Become a Quiltworx® Certified Instructor or Shop

About Quiltworx and being Quiltworx Certified

A letter from Judel Niemeyer.

Since 2010, we have been certifying shops and instructors that have been dedicated and avid followers of our company. These shops commit themselves to completing many Quiltworx® designs, attending a wide range of workshops, and bringing that knowledge back to their local communities, promoting Quiltworx products with an extra level of knowledge because of their direct connection with our company.

Quiltworx has a worldwide Certification program featuring Shops in the United States, Canada, South Pacific, and European Continent. We also have Certified Instructors throughout all those countries as well.

Our program has evolved significantly over the years, not only in size, but also in the requirements for training. This is primarily due to Judy’s evolving responsibilities in the company.

Our inventory of patterns has also grown to a level that is beyond any one instructor’s or shop’s ability to do or offer it all. And, as a result, we have had to teach our Shops not only how to make/market/produce kits for each quilt, but also how to see our inventory as a whole for the benefit of the student as well.

The latest updates and revisions to our program reflect the current conditions of the Quilting Industry, our role as a training program and pattern design company, and the types of requests we are getting from customers.

In 2013, the Certification program for instructors transitioned from a competitive application process to a training program. We will continue this approach to training instructors moving forward. However, the prerequisites and interactivity necessary to be considered for the program changed for all instructors not already enrolled in a final certification program in 2016. The program continued to evolve from group to group, but this set of pre-requisites has become a great list that has served this company well for nearly 10 years and we plan to continue with it well into the future.

The European Program strives to follow the US training process closely, but there are some differences that must be adhered to and Quiltworx works closely with the Program Coordinator to back up and support these differences recognizing differences in market conditions and various language barriers.

Please review the information provided thoroughly before you determine your interest in pursuing Certification in the future! If you have any further questions, please contact Ada Honders, responsible for the Quiltworx University for Europe.

Questions to ask yourself before choosing to become an Instructor

  • First, what is the reason you would like to teach?
  • Are you social and enjoy the company of other people?
  • Are you interested in what your students might bring to the table to teach you?
  • Are you prepared to show up early and set up, plus stay after the workshop with the store staff and make sure the teaching areas is completely spotless before you leave?
  • Do you have a business plan? (When asking for a business plan: what are your expectations for yourself after you complete your certification).
  • Who do you want to teach for?
  • Are you willing to travel? If the answer is yes, then how much?
  • What would you expect for an income? Do you need the income?

Prerequisites to becoming certified

(both for Shop Owners and Instructors)

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  1. ▶ Minimum of 2 completed Quiltworx® quilts (quilted, binded and labeled). You can choose from the table below. Please note that they cannot be Table Runners, Placemats or Technique of the Month quilts.
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  2. ▶ Demonstrated skills of all 8 techniques from the table below through projects of your choosing.
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  3. ▶ An online presence. Which includes an active Facebook account, a webshop and a published workshop program.
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  4. ▶ You’ve made one Queen size quilt (cover version, quilted, binded and labeled) of the newest Technique of the Month, during an In-person Training Retreat at the Patchwork Promotions Quiltworx® University for Europe with Ada Honders. See Retreats for upcoming dates.
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  5. ▶ Demonstrated skills to teach in a group, as practicised during the In-person Training Retreat.
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Table of 8 techniques, and the quilts and projects in which they are used:

TechniqueQuilts and Projects
1. Flying Geese in circles– Suncatcher JNQ00275P18
– Skipping Stones JNQ00275P17
2. Leafs and Veins (Flower Stem)– Tea Time Placemats JNQ155P
3. New York Beauty techniques– Milk Thistle Placemats JNQ00275P16
– 10X10 Glacier Star New York Beauty JNQ-10X10-021
4. Wedding Ring techniques– Wedding Star Table topper JNQ00211P1
– Diamond Wedding Star JNQ00238P1
5. Curved Piecing– Fairy Wings JNQ00268P29
– Fields of Aster JNQ00252P10
6. Log Cabin techniques– The Beach House JNQ177P3
7. Using Stripsets 48 strips
There are 2.5 inch strip sets that are made specifically for Quiltworx projects.		– Wedding ring quilts
– The Beach House JNQ177P3
– Fractured Star JNQ00213P1
– Sparkle JNQ00281P3
– Riptides JNQ00275P13
8. Applique techniques (Stich-n-Peel)– Poinsettia Bouquet JNQ00242P5
– Cattails in the Meadow JNQ00242P9
– Valley Blossoms JNQ00264P11
– Royal Iris JNQ00268P28
– Pocket Full of Posies JNQ00275P14

If you want to make another Quiltworx pattern, you can discuss this with Ada Honders.

Staying certified

  • Return for In-person Training Retreat to make a Cover Quilt of the Technique of the Month every other year to the Patchwork Promotions Quiltworx® University for Europe with Ada Honders. Please note; if you do not complete a TOTM once every two years, you will lose all your previously obtained certificates.
  • Maintain an Events Calendar and Profile on the Quiltworx® Website.
  • Teach a minimum of 12 days a year.
  • Visit shows and exhibitions and give demonstrations.
  • Maintain a Quiltster® Account ($99.00 (us$) a year).
  • Use the Slack Communications Channel and Dropbox for all communications.
  • For Instructors without a Shop: Pay the annual Certification Fee ($475 (us$) with a $25 discount if your Events Calendar has been maintained for the year.

Benefits of being a Certified Shop or Instructor

  • Wholesale purchasing privileges through Verachtert in Geel Belgium
  • Inclusion on the Quiltworx.com Certified Instructor Slack Communications Channel for company and product information sharing.
  • For Shops: the ability to teach and Sell the Technique of the Month Program in your store.
  • For Instructors: the ability to teach the Technique of the Month Program as an Independent Professional Instructor (Note that as a Certified Instructor, you cannot sell the Technique of the Month patterns without teaching them in a workshop.)
  • Inclusion on the Quiltworx.com Certified Instructors webpage.
  • Access up to 8 free patterns a year, if you meet the minimum program requirements.
  • 25% off Digitized Quilting Designs.

Know about and work with the following Quiltworx® techniques

  • Y-Seams
  • Bali Wedding Star Binding
  • How to insert a flange
  • How to measure and sew on a mitered border
  • How to sew and press to stacked seams
  • How to stack and cut out foundation papers

Tool demonstrations you should be prepared to cover

  • Demonstrations of every technique in the pattern
  • Special hints (things that may not be in the pattern)
  • Tools
  • Dictionary of common terms
  • Finishing your quilts
  • Choosing fabrics for your students

Why we ask Shop Owners to get hands on

As a Certified Shop, we want to know that customers can immediately walk into your store and see that you have dedicated both space and time to our products. If there are samples on the walls, it not only shows you care, but also understand the product you are selling. It immediately communicates that you are a fan of Quiltworx products and you want your customers to be as well.