quilt_mommy_2001

I'm a stay at home Mommy and am looking to make a few extra bucks to buy fabric with. I thought it'd be fun to teach basic quilting in my home, by bringing in people one on one, and having them make a wallhanging. Kind of a word of mouth type thing, friends of friends, that type of thing. I'd show them how to choose fabric, cut, sew, baste, quilt, and bind their wallhanging. Even how to make a hanging sleeve. I think it would have been wonderful if I could have done this to learn, what do you think? I'm not really looking to run any big business or anything, just to earn a few bucks to buy fabric.

Any of you teaching out there, do you have any suggestions as to what I might charge? I was thinking $10 an hour, and maybe meet once or twice a week, by appointment at their convenience. Is that too high? Any advice or tips for such a venture? The closest quilt shop is a bit more than a half of an hour away, so I don't think I'll step on any toes there. We don't have any other places in the area that teach quilting, so I thought that might be an advantage. What do you think?

tia sarah

sounds like a great idea. who couldn't use extra fabric money. you just becareful who you let in your home.

ready2quilt

I say why not? I'm sure the interest is there.

And when it comes to quilting, why not get paid for doing something you (we all) love!

Keep us posted.

Moonpi

How are your neighbors and zoning? Are there restrictions against home businesses? Can you provide a work area free from allergens, smoke, kids, and pets? Will your homeowners insurance cover any accidents? Do you have adequate wiring and lighting? How is your parking?

I had given this serious thought at one time, but this location just won't do.

quilt_mommy_2001

Well, I do have two young children, so this is why I decided to just do it on a word of mouth basis. Just people that my friends or family know. I'm a bit concerned about that too! I figure, if it's not someone one of us knows closely, I'll make sure my (Big & Burly lol*) Husband is there with me. Thanks for the input! :)

quilt_mommy_2001

Well, the idea is something I can do with my kids. Sort of like a friend of mine who gives piano lessons from her home. I will be upfront that it's just a laid back type of environment, with children who will likely come to see what's going on from time to time. We don't smoke, and if they aren't comfortable with an in-home relaxed environment, I don't think they'll come! Lol* It's definitely not going to be like at the quilt shop - but the price is also to reflect that. We do have a dog who has his own room for company. My girls are very well behaved, and aside from saying hello and peeking in to see what's going on, they should do well and stay out of trouble.

The insurance and all that is why I don't want to do any "big business" type of thing. I figured maybe a couple of people a month. We have pleny of parking, a large driveway that can accomdate up to about 6 cars, 3 without having to park one in front of the other. If it progresses to anything larger to than a few people a month, however, and I do decide to move in the direction of opening a real business, I'll probably move it out of my home.

Thanks for the input, definitely things to think about! :)

Rebecca Chambley

Why not, Nothing Ventured, Nothing gained. Give it a go, Hey it mite be just the thing, not only for a few dollars, but new friends. Keep a positive attitude and go for it. I think its worth a try and genuine effort. It would probaly be more women then men. If it grew out of your space, maybe you could check with your church, or one closet in your area and see if you could rent out there kitchen area once a week. That would be the the best price, and excess to the kitchen, for the ladies that like to bring treats and snacks.

Cathe

Are you thinking of a one-on-one situation or a class of 4-8 students?

Make up a nice finished sample so people know what to expect. Print up a supply list with a schedule on it.

Be sure to draft all your own patterns and handouts (accurately!) OR teach from a commercial pattern and make sure every single student has her own purchased copy of that pattern.

Remember that you can run 100 sewing machines but only ONE iron on most electrical circuits. ;) If you are doing rotary cutting, you will need a lot of table space. Try to organize cutting and sewing so that they don't have to have their mats AND their sewing machines on the table at the same time. (For example, when they come to the first class, tell them to set up the mats but leave the machines on the floor for now.)

If you have more than two students, have them initial all of their tools with a Sharpie marker when they arrive.

Good lighting really helps!

Wear lipstick (seriously, Pepper Cory taught us this in a "how to teach quiltmaking" class I took from her) because it helps people read your lips while you talk. Make sure people take breaks if they look stressed.

I could come up with a hundred rules and ideas for you... but mostly, remember that even though this may be a job for you, it's just a fun hobby for most people. If they aren't having fun with it, they might as well go buy a quilt at JC Penney. Keep it fun.

Cathe

HEY - I wasn't done.

One important point - don't take it personally if they don't finish their quilts. People stop quilting for a variety of reasons. 90% of the time, they just don't have the time to finish. I used to get very stressed when people wouldn't finish. I felt so responsible!! But let it go and offer to help when they are ready to pick it up again.

reva

Just a tip - - - a friend of mine and I just finished two classes with two ladies. They made VERY simple table runners (3 9 patches) and a border... they finished the piecing and we had to skip a week - - - they took the table runners home to quilt - we still need to show them how to sew on the binding - haven't heard from them since!! EGAD!!! I hope they call us. One was more intersted than the other... we'll see. We charged $10 for each lesson - we sort of let the lessons go a bit longer - we had nothing else to do for the day - wouldn't do that again - and the idea of having a sample ready - GOOD IDEA!! Wish we'd thought of that!!