Beginner Quiltmaking Series: Reflections
I have had the incredible pleasure of teaching a longer-form class this spring, Beginner Quiltmaking Series at That’s Sew Hillary here in Frederick. The course takes beginner quilters through each step of the quilting process, from choosing fabrics and selecting a layout to cutting and piecing blocks and a quilt top, to quilting and binding the quilt edges.
From day one, my students have amazed me with their enthusiasm and ambition! Each person has developed a layout and color scheme that fits their unique vision, and it’s been so fun to watch their quilts come together.
I have loved every single workshop I’ve taught so far, but having much more expansive time with the students and getting to know them on a more personal level has been such a rewarding experience!! I love their patience and willingness to join my corny icebreakers :) Since we’ve meet over several weeks, I’ve also been able to bring little tools and items to our next session that I think might be useful to each student, and it’s been so much fun sharing some of the resources I’ve gathered over my years of quilting so far.
It’s been so exciting to see the variety of colors and layouts that each person has chosen, all working from the starting point of a simple nine-patch quilt block. Each student has a different color scheme and block layout, and each person is doing a slightly different twist with their thread colors and motif for quilting as well.
I have learned so much from teaching this class! There are a few tweaks I will make to the next version of this course (hopefully coming this fall!) but there will be a lot I do the same next time around! It’s amazing to me how much the class has started to feel like a little community - I’m sad at the thought of not seeing the students regularly anymore!!
Quilts-in-progress!
The students have also helped me brainstorm and refine a few ideas for some upcoming classes and workshops in the near future, which is so exciting!! I feel like this class has really helped me grow as a teacher, and I’m so grateful to the students for being part of it 💜