Invite me

WELCOME!

I am an accomplished quilting instructor and lecturer of 30+ years. I do on-demand online classes, in-person classes and virtual classes via Zoom. I also do hybrid classes, which are virtual-on-location.

Here’s  a little video that I made as an overview of what I offer for Lectures and Workshops – both In-person and Virtual. There are more in my brochure, so have a peek in it below:

 

Just click on the image and it will open up for you.

If you want a copy of my current fee schedule and to inquire about booking me, please email me directly. 

If you’d like to see My Schedule, and where I’m teaching, click here .

I have new workshops that I’m working on which will be added to my brochure shortly. Here’s a brief overview:

• I Am Here: Improvisational Mapping

• Back to the Basics: Handpiecing

• Knock off Pattern Making: Create something new from what’s in your closet

• Machine Applique for Moderns: Modern Love

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I have taught at Road to California, John C. Campbell Folk School, Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, Elly Sienkiewicz’s Academy of Applique, International Quilt Market, Utah Quilt Guild’s Quiltfest, Lincoln Quilter’s Guild, Lake of the Woods Quilt Guild – Kenora, Ontario, Quilt Guild of Greater Houston, Baltimore Heritage Quilt Guild and many, many more.

Here’s what people are saying about my lectures and workshops:

Annie Smith, a dynamic speaker, and workshop leader presented one of the best lectures ever on “Understanding Color” in March 2019. From understanding our color choices in fabrics and how the importance of value affects those choices within the quilt, her workshop on “Color Sense ” is still being talked about.
2020 will bring a return visit to Fredericksburg, TX with the Vereins Quilt Guild. Her lecture, “Thread Matters”, (Aurifil threads) and workshop, “Sample Stitch Book” using various thread weights to machine stitch a sample book, are greatly anticipated.   Beth Cunningham, Veriens Quilt Guild, Fredericksburg, TX

Your lecture was the highlight of all the classes that I took at Road to California this year.  I look forward to meeting you and taking a class in person one day!!   CJ 

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HIRING INFORMATION

Why a booking fee/deposit to engage you? 
The deposit or booking fee is a non-refundable charge requested by many quilt professionals. It is often deducted from the final cost of the contracted engagement. I require this fee along with a signed contract before I will hold a date for your guild.
If the guild must cancel the engagement, this fee is a small percentage of the compensation that a quilting professional has lost. In order to reserve your spot the teacher has said “no” to other organizations that could have hired them at that time. The booking fee or deposit is most often, just the commitment that a guild makes, to confirm that they are willing to do the necessary advertising and work to fill the class.

What about Cancellation Clauses?
A cancellation clause in a contract is protection for both the guild and the quilting professional. A 30 – 60 day lead time minimizes financial loss for both parties.
When a group cancels 30-60 days prior to an event, the quilting professional cannot fill the cancelled dates with other paid work. Often, a quilting professional has turned down other work in favor of your booked dates. Fees associated with a cancellation clause are protection for the teachers’ income and motivation for the guild to fill the event.
We are all human and recognize that there can be unavoidable circumstances. Most teachers are more than happy to do everything possible to reschedule events that are cancelled at the last minute due to illness or weather without penalty. For me, it is a guarantee to your Guild that I will do everything to reschedule, including turning the in-person event into a virtual event.

For In-Person Events:

• Meals, lodging and travel expenses are required for in-person teaching engagements outside of the Fort Worth, TX area.
• For venues that are located within 3-4 hours driving distance from Fort Worth, TX, standard IRS mileage rate at the time of the event plus tolls apply.
• The closest airport is Dallas Love Field (DAL) and I prefer to fly via Southwest Airlines whenever possible as it is more economical for flight ticket and baggage. I am pretty savvy about finding inexpensive flights and will coordinate flight plans with guild/organization.

Will you stay with a guild member to save on hotel costs? I prefer to stay in a hotel where I can have private lodging. It doesn’t have to be the Ritz, but it should be a place where YOU would be comfortable staying. I require a non-smoking room with reliable internet/WIFI in a facility where there is indoor access to the rooms and an elevator. I also need to be within 15 minutes’ driving time of the venue(s).

Cancelling an Event I’ve personally never had to cancel an event, even for a class that had just one student. Cancelling an event isn’t good — even when it’s recently been necessary due to the pandemic. Rather than cancel an event, I prefer to convert it to a Virtual event — which is now a part of my contract. If you lose your guild’s venue, we will hold a Virtual event via Zoom so no one has to miss it. I will only cancel an event if I am physically unable to be present, as a last resort.

The little things that are necessary for In–Person Events If your guild meeting is in the morning or if your location takes travel time to get to, I need to arrive the night before (requiring lodging). The Guild is responsible for providing a simple lunch for me during the workshop. After teaching a workshop all day long, the last thing I want to do is try to scramble to meet a flight and spend the rest of the night traveling, so I will always choose to travel the next day which requires lodging the night of the scheduled workshop.

This and That • When I do agree to a homestay to save the Guild money, it is only in the case that the room is detached/private with a private bath (used only by me) with doors that lock – no pets and no smoking with internet/WIFI and air-conditioning. I have some serious allergies. • Coffee or Tea? Neither, I prefer water and an occasional Pepsi. I don’t drink but I’m happy to spend time with those who enjoy a glass of wine. • Breakfast? Not usually. • Are you a picky eater then? No – but I prefer where the locals eat to experience your culture rather than national chain restaurants. • Night Owl? No, and I need to get my rest to be sharp for my students. I don’t like to be cranky. • What’s your favorite thing about visiting guilds? Getting to meet new friends! We have the common language of quilting and I love learning about you.