Organizing a Times and Seasons Calendar Class

    Having a Times and Seasons Calendar class in your store is a wonderful way to serve your customers. Monthly meetings to work on the calendar blocks will result in year 'round interest in the project and your store.
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    How to Create Interest in a Calendar Class
  • Hang samples with signs that classes are available
  • Have calendars for sale in prominent display unit
  • Have employees working on blocks while tending shop
  • Advertise in your class schedule
  • Talk about calendar class in beginning quilt classes and guide students toward the calendar class as a good intermediate step
  • Tell them they make a block a month, so class covers a year and is not so high pressured
  • Price individual classes and give special deals for quarterly, 6-month or full year sign ups.
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    Times and Seasons Calendar

    Divide Calendar Class into Three Sections
  • Crazy Patch Foundation Class
    1. One Day Workshop
    2. Concentrate on one block to introduce piecing method
    3. Sewing machine and rotary cutting skills needed
    4. Have visual aids ready:
      1. Background block drawn on muslin -- helpful to draw in front of class
      2. Use this fabric for starting center of crazy patch
      3. Demonstrate adding several fabrics before the students start on their own
      4. Helpful to show students backgrounds at different stages
      5. Students are able to finish one square/triangle in a 6 hour class
  • Appliqued Block Class
    • Sign up 3 month sessions at a time -- as first class is an orientation students can't jump in the middle of a three month session
      1. Students should have basic piecing and applique skills:
        1. Come to first session with everything cut out and ready to begin
        2. Start with simplest block
        3. All day for 1st session to go over basic skills
        4. Following blocks are usually 2 1/2 hours each, once a month
    1. Switch order of teaching calendar blocks in order to begin with simpler block
    2. End each 3 month period with an embellishing demonstration for the last 3 blocks if needed
  • Ribbon and Thread Embroidery for Embellishing
    1. Divide into three Classes - Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced - continue to rotate these throughout the year. Students may join in anytime depending on their skill level
    2. Beginning Stitches:
      • Feather, Buttonhole, Fly, Straight, Lazy Daisy, Chain, Spider Web - (stem, couching, spider), Knots, and General Beading
    3. Intermediate Stitches:
      • Satin Stitch, Hearts, Closed Feather, Transfer and Fine Embroidery (snail, cat, birds, tree and more), Chevron, "X's", Combining Stitches, More Beading, and Tips for Working Clean
    4. Advanced Level Stitches:
      • Cretan, Variation of Creatan, Fern, "O's", Bows/Lazy Daisy and Straight, Buttonhole Variation, Feather Variation, Fly Variation, and More Detailed Beading
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      Organizing the Blocks for Step-by-Step Learning
    • Going over patterns
      • General Directions
      • Special Hints
      • Ribbon Stitches
      • Information at top of each pattern page
        • Additional pieces
        • Placement diagrams
      • Placement Diagrams
        • Legend for stitches
        • Every stitch labeled somewhere on diagram
        • Order of applique numbered
    • Start with Easier Blocks
    • Have Classroom setup before students arrive
      • Light boxes on table or use window
      • Block traced onto tracing paper with bold black lines for placement
      • Masking tape beside light box
    • For applique, have students cut backgrounds 1" to 2" larger than finished size
    • Have any other visual aid tools ready and sewing aids
      • For example: For applique, a block cut out and pinned to background, and critical areas partially appliqued
      • Piecemakers hand applique needles
    • Helpful Hints for Applique
      • Spray starch for smaller pieces
      • Use smaller stitch on smaller pieces
      • Small stitches on inside points
      • See special section under "General Hand Applique Instructions".
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      Bringing the Year to Completion
    • Can have a potluck and demonstrate finishing including:
      • Sewing blocks together
      • Borders
      • Ideas on Quilting
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