Dear Quilters,
I know many of you are still so busy, that you have no thought to spare for the Festival. Just remember, looking forward to something, is part of the wonderful experience. Enjoy this as well!
If you attend workshops often, you might have a very good system whereby you organize your stuff for a workshop. Perhaps you should refine this even more. Think about the things that did not work so well and tweak them a little bit to get the perfect system. The vendors will supply anything you might have forgotten -so there is no reason to stress about this.
Please do all you pre - preparation. There are very specific instructions for Mastering Machine Quilting - Helen Granville’s class. If you are taking Doortjie Gersbach’s Sandsterre class, please make sure that you have your grid drawn on paper ready for the class. Also Una Cloete’s workshop requires fabric to be cut.
Class requirements are available in the “Quilt Festival 2011 Programme” at if you do not have the printed programme.
We do have to discuss the Copyright issue. There will be a poster in every class regarding the copyright of the teacher to her teaching and class material. I know one gets inspired at Festival and would like to share what you have learnt with quilters at home. The line between sharing and breech of copyright is not always clear. We know if we copy the teacher’s notes and hand them to others, this will be a breech of Copyright. If you offer a workshop - teaching what you have learnt, is also a breech of copyright even if you do not receive money for this “workshop”
Why do we not rather encourage our teachers by inviting them to teach all over the country? Then everyone can learn from the “Master” and benefit from her in-depth knowledge of her subject.
We would love to see you inspired to start teaching as well after this Festival. Experiment, practice and do research by buying and reading books and magazines. It will provide you with the necessary experience and confidence to be a successful teacher. This is what one should strive for - to be a Master of your subject. Then students will get first hand knowledge. The old adage - do unto others that you would like people to do to you, is so very true when regarding copyright and respect for a teacher’s right to her original class concept and notes.
I am attaching the class etiquette for the Festival. Please read it. A big problem in classes is cell phones. If we all behave according to basic good manners we will have a wonderful Festival.
Please remember that a Festival is organized by volunteers. If everyone involved in Festival got paid, a festival would cost 3 - 4 times more. Please be as helpful and friendly as you can and we will all experience a wonderful, never to forget Festival.
See you in two weeks!
Marié du Toit
Make it easy on yourself, stick to the rules!! I do however love this take on copyright. If you so badly want to teach then become a teacher, whereby YOU type and print the notes, YOU do the preparation, YOU make the sample, YOU find the students, YOU find the venue, YOU walk up and down between students and explain the same concept over and over and YOU deal with any possible problem arising from the lesson. I think once anyone realizes just how much goes into preparing and teaching we'd all think twice before simply 'taking' somebody else's work. So let's be considerate.
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