By joining the swap, you are giving me permission to share your email information with your swap partner/s.

Here is a sample blank SWAPPER comment, you could copy it and replace the info with your own:
1- Mary.
2- St. Paul, MN, USA.
3- Yes Int’l.
4- two inches.
5- three matching sets, and two unique sets
6- two Newbie gifts.
7- Nothing with PSQ this year. Truly! All I seem to do lately is organize swaps and not sew, and I have UFO’s cluttering every surface of my sewing room, my guest room…you get the picture!

If you swapped in the other swaps last year, an effort will be made to give you different swap partner/s this round, to help you get more diversity in your charm stash. But this will not always be possible, so please just enjoy what comes your way!

After you sign up, double check that your charms are all set to mail! Please do not directly point a comment at another swapper asking them to swap with you. The only sharing of info between swappers should be through me. I am not trying to be controlling, REALLY, just trying to keep it fair.

NEWBIE QUILTERS! Are you requesting a NEWBIE SET? Read those rules below. To actually sign up, any time between March 15-22, 2013, NOTE: Extended to 3/25/2013,leave a comment below, stating each of these items: (it will be helpful if you use the numbers to answer, you can copy and paste sample below and type over my info)

1. Your first name.
2. Your City, State or Territory, and Country.
3. What size charms you are collecting, 2.5, 2 or 1.5 inches. If you are doing a 1 inch project please request 2 inch charms.
4. A brief comment about what you are planning to make with your little squares; or share some comments about progress on your project.

Please DO NOT include your email address or your mailing address! You email address is held privately when you submit the comment form. By signing up for Newbie Gift/s, you are giving me permission to share your email information with your donor/s.

*Note: Please Do Not Share Info once you get your swap lists! Not a change, but a stern reminder. Looking ahead to the matching, please remember that you simply can not share your swapper’s names and emails with other swappers. This is a privacy issue, as well as a swapping issue.

NEWBIE GIFT INFORMATION!

What is a Newbie Gift?

There are many ways to use PSQ charms, even if you do not have thousands of them.

A Newbie Gift is a set of 50 fabric charms in the size requested. All fabrics must be suitable for quilting, with no homespuns or flannels. Preferably, all 50 fabrics will be different, but, since these are probably ‘overstash’ from a seasoned quilter, some duplicates will be acceptable. (After all, the new quilter can trade them with a fellow quilter.) In no case shall a set include fewer than 25 different fabrics, so two of each.

Who Donates Them?
Any quilter with charms to spare! As you probably know, most quilters are very generous people. They may be stash-busting, or have duplicates to share. Or they just may take delight in helping stash-less quilters become fabric addicts!

But they are donations, not swaps, so they REALLY MUST GET an email when the gift gets to you. Sounds so basic, but well over half of our NEWBIES in the past have not acknowledged receiving their gifts. Do let your donor know!

Who Can Receive Newbie Gifts?
Any quilter who has insufficient stash to create a charm set of 100 different fabrics AND HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED NEWBIE SETS! But please note, if you sign up to swap, you cannot receive a Newbie Gift. While you are waiting for gifts, you might enjoy my PSQ tutorial. Then, keep cutting so you can be a SWAPPER in the October Swap this year! When you GET your gifts, remember to send your donor an email letting them know it arrived safely. (I simply cannot stress that enough!)

How Do I Participate?
Follow the directions in the Sign Up section, above! Donors, use the SWAPPER instructions. New quilters will find their own instructions there as well.

How Can I Build My Stash?
Our Newbie Gift Goddess from 2012 BARB K., had a few super ideas for building your own stash quickly, and moving into being a swapper.

1. Join a local quilt group, as quilters are always willing to share the wealth. Ask for small pieces they don’t need anymore, tell them why!
2. Check at your local quilt shops, one near Barb has a basket that people leave their leftovers!
3. recycle or freecyle! Check online for local free-cycle sites, Craigslist, and more. Join these groups locally online and place an ad that you are looking for unwanted fabric suitable for quilting. You will have to pick it up.
4. Buy SMALL! Buy from your local quilt shop, or the chain stores like Joann’s and Hancock Fabrics. Barb buys a 3″ piece when they are on sale and cuts it into squares. Most of the time the fabric piece is around 35-50 cents. She doesn’t know how small a quilt shop will cut but most Joann’s and Hancock’s will cut as small as 2″ BUT allow for crooked cutting and shrinking and get at least half an inch extra. (Mary says: When I find nifty small novelties, but feel broke, I treat myself to an eighth of a yard, and get as many fussy-cuts as I can out of that!)

Have fun! Keep watching for more Postage Stamp Quilt goodness. And thanks so much for taking part!! Oh, and do not forget to start SEWING the charms together. Collecting is fun, but a finished quilt is an accomplishment. And a QUILT is the goal of all this swapping!!
Here is the SWAP sign up model, repeated so you can copy, paste, and change to share your own info:

Any time between March 15-22, 2013, NOTE: Extended to 3/25/2013, leave a comment below ON THIS POST ONLY, stating each of these items: (it will be helpful if you use the numbers to answer)

1. Your first name.
2. Your City, State or Territory, and Country.
3. Are you willing to swap with people in other countries? (Often more variety, but slightly higher postage rates may apply.)
4. What size charms you want to swap, 2.5, 2 or 1.5 inches. If you are doing a 1 inch project please swap 2 inch charms.
5. How many UNIQUE sets or MATCHING sets of 100 you have to swap. LIMIT 12 SETS per charm size.
6. How many NEWBIE GIFTS you have to share.
7. A brief comment progress report on what you are doing with your charms. Please, start sewing asap, do not just save charms!

Newbie request? Please scroll up for your sign up directions.© 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.

Sewing in the News

It is not very often that any story relating to sewing makes it into broadcast news. Imagine my delight last night when our local station reported about a new sewing class being added to the curriculum of a local trade school. Local businesses are in dire need of sewers, and the school is training people as fast as it can.

Granted, this is industrial sewing. But sewing, fabric and clothing manufacture, and all the related industries–these were a big source of employment in the United States and Great Britain until a few short decades ago. Knowing that a new generation of local workers is proud to be learning to sew–even for specialty industries like handbags and luggage–that is happy news to me.

The explosion of fashion design reality shows has had a positive impact on the home sewer. In addition to showing people turning designs into real items, the fabrics designed on some shows are now being marketed in fabric stores. Those of us who sew clothing as well as quilts have often commented that we can’t ind the same interesting fabrics in the stores that we find in ready-made clothing. Any media exposure that textiles and sewing get is great as far as I am concerned!

Sewing tidbits do hit the ‘softer’ news from time to time. Quilting as a past-time has been reported, as have stories of a new generation dusting off their mother’s machines and learning to sew. As people who love fabric, our radar may pick up on these stories, and we nod our heads. While I love my hobby of sewing, I am also glad to know that the manufacture of sewn goods is once again growing here at home.

© 2013 by The Curious Quilter, thecuriousquilter.net, maryeoriginals.com. All rights reserved.