This page provides information gathered from newsletters and meetings that we think will be useful to guilds. This section will continue to grow as we add additional documents to our library. Click on the links below to access the desired information.

The Bakersfield gang has the great idea of combining donated door prizes with some guild purchased goodies in baskets that are “raffled” off at meetings. You can buy a certain number of tickets for a dollar, write your name on them, and drop them into the baskets you desire. The drawing is held at the end of the meeting, and the lucky winner ends up with a whole bunch of great items. This means that every guild member gets the opportunity to view items that vendors have donated to your guild both in support and for advertising, and has the additional benefit of bringing in income. Some of us would drop $4 - 5 a meeting for a chance at some of these wonderful baskets at least. Multiply that by 100 or so members…

One guild has a library of quilting gadgets donated by members or manufacturers. This allows members to try the items out before buying.

The highly efficient and organized Redlands guild keeps their “Show and Tell” quilts in order by placing numbered clothespins on the quilts. This is great for trunk shows or any other program that has quilts that need to be shown in a particular order. The pins are reused every month.

WalMart has grants available to fund local projects / community needs. Every store has funds available, to learn more go to the store and find out which dept manager is in charge of the program. They are only for not-for-profit causes. The store may give cash or materials of gift certificates. Mervyns and Target are reported to have similar programs. This could be a great way to help guilds’ community outreach programs, fund philanthropy quilts, etc.

Several guilds have called to discuss negative experiences with certain artists lined up to do their programs and workshops. I covered this a bit at one meeting, but it may bear repeating. We’re paying enough for these programs to treat this as a business venture. If you don’t get what you planned, perhaps you didn’t do your homework.

Call for references! Any speaker worth their salt should be happy to give you the program chairperson’s names from their previous few engagements. Call that chairperson, and ask only if that speaker would be eligible for rehire for a future guild program. If the answer is no, you may want to look elsewhere. Under no circumstances should the conversation go any further, as libel can become a very real issue.

Some guilds have requested a grading system, or some other way to communicate their experiences to other guilds. I’m a bit nervous about this. It would be great if we could do “Program Reviews” like the newspapers do for movies and books, but anything negative could present a legal challenge. I see no problem with positive reviews, but some could perceive this as a council endorsement and favoritism. Let me know your thoughts.

What this all comes down to is the fact that great quilt artists aren’t necessarily good teachers or lecturers. I believe we should all encourage each other in our journey as quilters, and am very bothered by high demands, criticism, or negativity by anyone in the business of sharing with guilds. By requesting references, and following up on them, we may simply eliminate this whole issue.

It is the guild's responsibility to adequately market the workshop. Late cancellations leave unproductive gaps in the teacher’s schedule. Many speakers will no longer send actual samples, due to problems with not always getting them back, but they should be able to provide you high quality images (online and printed, e.g., on posters) to help excite participants.

We all know that quilters are easy to get along with. We’re friendly, outgoing and just downright good people. Our teachers/lecturers are no different, but we do need to remember that when they are visiting our guilds they are “working.” Their job is to entertain us, inform us, and teach us, and they do it well! We’re excited and enthused that they are visiting us. We do need to remember, though, that just as we need some work breaks in our day, they do too! Yes, they are quilters, but when they visit us they are “working women and men.” It’s not fair to expect them to be “on duty” from early morning til late at night. Respect their need and requests for privacy, quiet time, or just some time to relax. Allow them to take a break from their work.

At the same time, we need to be aware of and respect their special requests regarding food and housing. There may be many motivations behind their request for a hotel room instead of boarding with a member –perhaps they smoke, maybe they snore. or maybe they just want to ensure that they have their much-needed down time so that they can be rested, relaxed, and able to do their best for us. Try to honor that request. If finding a hotel room for them is a problem (you’re in a rural area, for example, and there aren’t any hotels/motels close by), talk to them about their needs/requirements. They may have an aversion to smoke and not want to stay in a smoker’s home, or they may have allergies to animals. Perhaps you have a guild member with a guest room and private bath that will meet their needs.

Requests regarding special dietary requirements are also important. They too can have allergies, or just plain likes and dislikes regarding food, and what and when they eat. I recently heard a story about a teacher whose requests were simple: a private room and bath and “real” coffee in the morning. The hostess served her “real” coffee but later in the day the teacher developed a familiar headache – one that she gets when she hasn’t had her caffeine. While chatting with her hostess about it she learned that she had been served “real” brewed decaffeinated coffee (versus instant).

We want them to be comfortable during their stay with us. When you are negotiating the contract with them take the time to ask questions, offer alternatives, and generally be aware of their needs and wants. What was OK for one teacher may not work for the next. Needless to say it is incumbent upon the Program Chairs to ensure that the hostess is aware of the speaker’s special needs.

This all plays into the contract that is ultimately draw up with each speaker. It’s important to remember to cover all details with them. Don’t assume anything. And, again, honor their requests when and where possible.

Who needs a Seller's Permit? Sales tax implications for non-profits. The following are a few of the handouts provided by our speaker from the State Board of Equalization, Fred Duenas. A number of the handouts are brochures that are readily available from the BOE. Specifically:

• Publication 21-G (4-05) The California State Board of Equalization
• Publication 111 Operators of Swap Meets, Flea Markets & Special Events (that's us!)
• Publication 107 Do you Need a California Seller's Permit?
• BOE-400-SPA Rev. 1 (7-05) California Seller's Permit Application for Individuals/Partnerships/Corporations/Organizations (Regular or Temporary)

Click here to download a PDF of the handouts

Put together a very sharp brochure featuring your bio, lecture descriptions, class samples, costs and requirements. This is what gets transferred to future program chairpersons, and a sloppy, misspelled and poorly designed brochure will not provide the visual punch quilters respond to – I’ve seen some pretty half hearted attempts, here. If you can’t produce an attractive handout, there may be doubts about your quilting and design skills. If you lack the skills to do this, contact me for a very qualified individual who will assist you at an affordable rate, or check your local college for someone needing experience working on graphics.

Provide 100 of these to our program chairperson in June for delivery to each guild.

Make sure you are on our database of teachers. This list is maintained by Becky Miller at Bec3@earthlink.net. We will invite you to be included in the July Meet the Teacher event. Respond quickly, as slots fill instantly.

Evaluation Form
Kelly Gallagher-Abbott
www.jukeboxquilts.com; email Kelly@jukeboxquilts.com

PO Box 1518
Tustin, CA 92781-1518
(714) 731-2563

Class:________________________________
Date:_________________________________

Please provide detailed answers. I consider your comments carefully, and adjust for future workshops accordingly!
Did the workshop meet your expectations?
What was your favorite part?
What areas would you like to see improved?

Comments about instructor:
Comments about workshop content:
Comments about materials provided:
Would you recommend this workshop to a friend?
Overall, what was your opinion?
A similar version could be prepared for programs.

Price yourself accordingly. Some speakers are asking for outrageous fees and making lists of demands. Consider yourself a budget program unless you’ve had major wins, published, (and sold items, if you’ve made a zillion copies, and they’re in your garage, it doesn’t count) and present regularly, you really shouldn’t request what the “big girls and boys” do. It’s better to charge less, and leave the guilds thrilled, than to overcharge and have them feeling shorted. Remember, they are all dealing with extremely tight budgets.

Be a gracious and considerate guest. I’m the first to acknowledge that a hotel room is a luxury, especially when I have so much work that some down time between a presentation and class is golden time away from the office, but it can be much more affordable for the guild to offer a private home. Speakers who leave great impressions don’t have thousands of dietary needs or disrupt someone’s home. Carry snacks and other items in case you get a need for chocolate when the kitchen is closed.

Join the council as an individual member. We provide a web link on our website and you can mail to the member guilds using the directory you receive. There is also a Northern California Quilt Council. It’s the easiest way to reach your direct market. Most important, realize that the council is providing you with a service and enabling you to directly reach this market, so be nice. Your $15 membership fee covers costs and doesn’t entitle you to make demands or have unreasonable expectations.

Go to as many presentations and classes as possible, not to “steal” ideas, but to evaluate what makes a good speaker or teacher, what it takes to have a class feel they got their money’s worth, etc. Keep your thoughts to yourself, as it is inappropriate to do this evaluation out loud. Any teacher would appreciate the opportunity to learn and correct any weaknesses without a bunch of backbiting or negativity.

Keep your lectures and classes positive and fun. People go to guilds to be entertained. There is nothing worse than a speaker so impressed with themselves that they make it clear no one else in the room will ever reach such heights. Be humble and informative, and best of all, light. My favorite presenters are individuals like Ami Simms and the late Doreen Speckman. They’ve made me laugh, and feel inspired in addition to being capable of growth.

A class is not the place to complain and moan about some issue that irritates you. Taking a class is an opportunity for the students to escape and play for the day, and no one wants to take on a negative load while there.

If you have a lot of medical problems or suffer from anxiety, etc., do everyone a favor and don’t accept bookings. Canceling at the last minute is a nightmare for the guild. It is also advisable to know of individuals who can substitute in a true emergency, and offering suggestions will mean much less stress to the program chairperson.

Make it an effort to reach every student, from beginner to advanced, and encourage him or her. One negative comment can destroy a sensitive individual’s desire to quilt. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories, and if you are easily annoyed or tend to be short, you should invest your time elsewhere. Leave everyone pumped up and excited about quilting, and you’ll have no shortage of requests at other guilds. The greatest compliment is to be invited back to the same guild a second time. You’ll know you left a great impression!

Not everyone is cut out to be a speaker or teacher. If you are brand new, start with your local shops or gather a group of friends to test out your class. Take the time to have materials proofed, and be professional every step of the way. Let me know if your have questions or comments!

First of all, no shipper will cover quilts, even if you pay for extra insurance. I’ve researched this extensively. They are one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork, and are excluded in their fine print. Some shippers (including USPS) have coverage for jewelry or other high end items, but may cover only the materials and labor, or require very specific appraisals based on the artist’s previously sold work. You should have a separate homeowner’s policy rider for when the quilts are in your own possession, but most of these policies exclude quilts while in another’s possession, like during transit or shows, and may not cover machines, books, fabric stashes, etc.

Second, I learned the hard way that UPS does physical scans some of the time, actually scanning the barcode on an item, and “phantom” scans at other times, scanning a truck, and assuming the item is on the truck. My Hoffman trunk was physically scanned in Spokane after being returned from Canada (which requires acres of paperwork, NAFTA agreements, duty, etc. etc.), but then disappeared. They kept trying to tell me it had gone through their Seattle facility, and had probably been delivered. We knew this wasn’t true – especially since they had no scans to prove it. After an official “investigation” lasting 14 days, they tried to close the investigation and drop it from their system. It was only after an unbelievable amount of work and communication (nagging) we convinced them the investigation could not be dropped. The trunk appeared over six weeks later back in Canada, and we received no further explanation from UPS (like how it got back up there without Customs paperwork). Fed Ex assures me that they only do physical scans, hopefully preventing another episode like this one.

Third - it is getting more challenging for guilds to find insurance policies that cover displays or shows. The policies take a huge chunk out of the profits of your shows, if you can find one (please don’t confuse the liability coverage the council offers with quilt coverage - they are two very separate issues).

Fourth – many council members are quilters with extensive collections, and if you start thinking about it, you may have a huge amount of money tied up in sewing machines, computers, your stash, books, quilted apparel, etc. Perhaps you ship your quilts frequently, or you enter a lot of shows. You’ll want to get a policy. If you are a “professional” quilter, and make any income from quilting, you’re homeowner’s policy may exclude coverage no matter what – you may need to get a business policy, and many won’t cover quilts.

Hartford insurance has a policy available from Chris Johnson of Milne Scali & Co. Their address is:

1750 E. Glendale Ave.,
Phoenix, AZ 85020-5505
(602) 395-9111

There may be other policies like this, but even after a year of researching, I haven’t learned of any that include quilts. Chris is very knowledgeable about quilters and shows, so you won’t have to spend much time trying to explain what it is you’re needing.