Teacher Talk
- Sarah Fielke
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
Hi peeps!
I'm back from Sisters but I've been on the road again, this time to Queensland to teach for Kaela's Patch in Woodend. I was really looking forward to this one, I'm taught my Summer Sunshine quilt which is a fave of mine, but I haven't taught it for years! It was very nice to give it a revisit, and to see all the student versions coming to life. I started cutting out some sample blocks and straight away thought ooooh maybe I want to make this quilt again... I always do this to myself! Anyway, maybe if I get a few done and get motivated I will do a little sew along, it would be a fun one as the appliqué is so nice and easy.
I also taught my Rainy Days and Sun Rays quilt, giving everyone a start to making one of the circles with the birdies in. Everyone got one circle laid out with their tape around the edges, and some leaves along the edges of the circle.
On Friday night we had a trunk show. As I drove up from Sydney I was able to bring loads of quilts, so it was a nice big display along with some fun stories - not to mention snacks, shopping and a lovely goodie bag for everyone from Kylie! In general a lovely time was had by all.
Sisters was a week of fun and mayhem as always. If you don't know about the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show and Quilters Affair, where have you been! 😂 Essentially, Sisters is a little mountain town in Oregon, which swells to three times its size once a year for the event. For the week leading up to the event, teachers come from all over the world and hold classes in the high school, and hundreds of students attend the classes and also the fun events held in the evenings. I have taught there many many times and it is my absolute favourite teaching gig!
On the Saturday, the show is held. Over a thousand quilts are hung throughout the town, on all the buildings and stores. The streets are closed and people walk through the town shopping and looking at quilts and generally having a wonderful day!
This year I taught one new class, for my Dilly Dally Dolly. We had such a fun day that I completely forgot to take any photos!!! Everyone got at least one pieced flower done - some got all of them made - and they all got various amounts of appliqué done too. It's a fun little project, and nice to have some piecing and some appliqué in the mix.
The other four days I taught two two day classes that I have taught many times. People keep asking for them but next year I really want to teach something new - although I don't think I'll ever be able to retire Climbing Scrap Mountain. As soon as the "mountain is tipped out onto the floor, people start poking their heads around the classroom door to see it and they inevitably all say "ooooh are you teaching this again next year??" . So I guess I am 😂 This will be my final time teaching Tiny Town for a while though - as much as I love it, and I love the results for the students, it's time for something new.
If Tiny Town is fun and quiet and relaxing, Climbing Scrap Mountain is another kettle of fish all together. Everyone in class brings a small bag of scraps, and we tip them all out onto the floor to make a "mountain", which everyone then works from to make all their fabric. On day 1, we learn to make crazy pieced and string pieced fabric. It's a relaxed and then on day 2 we cut it all up again to make a scrap quilt. There's a workbook for the class with over 30 different quilt patterns in it, and an interlocking template set. Everyone in class ends with not only their own unique design, but the tools to make loads and loads of different combinations of quilts from the workbook for years to come. I truly love teaching this class, it's such fun.
One of the other highlights for me this year was the fabric designer panel that was held on the Thursday night. The panel was comprised of myself, my friend Giucy Giuce (he will be here teaching for us at the Sydney Quilt Show in September! The tickets go on sale on August 1); the sisters from Sew Kind of Wonderful, Helen and Jenny; the lovely Latifah Safir; Mathew Boudreaux aka Mx Domestic; Lesley Tucker Jenison and of course the queen herself, Jean Wells. Val was the MC and she asked us all a series of questions, some with quick answers and some that needed longer explanations, about our processes and preferences when designing. It was really interesting for the audience but also for all of us to hear about everyone's different inspiration sources and ways of working.
The most wonderful thing about Quilters Affair is the sense of community that the show brings to everyone who attends. The staff of The Stitching Post go to such a beautiful amount of detail for the shop, the classes, and all the events. If you ever have the chance to go I really recommend that you do - and come and take a class with me while you're at it, I'd love to see you!
While we're talking about teaching, here is where I am in the next little while in case you're nearby...
Victorian Patchwork Quilters - two trunk shows and pop up shops, Oct 3 and 4 (members only)
Atlanta MQG - Zoom class, October 17 (members only I believe?)
Cutting Cloth, VIC - two x one day classes and a trunk show, October 30 and 31 (bookings through Cutting Cloth)
Camden Quilters, NSW - one day class and pop up shop, November 7 (members only)
Brisbane MQG - two classes, pop up shop and trunk show, December 4-6
Road to California - five days of classes, January 18-22, 2027
AQC Melbourne - four days of classes, April 15 - 18, 2027
H&H Chicago (wholesale) - May 5-7, 2027
Sisters, USA - five days of classes, July 5-9, 2027
Madeline Island, USA - five day masterclass, July 12 - 16, 2027
See you somewhere Smites?
Sarah x
Ooh you are teaching at AQC. I hope I can manage to get Into your classes. ❤️😁