Tag: Teachers

I spent two fantastic days studying with Libby Lehman in two different classes that basically boiled down to using your sewing machine. One class was called Primadonnas and the other was called Super Machine Stitching.

Stop what you are doing (after you read this blog entry!) and then RUN don’t walk to the nearest Libby Lehman class. Do whatever it takes. You won’t regret it! She is a fantastic teacher and I would take another class from her in a hot minute.

Good things about Libby Lehman’s teaching:

1. Dry sense of humor.
2. Knows about more machines than just her Bernina and shows what foot to use for the major brands. Doesn’t treat non-Bernina owners like second class citizens.
3. Willing to take requests.
4. Willing to repeat herself if you weren’t paying attention and explain something again in a different way, if you didn’t understand.
5. No problem with letting students take pictures of her quilts and samples (I do ALWAYS ask).
6. Knows her stuff and can teach it.
7. She uses pieced backgrounds a la the Pushed Neutral idea that Mary Mashuta teaches.
8. She uses any fabric; e.g. she is not a hand-dye only person. YAY! I admire those who can hand-dye, but I don’t want to hand-dye. There is lots of great fabric in this world and I want to use ALL of it.
9. She likes quilts that make her want to look at them some more. She said to keep her intersted.
10. Down to earth and not holier than thou.

In Primadonnas, we learned to couch, bobbin-draw, and use sheer fabric. This is one piece that I made:

In Super Machine Stitching, we did things with satin stitching that I would not have believed possible. This is a techniques class not a project class. You have to think about how you would use the techniques. These are the samples that I made:

I am very proud of the writing as well as the freemotion satin stitching. It is fun, even though I don’t know what I would use it for. I am not planning on making any earthquake quilts in the near future. I was thinking that I could finish See, the piece I started in the David Walker class, using this technique, though not quite as messy, perhaps.

I am particularly proud of my “hippy-dippy flower” (as Libby called it) and the circle. If I have the right threads, I may stitch some of these circles on the Thoughts on Dots quilt. We will see. It would certainly add a bit of interest and dimension. Also, a lot of work.

Libby also has a fantastic teaching set up.

She uses Powerpoint for her presentation as well as video camera projected on the screen to show the details of what she is doing with her sewing machine. It was refreshing not to have to run up to the teacher’s sewing machine every other minute. No more standing around trying to jostle for position behind the tall people who are trying to see what the teacher is demonstrating. No more crowding the teacher. I think it helped provide a relaxing environment for the class and allowed everyone to see the demonstration equally. She has really moved the bar up a notch for quilt teaching. If you are a quilt teacher, step up to the plate.

In all the goodness there is also badness. This may be the most expensive workshop of my life. I want to buy a new sewing machine. My sewing machine performed flawlessly, was wonderful, did not break any needles or cause any thread blobs in the bobbin area. BUT. It also could not keep up with those newer machines and, especially those Berninas (Libby uses a Bernina). They can do things that my machine can’t do, like right and left justify their tapering satin stitch. I never wanted a Bernina before, but the thoughts actually crossed my mind. I feel like a traitor. I tried to assuage my guilt and make my machine feel better by buying two new feet – an open toe embroidery foot (the better to satin stitch, my dear) and the Beading Foot set. I wanted a couching foot, but, apparently, Janome doesn’t make one. I will try the Beading feet for couching and see what they do. I intend to add a lot more couching on my quilts. 😉

In my last post, I said that one of the things I was thinking about was quilt teachers and/or teaching quiltmaking.

I think it is important, when teaching a class to do the following:

1. Know your subject : study the subject before you go to teach. Are there articles or books you can include in a bibliography? Have other people taught this subject? Can you review their work and incorporate salient points?
2. Be well prepared : people are busy and they are giving up their valuable time and money to take your class. Make you give them the courtesy of having everything (handouts, lecture, slides) organized and ready to go.
3. State your goals at the beginning of the class : Students will be much happier if they know what points you cover, what you plan to accomplish and how the timing will be in the class (when is lunch, when can they run to the restroom without missing a critical point).
4. Have handouts (with pictures, if appropriate) : people learn in different ways, so having a handout that describes (even with only bullet points) what you are saying will help students who learn by reading. It will also help jog the memories of those who learn by hearing or by being shown. Students will also be able to take notes on their handouts.
5. Don’t assume that since you can quilt you can also teach : teaching is a difficult profession and just because you make fabulous quilts doesn’t mean that you can teach others how to make fabulous quilts. Take classes where the teachers are GREAT and watch how they teach. Mary Mashuta and Ruth McDowell are both great teachers. Read up on how people learn. Teach a class or two for free to practice.
6. Manage students : if someone is hogging all of your time or all of the discussion time, cut them off and call on someone else. Don’t let students interrupt others. Students get frustrated if you let the class get out of control. Also, no teacher’s pets! If you like someone’s work, talk to them after class or contact them after you get home.
7. Don’t assume that people are there to hear your opinion : just because people are taking your class doesn’t meant they ONLY want to hear your opinion. Spread the wealth and give all sides of the story. This will also allow you highlight why your ideas/methods are better.
8. Acknowledge that people cannot absorb information for 8 hours: give students breaks (1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, lunch), but also give students time to work on their own after you teach them something new. Ideally, teach one or two new things, then let students do a short exercise to cement the information into your students’ brains.
9. Be professional : dress up if you need to feel professional to like a professional, but don’t become “one of the guys”. You are the teacher not a student, you are in charge, so act like it.
10. Make sure your handouts are well organized or track your lecture : nothing is more frustrating than a teacher whose lecture I cannot follow, but if the handouts are well organized, it makes it better. Try to synch your handouts and your lecture. Don’t write your handouts the night before. Start months in advance and keep revising and updating. Think of your lecture and the associated notes as a work in progress.
11. Consider whether you need a helper : this could be someone who passes papers out, gets your slides in the carousel, etc.
12. Walk around : look at what your students are doing. Look at their supplies. Make comments on everyone’s work. Some people won’t ask questions and you won’t know they are struggling unless you look at their work and their face.

People rate teachers and tell each other what they thought of teacher. Make sure you are thought well of by using the tips above.