glenda5253

I would LOVE to take a class from an accomplished hand quilter. Move to Kansas! :lol: :lol: :lol:

madamekelly

I hear many other good reasons. Well, I can understand them all - but I still feel a little disappointed.
I have earned some money with my workshops so I can pay the material for my quilts - now I will have to look around and find something else. Maybe I should enter more quilts at shows and win big awards! :D[/quote]

Maybe the lack of interest is because of a 'cart before the horse' problem. Try to teach piecing, and offer the hand quilting workshop. at the end as a 'bonus"? IMHO :D

Borntohandquilt

Thank you all again for your support and your comments. I will see how it will go on, maybe the interest is increasing again someday.

Of course people can't spend so much money for their hobbies any more because of the economy and their personal and financial situation but I think there is also something else.
I have tried to sell my work for many years but it is almost impossible. Crafts and fibre work like quilting are not considered as art like painting and sculpting and this fact keeps the prices very low. Quilts (especially traditional ones) haven't find their way into art galleries here in Germany. I am always shocked when I see crafters who sell their work for almost nothing! They can't even get the money for the material they needed.
Germany doesn't have a tradition in quiltmaking like US or other European countries like UK or the Netherlands. There are still so many people here who don't even know what a quilt is! We Germans are well known for high quality craftmanship - but I think we can't include quilting there...
Well, I think one important mission for us quilters here is to give more notice of our craft and to show it to the public as often as possible. And I also hope there will be more open-minded gallerists who give a chance to our textile art more often. In my opinion that would increase the prestige of quilting a lot.

Marvel

Sounds like a good plan to me Iused to teach quilting in my home for a small fee as many were not able to pay. Quilting must go on!!

granniegg

I am shocked because Germans are known to value homemade and useful items......but I think your down blankets are soooooo wonderful, its hard to compete. I speak from experience after staying at a home in Bavaria.

greaterexp

You have an amazing talent. I wonder if you would have anyone to help you create a video of a series of your lessons that you could sell. I know there is still interest in learning how to hand quilt, and there aren't that many skilled teachers. If you had videos for sale, your market could be the world, rather than just your local quilt shop. I don't think I've seen a video devoted to only high quality hand quilting.

mommafank

Fabulous idea!

kwhite

I have not read all of the responses so forgive me if this is a repeat. Have you looked into contacting a video company and producing video lessons for paid publication on the net? I KNOW lots of folks here in the US would pay to watch your instruction. You obviously speak English so....

Rose L

I haven't read all of the replies yet but I must jump in here and give you my $.02 worth.

I really wonder if the class was marketed correctly? Did the LQS just post the class on their website under their calendar or was it mentioned in their newsletter in a way that made it look like it was THE CLASS to take this season? These LQS are not taking advantage of your status to bring in people to your classes in the way that they should. You have been recognized as a WORLD renowned hand quilter, that is something to SHOUT about!! Were you allowed to hang one or more of your beautiful quilts in the shop with a poster board nearby that listed all the components of the class so interested people could see all of the great things you would be teaching in addition to how to hand quilt? Were there half sheet fliers being stuffed into each and every bag of goodies they sold, walking out the door? Honestly to just list a hand quilting class as available on such and such a day just did not do you justice. If properly advertised I would imagine there would be scores of people who would sign up just to see you and your fabulous work. I see way to much of the bare minimum being advertised at so many LQS. And I feel they are not only short changing an available teacher but they are shorting themselves in the sales that such a class would generate for them. I guess anyone who loves fabric can open a shop but that doesn't make them good at marketing.

Were I you, I would keep trying but I would bring my own marketing plan to the table when negotiating how the class will be advertised. You might also try holding classes with youth groups, senior centers, libraries, or your own personal class open to the public (and get LQS to sponsor it...bringing you much more $$$ than the class alone will bring you). Have a sheet printed up with the class components and the sponsors names and have it stuffed in the newspaper on the days they sell the most papers. That would really get the word out. You could rent space in various towns and cities and hold more and more classes. Everywhere I go I meet people who want to learn to quilt. They just don't know where to go to learn how.

I'm planning some classes for children (10-18) that I will be giving in my home on Saturdays. I think we will start with a pillow pattern and just go step by step through each part of making a quilt. These classes will be free (except for materials). Later I can teach specific patterns on a pay by class basis. This is my way of giving back to heritage of quilting. I hope that it will generate some business by the mothers of said children and perhaps I can then hold beginner quilting classes for adults to generate some income.

I wish you the best!

granniegg

This was awesome