
Quilts, Inc. is a privately owned for-profit company. The quilt show portion of the event, called A World of Beauty, is run by The International Quilt Association, a membership-based non-profit, but Quilts, Inc. hosts the festival itself including the classes.
IQF is one of the most prestigious teaching venues for quilting instructors. The application process is highly competitive. And yet teacher pay rates at the show have stayed the same for at least a decade, if not longer, and are not commensurate with the industry standard.
“If I add up my teaching fees and subtract my expenses, I made a grand total of $154 for teaching four three-hour classes, one lecture, one six-hour class, and two two-hour samplers,” another teacher said. “I shared a room with three other teachers, ate out only for dinner and lowered my expenses as much as I possibly could.”
A third teacher told me: “I taught six full classes with my [teaching] fees earning $4,500 while my travel, lodging, and meal costs were $4,250, resulting in a small profit of $250. I would never teach anywhere for that amount.”
I spoke with a total of 10 veteran teachers who teach all over the country. Every one of them cited the pay rate at IQF as unfairly low.
All of the instructors I spoke to teach at guilds, conferences and quilting retreats. Many travel and teach 20 to 25 times a year. According to them, the going rate at other venues is 30 percent to 50 percent higher than what Quilts, Inc. offers, and travel expenses, including lodging, baggage and meals, are always covered.
“The reality is that Quilt Festival is the most expensive venue to teach at,” one teacher explained, citing the $220-per-night cost of the hotels near the convention center in Houston. Another teacher concurred: “You spend a ton of money, even with frequent flyer [miles] and hotel points.”
“You absolutely must rely on merchandise sales to make any money in Houston because you don’t make anything otherwise,” one teacher told me. “But I make just as much in sales at any other guild — plus my fees.”
I reached out to Judy Murrah, Quilts, Inc.’s vice president of education and administration, for a comment about IQF’s teacher pay. She declined my request for comment, but said: “We greatly value our relationship and bonds with our many teachers — both those who have taught for decades, as well as our newest instructors. They provide a wonderful opportunity for festival students to learn from the best instructors in the world, all in one place. And any concerns they might have, we always address with them directly.”
Although Murrah suggests that teachers can speak with her directly about their concerns, not one of the 10 teachers I talked to felt this was actually a possibility for them.
“Unfortunately, most of us in the quilt world know that if we speak out, that those amazing and strong Texas women have the power to greatly damage our careers,” one teacher said.
When I asked if they’d ever approached Murrah to ask for a raise, one teacher said: “I’ve often thought of putting together a petition saying, ‘Here’s what we need,’ but I’m self-employed. I pay my taxes and health insurance and make car payments. I pay all of my bills doing this. I’m afraid of complaining because I don’t want this to disappear.”
“They know that everyone is chomping at the bit to teach there,” another teacher added.
Another teacher told me: “Unfortunately it’s simply supply and demand. There are hundreds of other teachers waiting in the wings to take our places in a heartbeat and Quilts, Inc. knows this. Oh, to be paid what we are worth!”

“People do this because of the prestige involved. When they send their brochure to guilds they can say they taught at festival,” one teacher explained.
What’s more, everyone I spoke to mentioned how much they enjoy the experience of the show.
“I find the time spent with students from around the country to be delightful, the time spent with colleagues to be educational, the quilts on display to be inspiring. I find meeting with friends, new and old, from around the world, to be invigorating and it all put together feeds my soul,” one teacher said.
Many teachers mentioned that they were able to meet guild members from other parts of the country and book further teaching jobs. Some secured jobs internationally as well.
“Yes, there are exposure opportunities in Houston that are not available anywhere else, but that is the same as asking artists to donate their work for free in exchange for exposure,” one teacher explained. “I really had to stop and think about why I am still teaching at Quilt Festival. In the exhausted, post-festival unpacking and accounting there is the little bitter pill of working for free to swallow.”
It’s time for Quilts, Inc. to revisit their pay rates for instructors. As one very seasoned instructor told me, “The vast and wide ranging types of classes together with the huge combined expertise of the teachers is a very large part of the success of the show, and is one of the major attractions for visitors. The anticipation for the class brochure and how quickly the classes fill is evidence of this. The teachers and education staff then must be acknowledged not just with sincere thanks but also monetarily for an excellent job well done.”
This may mean raising the price of classes for students — a rate that also has not changed in many years. “They should raise the cost of classes,” one teacher said. “They should double them. I have students come in from Canada and they say, ‘The classes here are so affordable!’ but what they don’t realize is that it’s because the teachers aren’t being paid what they should.”
International Quilt Festival is arguably the most prestigious quilt show in the world. As such, the festival organizers are in a position to set the bar for fair teacher pay. As one instructor put it, “Quilts, Inc. should be a leader and example in the industry. There is absolutely no reason for them not to.”
Thanks for posting this information. I’ve just started traveling to teach and assumed that all venues covered transportation and lodging costs. I’m curious to know if others think the exposure and product sales make up for the high costs (or lower overall pay) for teaching at quilt festival?
I taught there once because I was asked and I had a couple of spare days between Market and Festival. I wouldn’t do it again because it’s not just the teaching time but there’s an enormous amount of paperwork involved in teaching there that also takes time. Form after form after form. In this day and age I think you can get equally great exposure through a great website, Instagram feed or blog. If you do good work, people will find you. Even if you live in Houston and have no expenses, it’s a money-losing proposition based on the model that everyone in the industry is just doing their work as a hobby.
I have taught in Houston, and greatly enjoyed the experience. However, I was kept so busy, I did not have time to enjoy the show. The paperwork involved to apply to teacher for Quilts, Inc. is HUGE and takes a lot of time and effort, and then the organizers may only book one half-day workshop from your proposals. IN that case, you are expected to pay all travel and lodging expenses out of your own pocket. Even if your workshop fills, you cannot meet your expenses. Unless you were planning to travel to Houston for Festival anyway just for your own pleasure, don’t go expecting to make money. On the other hand, no one is forcing anyone to apply to teach at Festival. If you are doing it to promote yourself and your business, it may be a great way to gain good exposure, kind of like free advertising. If you are planning to teach there for profit, this probably isn’t the venue for you. It is your choice. I have not applied in recent years, because frankly, it is just too much work for the uncertainty of keeping those dates open until they notify you of acceptance or denial. If I choose to go to Houston, it will be to attend, not to teach. I’m busy enough with the bookings I already have. I just don’t need the work or the hassle.
It’s definitely a personal and professional choice as to whether to teach there. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t collectively push for change.
A squeeky wheel gets the oil.
A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.
You teach, they will come.
There are many learners who would take a class from a ‘black-balled” teacher. Who cares about who doesn’t “like” you. Can you teach classes in a way that your students can learn…of course you can.
As long as quilt teachers accept the status quo, why would/should IQF make any changes?
Anything valuable is worth fighting for.
Thanks so much for sharing and exposing this information! As a retired medical/psychiatric social worker–I was often in the position of helping people change or to find ways to better adapt by mediating. By offering this post –you are providing a platform to mediate. Both parties have something
at stake, and both parties have something to gain —-joining forces and gaining common ground can benefit everyone. However, without conversation and exposure this would not have come to light! Regardless
of ones opinion, evidently there are many —I praise Abby Glassenberg for
initiating the conversation and allowing all voices to be heard. Fear of speaking out and or fear of retaliation has no place in any civilized industry.
—-by the way –After my retirement two years ago –I am currently quilting and teaching in my home studio! Blessings to you for a happy and creative life!
It seems simple to me. Don’t teach there if the salary is so poor and don’t accept known terms and then complain. That is just a bit topsy turvey. If enough people said no, and then said why not, they would have to pay more eventually. Moaning about it to everyone but the people that matter is no good though. It is true others would be willing to step in, so let them – if the work is no good because it doesn’t pay, they will find that out too and then they should slam the door on the way out as well. Bullies need to be stood up too. That is what unions are for, showing solidarity to fellow workers in the field, yet more and more people are taught this is a bad thing. You don’t have to do the job at all and you don’t have to take the rubbish money. If you do, while knowing the deal, then you sadly have yourselves to blame for keeping the status quo humming along. It’s easy to believe the hype that really they are doing you the favour as it will look good on your resume, it’s great exposure etc. but that can not be quite the reality. Sometimes these things apparently do give a foot up, but not so often as is assumed apparently. There don’t seem to be enough employment laws to protect people. People must unite and act, sometimes this starts with lone people being a bit braver than the average person. Perhaps it has started with the person who contacted you with their concerns.
Interestingly Abby, *you* are putting your head over the parapet. You are speaking out, and maybe you will have negative repercussions too. Perhaps you are just made from more integrity, are a bit braver and are willing to fight the good fight in the name of fairness.
I think saying to teachers, “Well, it’s your choice. Just don’t teach there if you don’t like the terms,” is okay, but it’s also important to me to bring their voices forward in a way that still protects them as individuals. It’s so easy to feel totally alone or like you’re doing it wrong and that’s why you aren’t earning enough to make the experience worthwhile. Together our voice is louder. I’m also not sure it has to do with my integrity as a person because I do feel that the women I spoke with had a lot of integrity themselves. It’s just that I don’t have as much at risk because I am not a teacher at IQF.
This is the very reason I have refused to teach at the Festival. I don’t do “free” anymore. I have bills to pay and I do know that Karey Bresenhan makes millions of dollars each year. Good for her! I’m all for people making money in this country. But NOT on the backs of those who teach for her. Yes, I’ve applied to teach (I’m not a “nobody”) but I’ve always said that if they can’t pay my expenses then just throw my application in the trash can. I’d rather work at the local Dollar Store or coffee shop. My suggestion: if you don’t like how she compensates you, then DON’T TEACH. You perpetuate the pain by taking the job. I’m not at a lack of jobs and I’ve never taught for Quilts, Inc. I say: everyone who doesn’t like this, don’t sign a contract. Period!
Just to clarify I don’t have any information on how profitable Quilts, Inc. is or how much money anyone in a leadership position there earns. Quilts, Inc. is a privately held company and that kind of information is not publicly available.
I have been a teachers pet at IQA for at least 15 years. I was responsible for checking in students at the class that I was enrolled in. If a paid student doesn’t attend the teacher does not get paid for that student or the kit fee. If a friend of the paid student, took the kit it had to be noted on the list so the teacher can be paid. What happens to the class fees and kit fees if the student does not attend? I had to reconcile the attending student number with the teacher. The teacher signs off on the sheet so she can be paid.
Lish, You’re saying that teachers are only paid for the students who actually attend the class. If students register and pay the tuition but don’t show up the teacher doesn’t get paid for that student. Quilts, Inc. is saying otherwise so I wonder if the policy has changed?
It used to be that you only got paid for the students you taught and if you didn’t have a minimum of students, the class was cancelled. That was changed a few years back. The new policy is that they don’t cancel classes anymore. You are paid for a minimum of 6 students whether you have 6 or not. I agree with the viewpoint that if you don’t like the fees and don’t consider the benefits of teaching at Houston worthwhile, don’t submit. Otherwise, if it works for you and you can pay your own travel expenses, then submit.
I’m floored by the rate these teachers are being paid. At first I thought it said $15 per student PER HOUR and even then I thought that was pretty low. Even if Quilts Inc. covered all the teachers’ travel expenses, it still would be pitiful. This year was only my second year attending Festival (and I’ve never taken a class there) and I wondered why a lot of the well known modern instructors don’t teach there. Now I know why.
I’ve also heard that Quilt Festival teachers are contractually obligated not to teach their classes two weeks before and after Festival in Houston. So if a teacher was local, Quilts Inc. is restricting their ability to earn a fair wage from teaching for the whole month.
It seems crazy how an organization as large as Quilts Inc. is setting such a poor example. Meanwhile, Quilt Con instructors have all their travel expenses covered. I’m not sure how much they are paid per class, but that alone is a huge step above Festival.
And that is precisely why I turned them down when they asked me to teach.
Their loss, Cheryl, truly.
I taught at Quilt Knit Stitch in 2014, and made a profit, but only because I live locally to it. I have turned down every other offer to teach for them because it’s a financial black hole. The fact that their contract includes a clause that you can’t teach at any other shop locally in the weeks around the event also means you can’t tack on some other, better paying gigs to help offset the poor profit. I feel like there is a huge pressure on women in this industry to be nice, and not rock the boat or rattle sabers – and that the byproduct of that pressure takes advantage of us. But the best thing we could ALL do is refuse to take such gigs… if the pool of teachers dried up, they would have to change their game.
Such a boycott would have to be huge and well organised. With a huge pool of teachers out there waiting to take the place of a teacher who steps down in protest, at current attrition rates IQF aren’t under pressure to change anything. But protests these days can be easily and rapidly organised through social media – I hope someone will step up to the plate and soon.
I don’t think a boycott is called for nor do I think it would be effective. To me what’s more important is to just bring these viewpoints out into the open so that we can examine and discuss them together.
So once things are out in the open, what change will occur?
One other commenter stated through social media words spread at light speed. Without action, nothing changes.
Well said.
It is a shame.
Sick Molli Sparkles on this situation. Look at what he and Sam did for charging what you’re worth for a quilt.
Absolutely Appalling!
I no longer teach so am going to comment on this issue.
The pay for traveling teachers does not compare to what someone doing this in another profession could earn.
It is not just Quilts, Inc.
I am wondering if Quilts, Inc costs have continued to rise and that could have some bearing on why teachers pay, etc have stayed the same?
Keeping class fees low allows many people the opportunity to study with someone at a level they can afford and fills most classes I have been told.
For many teachers the exposure and prestige of teaching there gives them as many teaching and lecturing jobs as their schedules allow.
Disclaimer: I do not work for Quilts, Inc, never have taught for them, have no connection to their company and am not a relative.
As a modern quilter I am not interested at all in Quilt Festival. The classes are not relevant to me and the most of the quilt show doesn’t really interest me. When choosing which large quilting event will get my money Quiltcon will win every time. I wonder if, as modern quilting becomes a larger segment of the market and traditional quilters age out of attending Quilt Festival, Quilt Inc., will be forced to change their tactics. As long as they can get away with what they are doing they aren’t going to change. After reading this I am even less interested in ever attending Quilt Festival.
Quilts, Inc. should keep in mind that modern quilters are far more involved in social media and the internet and information about unethical businesses spreads at the speed of light on those networks. Personally, I’m more than a little bothered by the selfish, unethical and archaic business practices of Quilts, Inc. that I have read about more than once in the past few weeks (the blog entries by the president of Studioe that you linked to in your newsletter were enlightening.) I won’t hesitate to share my concerns with my friends online and in person either.
* This is a side note, not based on the article, but on this comment: I don’t think age has anything to do with a person’s tastes and interests. I know elderly who LOVE the modern quilting and I know people that are in their 20s that HATE the modern quilting and like the more traditional.
@Gina – thank you for reminding us that age is merely a #. I have open-minded youthful 70, 80, 90 yr. olds as friends and in my classes and feel extremely blessed. And just as blessed to have friends and students that are in their 20’s, 30′, 40’s and 50’s. The forward thinking that these persons have is phenomenal.
Many thanks to @Abby for giving us a chance to share thoughts and opinions.
Sunshine & Smiles,
eo
If you’re waiting for traditional quilting as well as the amazing art quilting shown at Houston to die out….you have a long wait. If anything each year the entries just keep getting more amazing and more ground breaking.
Jen – I think its fabulous that so many younger people (with good social media) are engaging in the world of quilting via Modern quilting; but as Gina said, lots of older makers are attracted too, and conversely lots of young people enjoy involvement with the world of the Traditional. I wrote about this earlier this year on my blog http://www.alisonschwabe.com/weblog/?p=3011 I’ve never been to Houston or QuiltCon, so can only observe, impartially, that the business model of the large quilt convention with crowds flocking to enjoy vendors of everything/anything connected with quiltmaking plus exhibitions plus classes has been successfully adopted and adapted from Houston by the Modern Quilt Guild. The result is a sort of parallel universe, really, with a good boost to fabric producers, magazines and book publishers who service this ‘new’ clientele. And I believe Moderns have far more in common with Traditonalists than they might like to think, including terminology, construction techniques and design elements.
Agreed! Many of the members in my local MQG are 60+ and have embraced the modern quilt movement!
define old! I’m in my 50’s and the older I get, the more attracted I am to bright colors and “modern” quilting! I started out liking all ThimbleBerries fabric. So glad that as I’ve grown older, I’ve grown to like the modern styles
I don’t think you have ever been to the Houston show based on your statement. 11 foot ball fields of the latest products and best of the best skills in quilts of all styles modern included. These are not your grandmothers charity quilts. I don’t work for them either I have been there once and I can’t wait to go back. I took one class in the 5 days when I was there. I was with 5 friends who took no classes at all. I would have paid more for my class. I did find out that big named quilters are not necessarily great teachers.
I have found teaching in general is much more work than the money reflects.
I also am an MQG member and attended my first quiltcon this year. I didn’t take classes as I wanted to experience the show first time around. I’m currently waitlisted for a class in 2025 as the one I wanted sold out immediately. After reading this article, I’m wondering if QC compensates their instructors more fairly?
In the past garment sewing shows were notorious for not paying teachers. I can’t speak for what happens today because I’m not teaching at the shows. I tried it a few times, but it never made sense to me to teach for free so I took my teaching another direction.
Here is how it worked for me in the past. The scenario is not the same for everyone. Some teachers were allowed special compensation at some shows as their reputations grew.
To teach at the show I would first sign on as a vendor and pay to rent a booth to sell my wares. My booth rental “entitled” me to apply to teach classes during the show. I would then submit my teaching applications and if accepted my class(es) were put on the show schedule. I received no pay for teaching. I received no compensation for lodging, transportation or food. During the time I was teaching in the classroom and away from my booth I was expected to either find a volunteer to manage my booth or to hire a helper with my own funds. I was not allowed to sell products in my classes although it was okay to tell students where to find my booth. If sales were good, I would break even. If sales were down, I would lose money on the show.
Some changes have taken place such as the addition of pre-show and post-show classes that include pay for teachers, but there is still a long way to go. Talking about this problem openly is way overdue. Thanks Abby for stepping forward!
And, it is also a pay per student gig and I’ve been in classrooms (as a sewing machine educator) where there were only a few students. So, on top of everything else, since you get paid per student then you HAVE to do promotion to make sure your classes fill. I do believe the pay structure is similar at Sewing & Stitchery Expo and American Sewing Expo as well. But, these are more garment focused shows.
I totally agree that the amount of money the teachers are making in return for what they are giving is appalling those of us who saved to go to these events like to think that the teachers are being rewarded for what they are giving and being rewarded for the time and energy that they put forth some of us travel a great distance and I know that some of the teachers do too and somebody’s making money closer to the top I’m sure I don’t teach quilting so there’s nothing they can do to me I’m from Alaska not Texas so they don’t scare me but I know that because the quilt fair in Houston is gotten as big as it has they can harm the reputation of course especially those starting out in the teaching of quilting and that’s very sad that as women we would do that to each other we’re supposed to be helping each other and powering each other encouraging each other leaning on each other reaching out this does not sit well with me I know that doesn’t matter but they should be ashamed and embarrassed
I met with a rep that was trying to recruit new teachers for Quilt Knit Stitch 2014 . I never even made it to pay since they lost me once I heard that no expenses were covered.
First – I am glad this article was written, and second – I am glad the information is being shared. I am appalled the the instructors pay is so low and that they then have to pay for a place to lay their head after a long day of teaching! I hope that those willing to continue teaching at this festival will ban together to demand at minimum a pay raise and lodging.
This is a great article and discussion. I agree with so many that teachers need to be compensated fairly for their expertise and the hard work of passing along their skills and knowledge. Teachers need to be paid a fair living wage for their work. For profit organizations like Quilt Inc’s exploitation of teachers sets a standard that trickles down to local guilds as well. It’s great that guilds want to keep their workshops affordable, but when they want to charge $50/student for a full day workshop and ask teachers to adjust their fees to accommodate I think it’s a problem. Many quilters don’t even blink at spending $12/yd on fabric, or thousands of dollars on the newest sewing machine, why should they consider paying less than $10/hour for an expert workshop as too much. You can’t even take a yoga workshop for less than $10/hr these days! Quilts Inc and other organizations should raise the cost of workshops and pass along all the additional revenue to the teachers. The knowledge of a good teacher is worth so much more than a yard of fabric. This attitude reflects a deeply ingrained lack of self-respect for women and their work. I’m heartened to say that, teaching rates, and expenses, for Modern Quilt Guilds, QuiltCon, and some traditional guilds are fair, so perhaps there is progress. I’m so glad to see this post, because an open dialogue on such topics fosters change.
I encourage all teachers to calculate the real value of their expertise and labor, ask for what they are worth, and pass up opportunities that don’t provide a living wage. Be clear, professional and polite about it, and let the organization know if their rates are exploitative, or just out of date. I’ve been told that if you aren’t being turned down occasionally because you charge too much then you aren’t charging enough! Ask for what you are worth – and stick with it!!!
I wonder what the profits are and how much Quilts, Inc is bringing in each year. It is a for profit company. You can be sure there is no loss as a result of the Festival.
I bet there is plenty of profit from the Festival. However, why should the company raise the salary if people are willing to do it for minimal pay?
It is appalling to me that Quilts, Inc would treat their teachers this way. Undoubtedly, there has to be an element of greed here. Now that this article is out in cyberspace, they may discover that not only is the pool of teachers drying up, but the student pool is too. There are just too many other methods for students to connect with teachers now for this to continue. Personally, I prefer knowing that a large portion of my class expenses goes to the instructor. I make more than $15, so I should expect my instructor to make a living wage as well. Hopefully there will be enough backlash from this article that Quilts, Inc will see the light and pay their instructors a decent wage in addition to covering their expenses.
Fifteen dollars per student for three hours is $5/hour. How much do teenaged babysitters get paid? And if you tell that sitter she/he will take care of 15 kids, wouldn’t the rate per hour go up? Every piece of information I read about quilting as a business reinforces that a few people make a lot of money in quilting. For the most part, that is not authors, teachers, quilters, pattern designers, fabric designers, fabric manufacturing employees, quilt shop owners…
I pay my sitters at least minimum wage 7.25 and often more. Great article because as someone in the knitting/yarn world we have similar issues although I think it is much better overall than this. As someone said customers if they truly want something don’t blink at $26 hand dyed yarn Nd spend hundreds of dollars to go to a big show. I actually think knitting is more affordable than quilting but there is tons of crossover between the craft which we love.
Abby,
Thanks for bringing this discussion out in the open. I just had my first year teaching at Houston. I had a great experience, meeting students from all over the world. That being said, in the teacher’s lounge there was plenty of talk about this issue, and I was appalled to learn that the teachers have never had a raise since the beginning of the Festival. So, yes it’s a lot of work to plan, do paper work, travel, feed yourself, prepare kits, teach, etc. I don’t believe we are fairly compensated for all of that. I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m glad we are all talking about it openly now.
Wow! This is unbelievably disheartening!
I am just learning about the quilting industry and enjoying my adventure. Im sad to learn about this behind-the-scenes treatment of the people who help facilitate my knowledge. I don’t mean I know them personally, but I feel for them as a collective group of people who share their love of quilting and are skilled enough to support themselves with it.
I just can’t believe that, in this day and age, professionals are being paid such an unfair wage. How humiliating for these teachers to be treated as if they should be lucky to get a class spot. I understand that many others are waiting to take their spots if they quit but I’m sure that as soon as the new teacher had their first festival experience, they’d be echoing their predecessors thoughts.
My desire to attend quilt festival definitely hinges on the classes provided. I’m sure Quilts, Inc is aware of that and makes money from Ali’s at their teacher expense!
Maybe that’s what Quilt, Inc is counting on? t
Longarmers have always demanded top dollar. It started at the Machine quilting shows. And when other shows began offering longarm classes, if they wanted the top teachers they had to pay and they do. Other large shows, such as Road to California Quilters Conference & Showcase and AQS pay fairly as far as I’ve experienced. I name a price I’m willing to teach the class for, regardless of the number of students, and that’s what I get, in addition to expenses. My price is the same regardless of where I teach (with some exceptions of course). If teachers are settling for less, then that’s their problem, not the show or organization. Why bash the show? Just my two cents…
Hi Cathy, I really didn’t intend to bash the show and I don’t think I did. My goal here was to bring to the surface the feelings of many teachers who have worked at IQF for years and felt afraid to express them openly with their name attached. I feel like when we are able to talk together about what’s being offered, and when we have full information, we can make good decisions for our own businesses and we can also work together to make change.
and I don’t think the pay per student is the problem. It’s the expenses. With a full class, say 24 students, thats $350 to $700 a day. That’s fair. It’s the expenses that should be covered.
Absolutely absurd! Their rules against teaching elsewhere for two weeks on either side of the Festival, combined with the low pay and not paying travel/hotel/food expenses, make teaching there untenable! I won’t go to Festival and take classes and I’ll spread the word via social media. If everyone understood this inequity and acted together, things would change. Whenever I have taken a class at a show, I always assumed that the teacher received at least half of the cost of the class from each student! If the really great teachers stopped paying to teach and their places were taken by others who aren’t as good, Festival’s reputation would suffer. It is a symbiotic relationship, but Quilts. Inc. is definitely the parasite!
Thank you for sharing this information. I believe everyone should be paid fairly for the expertise. I have never felt that I would get my money’s worth out of big shows. I would rather spend my money at local quilt shows where I know the teachers and businesses are getting the money not so greedy organization. I believe in supporting local. We still manage to get the great teachers to come to our quilds and shows.
Abby, if I could only follow one blogger, you would be that blogger and it is precisely for articles like this. Thank you for shining the light on industry practices and for giving makers a platform like you do in your blog and podcasts.
I am not a teacher but just like I don’t want to buy clothing that was crafted in a sweatshop, I don’t want the quilting instructors I love to not be compensated fairly. I assumed traveling expenses were covered and teachers were paid fairly at IQS. I attended this year but may not next year if my partipation plays a part in contributing to this situation. I would happily pay much more if the money was going to the teachers.
I am happy to say that my Modern Quilt Guild is bring Sherri Lynn Wood to teach us next year and I can’t wait. Maybe teachers will find quilt guilds a more hospitable host.
This is such an interesting conversation. As I am beginning to travel and teach this sheds a great deal of light into decisions. It is hard to put a price on yourself and your knowledge. I spoke with Gwen Marston about this very issue several years ago and she laughed when I asked her about teaching at IQF. I know see why.
Last I heard this is a voluntary endeavor. If the teachers think they make too little, don’t teach there. When the pool dries up, then pay and/or expenses will rise. This doesn’t happen because the teachers like the exposure and the prestige of teaching at the festival (which has a monetary value also).
I’m so glad that this is out in the open and will no doubt spread. I am appalled that this organization, so exemplary in many ways, is so exploitative and greedy. Really, this is just unbelievable! I have friends who teach for guilds and are paid what they charge, plus all expenses. I’m also involved in hiring lecturers/teachers for our guild, so I’ve seen what’s being charged. Fees vary, of course, but I don’t know of teachers who are paid per student. (I believe some quilt shops do pay per student.) Our guild will cancel a class if not enough quilters sign up, but that has not happened in many years.
In this day and age, with all the talk of compensating women fairly, this is unacceptable.
I think it’s important to point out that teachers at IQF are paid per student who actually shows up for the class. So if 25 students register and pay up front, but only 20 actually show up, the teacher only gets paid for the 20 who show. Quilts, Inc. retains the tuition of the no-shows. One of the teachers I spoke with felt that the tuition of the no-shows should be split between Quilts, Inc. and the instructor.
We as teachers also prepare and ship supplies for all who sign up plus extra in case people sign up at the last minute – but do not get reimbursed for any of that if they don’t show up.
Teachers do have a choice about whether to apply or not and it is certainly all of the intangibles that drive us to do so. Recognition, the opportunity to network with new students and to find other opportunities to teach. There are amazing things that happen at IQF every time I go. I truly appreciate what IQF has done for the world of quilting. I simply don’t understand why they choose not to pay their teachers a fair wage or cover their expenses. There seems to be no good reason not to do so. They should be the flagship organization that sets the standard. They have made the world a better place in so many other areas…. why not this one? If every other venue, large and small is able to pay my expenses, why not the mother-ship?
I feel the need and desire to be there, but cannot afford to go so I work there to pay my expenses. It is the hardest work I do of any gig any year, for the very least amount of money. Really – we DO love IQF and those who have built it to what it is. So it is such a cognizant dissonance trying to understand their reasoning behind not paying the teachers expenses.
I have taught at Quilts Inc for a number of years. The plus points are
Organized friendly staff who handle so much to make the show and classes happen
Getting to see other teachers, students from around the world, seeing the show and vendors.
Spending time with my quilting friends who come in from other cities.
Working out ahead of time my class presentation, instruction handout and kits so I have become much more organized in my teaching which has benefited me when I present to guilds or other organizations.
When I look at attending the show just for myself, I look at my expenses. I have chosen to teach to cover my expenses so I can have the pleasure of being at the show. A huge profit from teaching there hasn’t happened but all the rest above makes it well worth it to me. So I continue to apply and when accepted, have a great time! It is a treat for me to attend, regardless of all the prep work, work at the show and wrap up afterwards. It is worth it to me for that once a year treat. I am willing to work for that treat.
Just to further clarify. After going back and forth with three teachers and with a representative from Quilts, Inc. about this point I stand corrected. Teachers are now compensated for all enrolled students, not just students who actually show for the class. It seems as though this policy was updated sometime over the last few years.
I’ve only been to Houston once, and did not take any classes. It sounds like Quilts Inc is exploiting the teachers, but isn’t it the non-profit wing of the organization that runs the show? Who, then, is paying the teachers and profiting from the take at the gate? Makes one wonder you know?
Hi Eileen, One of the interesting things that came up when I spoke with the ten teachers for this article was the confusion about who runs International Quilt Festival. Almost all of the instructors knew that there was an non-profit involved, and many felt that perhaps this was at least a partial explanation of why the pay was so low. For me there are two things to clarify here. First is that non-profit organizations pay their professional staff and contractors market rate for their services. Working for a non-profit doesn’t mean that you don’t earn a fair wage. And second, although the World of Beauty quilt show and some of the specialty parts of Quilt Festival are run by a non-profit, the show itself, including the workshops discussed in this article, are hosted by Quilts, Inc. which is a for-profit organization.
This is definitely another example of women not getting paid fairly for their work. This a lot along the same lines as an earlier article of Abby’s on her blog about fabric designers not being adequately compensated.
This is unfortunately not just a quilting show related problem. Many professionals in the creative industries do not get paid fairly. Of course professionals could not teach/design/photograph for those who pay unfairly. That is not the problem or solution! We all need to be educated as to what fair pay and fair work is and demand that professionals be paid what they deserve. (This includes us as consumers paying what is fair for products, not what is cheapest.) This also means that others should NOT step in and take the lower rates. You are then lowering your own profits for the future. You are also personally responsible for helping downgrade and subjugate your industry. We should as individuals and as the public celebrate and support and stand up for those we learn from and who’s goods we enjoy.
I think it would be interesting to know whether the organizers are also making little on the Festival, or, if they are profiting on the backs of their low paid teachers. If that is so, it’s a travesty. I don’t know how much participants are paying for the classes, but if they are paying in the hundreds and the teacher is being paid $15, then there is a big problem. Having organized conferences I do know that hotels are pricey venues and organizers pay dearly for each and every service and space that is provided. I think projecting the number of classes and the number of participants by the price paid per participant would give a balanced picture, or not.
Quilts Inc runs Quilt Market, which is trade show that is the week before Quilt Festival. I believe they also run the vendor area of Quilt Festival. I would assume that the majority of their revenue comes from vendor booths at both shows.
Yes, they do run the vendor area as well as the workshops.
As a former VP of a Virginia quilt guild chapter, I always asked the teacher their rate before getting them to teach. Our contract stated we would pay for hotel, food, airline flight, & their rate. Also included was the rate would be paid whether the class made or not. Only one class made after the Friday night lecture. A check was ready for the teacher before class. I had to pay from my pocket one teacher. Now some teachers travel to these nice places for classes. I paid over $1,500 for a one week class & my own airline ticket + hotel. Food & kits were included. There were 12 of us in class. Machines were furnished.
Teachers should get paid well. Students pay to attends American Sewing Guild conventions. I paid but was local. I dream of the time I can attend every year. As for Houston, I won’t take a class. I’m disappointed Quilts, Inc pays for the fees to rent the convention center & fees associated with it, but teacher pay is low. Expenses should be teimbursed. Rooms paid for & food allowance. Teachers look up the federal travel allowance for Houston. The rate you pay for a room is the going rate in DC. It is terrible Quilts, Inc won’t pay the federal travel rate for room & food. It sounds like they should try to get a much better room rate than $220/night per person. That’s ridiculous considering summer is over.
The per student pay policy as well as the fact that Quilts Inc. expected you to teach even if you only had a few students pretty much sealed the deal for me. I never applied to teach at the show and this despite the fact that I live within driving distance and my folks live in Houston and would house me for free.
I think some of the onus is on the students. They want to take classes with great teachers, but pay very little for that experience. Whenever you get something super cheap you have to wonder who is paying for that. Because somebody is.
I spoke with an eleventh teacher today who reached out to me. She told me that the pay rate for teachers at IQF has been the same since at least 1998 which would make it 17 years since it has been updated.
I am not a teacher, cannot travel but will take classes taught by these knowledgeable artists whenever they come to my home town. Today, reading your article I came to the paragraph that stated”……most of us in the Quilt World know that if we speak out, those amazing , strong Texas women HAVE THE POWER TO GREATLY DAMAGE OUR CAREERS.” That sentence made me gasp,
and spit out my coffee, and re-read the paragraph. I only hope this was said with “tongue in cheek” because no one should live and work in fear. I wholeheartedly agree that a discussion and possibly a mediator between the two parties should be set up After all, there is always two sides to a story. Must go now and clean up this coffee mess.
In all honesty, Dalle, I don’t think that statement was said tongue in cheek. Most of the teachers I spoke with depend on the income from their quilting career to live on. There is real fear of saying or doing something that could put that at risk.
I have been a student in a few IQF classes and thought that they were extremely inexpensive compared to other classes I’ve taken.
I would like the name/s, and addresses/email of persons form Quilts Inc to write to about this issue. To make changes there needs to be a demand/reason from the patrons of IQF. Please keep me in the loop of this discussion.
I am willing to pay more to attend classes of excellent teachers as I have in many other venues.
Hi Jollyne, I think the best person to write to at Quilts, Inc. might be Judy Murrah? She’s the vice president of education and administration. Her email address is judym at quilts dot com.
Okay. I am new to all of this. I am at the point in my career that I have things to offer and am considering teaching. Can anyone tell me what I should be asking for my time? I was asked by one guild to come speak to them and, after it was over, was told my several in the know that I should have asked for more money for my time. Is there somewhere I can do to see what the standards are? I do understand that it will probably depend on teaching experience, etc. but I want to try to understand where I should start from. And, I would think that payment for a presentation of my work, etc. would be different from a class. And the class payment would depend on the length of the class. Can anyone help? Thank you!
Hi Rhonda,
Great questions! One of our goals at Craft Industry Alliance is to provide that sort of information because as you said it’s currently very difficult to find. We will have an article for members within the next few months about teaching nationally.
Look around at as many teacher websites as you can and see if they post their contract prices online. Because you are a beginner on the circuit try to compare yourself to people who you think might be in your same expertise and experience range. Be careful not to sell yourself short – it takes a HUGE amount of time to prepare a class, test it out on friends, pack, travel, make kits, make handouts etc. It’s a fabulous profession though – quilters and crafters are the BEST people to play with!
I spoke recently with two teachers who teach at Quilt Con and I wanted to post here what the pay rate looks like there because I think it’s an equally prestigious, if much newer, show. Quilt Con asks its instructors for their rates. One instructor I spoke with said $600 for a full day class and another said $800. Both got what they asked for and travel plus hotel is covered for the time you’re teaching. Essentially Quilt Con is offering what guilds offer. To me this says it’s possible for a large, prestigious show to pay their teachers market rate and cover expenses.
I have taught at a machine quilting show here in Australia (once) and no expenses were covered. I can’t afford to do that so I haven’t done it since. It might be that the more well known teachers had their expenses covered but I can’t afford to subsidise the show organisers.
I have since built a small cottage on our property and am in the process of getting some classes going, both local and national teachers. I ask them, the teachers,what their costs are and the class costs are worked out based on that. It means I have to work harder to get students in so I’m not out of pocket, but if students want to attend a class then they need to pay a fair price. Our fabric is anywhere upwards of AUD$20 per metre, so the whole industry is expensive.
One last thing, sorry, I also work very part time in a fabric/art shop and art supplies are way more expensive than quilting supplies. I was shocked!
After 25+ years traveling the quilting highway, both in the US and internationally, I retired at the end of 2014. I taught in Houston many, many times….usually in conjunction with a book release when my publisher paid my expenses. Being on the faculty can certainly help to generate name recognition. BUT teaching workshops there can also be a negative in ways that aren’t measured in the fees you earn (or don’t earn). For instance, other show organizers have been moving toward IQF’s policies. Some major shows now only pay expenses for what they call ‘full time teachers’. This results in the hiring of fewer established instructors in favor of vendors and often more inexperienced teachers who generally only teach one or two classes each. Eliminating the cost of expenses saves them lots of $$. The more this format is accepted by instructors, the bigger the chance that soon everyone will adopt the formula of not paying any expenses.
As my career evolved, I offered mainly technique only classes…..the majority focused on beading on fiber. I had to eliminate providing illustration handouts since they were so freely shared by students, which of course can impact book sales. Many students attending IQF are already experienced and probably teaching at their local level. They can and do take workshops simply to learn a new method (really that’s what classes are for)….but the problem is they go back to their hometown and teach my class! In no way can they learn all the ins and outs of this subject well enough in a 3 hr. workshop. So instead of turning folks on to beading on fiber, they could easily turn them off with their inadequately understood overview of the subject. It’s taken me years to develop my methods and HOW TO TEACH them….one can not absorb it in a half day workshop. Of course that’s not always the case but it seemed to me that I’d be hurting my chances for the local guild to hire me if a local quilter is doing the same thing. So, about 7 years ago I decided to no longer teach at IQF.
Bottom line…..as online classes continue to expand, there are less and less jobs available. I marvel at all the experiences I’ve enjoyed over the years and thank my lucky stars I traveled when I did. At times I had to remind myself….is this a hobby or a profession? That meant sometimes I said no to a job offer when there was little or no profit possibilities. WE have to remember….businesses are in the business of making money….we can’t begrudge that……but we too have to make a profit. If that isn’t a possibility for you, the instructor….then just say no and look for teaching opportunities elsewhere.