Wednesday, January 30, 2013

about class samples...

If you are a teacher, do you make class samples?  I don't normally make any such thing because I don't teach projects.  But on occasion, guilds who want to sell my class (usually to more traditional quilters) ask me for class samples.  I am sorry to say that my experience has not been good; some time ago I sent one off and never saw it again.  I do have samples for my Cinderella Quilts class to show what can be done with a UFO bloc...but it is a different story for Free-Form Qulits.

One guild asked me specifically for a class sample for the Free-Form class and I didn't have one.  As it happened, I needed to do some therapy sewing yesterday (it has been that kind of a week) so I decided to make a small piece out of the usual suspects -- the leftovers in my box.  By last night, it was all done but the facing - but I am going to send it off without facing or sleeve and will leave the orientation up to them.
  Maybe it would look better in this direction...or not.
 
But here's the dilemma: I don't want the class to think that this is what we are making, because it is not. My fabrics & my leftovers = a unique small piece. It took me all day to work it out, and I had all the units sewn together and sitting here (except for the stripes).  Their mileage will certainly vary.

Does this mean I have to send another totally different piece along with it?  Maybe a before & after UFO block-- or just an after.   This will give me an excuse to do more therapy sewing tomorrow, while we are having another storm and flood.  Sigh...

OTOH - maybe I should iron this free-form quilt top and send this off as another possible example.
I had all these random blocks and decided to use them a while ago.  Since I don't have a baby who needs this, it is sitting around till I need to finish it -- only after somebody's baby is born.In that case, it could easily be a class sample along with the other one.  That way, nobody will have expectations.
No expectations, no disappointments.

Next week, it is back to the studio to work on my 25 more scarves. Now I know why they say "be careful what you wish for."

11 comments:

HollyM said...

I'd never heard of sending off class sample but then I've only done a few classes and mostly local. I can't believe you wouldn't get them back.
I think the two pieces are great examples of what you do. I can see how some might see it as a project because someone always misunderstands. Hopefully your write would clarify.
Wish I lived closer!

Eva said...

Why should anyone want a piece of cloth in advance if she can have good photographs? Your students can see and feel samples in the cloth if you take them with you. Much too precious to run a risk!
And need I say I love them?

TheaMinPA said...

I provide class samples only for classes taught in stores... and I bring them home after the class.

However, pictures should suffice for guilds - it used to be slides, but now we can send pdf files to insert into online newsletters, etc. Love the new technology! If you do send a sample - ask for it when you arrive to teach the class. Don't come home without it!

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I agree with the others, photographs of several previous pieces is all that is necessary. If you do sent the top, unfinished is the way to go. Design/art classes are harder to sell to a group so an actual sample may gain a few studemts that need to see a sewn piece.

Unknown said...

Good luck making your samples and getting those scarves done. I am doing a guest post for Artistcellar in March. I am doing a project using some of their stencils, so I have just started making samples for the project. This will be my first time making samples of a project so it should be interesting. At least I only have to take pictures. I hope that you do get your samples back. I really love the first one here. I like the second orientation the best. Have fun sewing.

tesuque said...

Happy blog anniversary (356,365 visitors and counting)!
Your photos are always excellent - can't imagine a guild needing a class sample.

Cathy Bargar said...

Always wise to leave the orientation of the "babies" we send off into the world up to them ( says the proud mother of a gay daughter, tongue firmly planted in cheek)...

Nina Marie said...

OMG - has nobody read your book?? Not to mention the name of the class should clue everyone in on the fact that their piece is going to be unique. Still I think the sample is a good idea since it will show them that their work is going to be abstract anddd - wellll - not your grandma's quilt (grin)! But geesh - anybody who has been paying any kind of attention at all knows that Rayna Gillman is not your average grandma!

woolywoman said...

I'm someone who will be one of your students at Asilomar, and I made my decision based on photos, and a ramble around your website and blog.(Which is more photos, so same difference!) I don't see why a guild should get to keep an art piece. I'd be worried about the piece the whole time it was out of my hands. (But then, I'm just a single person and don't know much about guilds.)

Patty Ashworth said...

Pictures should be enough, but if they insist on a sample, get a DEPOSIT! You will always get back the sample. It sounds like one more hassel, but believe me, when there's money involved, it will work.

mumbird3 said...

Love the samples! I agree about the deposit for a class sample!!

soup weather in June and a little more

DISCLAIMER: Blogger is giving me grief tonight, which you will see by the varying sizes of the type. Ye p, soup weather and it's ...