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The Value of Education By Vicki Anderson, President, Meander Publishing LLC
But that is not where the learning stops. Continually, there are new techniques and designers, machine upgrades, innovative products and more venues to showcase your work. You can buy books, patterns and DVDs, participate in online message boards, join a local quild and study quilts at the major shows. How do you keep up? One answer is, of course, taking classes and attending seminars to keep your talents fresh and updated. The spark you receive from interaction with other quilters, designers and teachers will energize your quilting. The possibility of expanding your quilt designs will help your creative side and could pay off with award-winning show quilts. The opportunities for classes are many and varied. Traveling teachers, guild workshops and just getting together with other local quilters will help you immensely with keeping current and will build your confidence when facing quilts with challenges. However, the learning experience is different with each teacher and for each student. I offer these guidelines for you to think about before you determine your goals for any class.
Once you have established your goals and targeted a class, whether at a local site or at a far distant quilting convention, how do you justify the expense? (If this is a business for you, certain educational expenses are tax deductible, but I will not attempt to address those decisions. These are questions for your business accountant or tax professional.) One possibility for offsetting the costs is to acquire a grant or scholarship. There are several avenues to explore for quilters. You can conduct an Internet search by using ‘educational grants for quilt professionals’ or similar words. The International Machine Quilters Association (www.imqa.org) offers grants, as does the National Quilting Association (www.nqaquilts.org.) And my own company, Meander Publishing LLC, provides a four-level scholarship program for professional machine quilters. We offer grants from $50 to $1,000 to assist in developing your talents. You can find the specifics at www.upquiltmag.com. Once you apply for and receive a grant, how do you use the knowledge gained to further your quilting? Obviously you will directly benefit from the new, fresh outlook that you bring to your quilts. If you quilt for others, be sure to adjust your marketing plan to reflect the increased knowledge and design possibilities. But what about “passing it on?” Many grant applications, including Meander’s, require that you explain how you will benefit the industry and other quilters with the education you received. Perhaps you will impart some of the information to your local guild, after acquiring the teacher’s full permission of course, as class materials are copyright protected. Or maybe you could mentor a beginning quilter. Most scholarship funds operate solely on contributions and donations. One very positive way you can give back is to donate money or materials to the very fund that helped you. The IMQA grant program is funded by auctioning donated quilts and quilted garments at their annual Machine Quilters Showcase. Many times, previous grant recipients have donated an item for the auction. Meander Publishing’s Scholarship Fund dedicates one of the four levels to Sgt. Josh Hager, a Colorado soldier who gave his life in Iraq. Josh was very supportive of his mother’s machine quilting business, and loved all quilts. Three well-known figures in the longarm industry, Kim Brunner, Carol Selepec and Renae Haddadin, are creating a collaborative quilt that will be used to raise money for this specific fund. As successful teachers, quilters and celebrities, these three generous and talented women wanted to give back to the industry. Opportunity tickets will be sold for this quilt, and it will tour the major machine quilting shows in 2008. You could also create a one-of-a-kind quilt specifically to benefit the fund that helped you. Another way to give back is to use your newly-acquired abilities on quilts for charity. The Quilts of Valor Foundation (www.qovf.org) is always looking for volunteers to make quilts for injured soldiers returning from overseas conflicts. Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org) provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.” And there are many other organizations needing your quilts. The bottom line is to educate yourself. It can build your confidence and reinforce your talent, accomplishments that will increase your creativity. & Vicki Anderson has been quilting for 30 years, using a longarm since 2003. She is owner and president of Meander Publishing LLC, publishers of Unlimited Possibilities Magazine, a resource for professional longarm quilters, and Machine Quilting Unlimited, a magazine for the home machine quilting enthusiast. Visit the Web sites www.upquiltmag.com and www.mqumag.com. ©2007. Reproduction without authorization is prohibited |
You have purchased your quilting supplies and acquired the necessary tools. You have practiced, practiced and practiced. You understand the difference between paper-piecing, appliqué, and patterns. You are all set to produce wonderful quilts. Bring on the fabric!