Great Teachers 07-03-12

If we are lucky we have teachers who change our lives and cause us to swing into a different direction in whatever field we are pursuing.  I have taken classes in needlework and textiles most of my life and two teachers stand out for me:  Ruth McDowell and Constance Howard.  They both have a gift for leading students into experimentation and yet they each teach an exacting technique in which they specialize. 

 
Ruth B. McDowell
Ruth's version of traditional piecing where the patches are cut and sewn face to face, the seam opened and pressed, allows a patient and committed quiltmaker to create just about anything she can sew together. Her analytical mind is able to quantify her ideas and translate them into a language that her students understand.  It was very difficult for me to say goodbye to Ruth in Montana where she was teaching her last classes before retiring.  I'll continue to use her methods and turn to her books and my 22 years of notes for inspiration and solutions to the problems I encounter.  I'll miss her lessons and her wit.
 

 
Constance Howard, the doyenne of British embroidery.  1910 - 2000
The British include many different techniques under the heading "embroidery" and Constance was versed in all of them.  She started the textile department at Goldsmith's College in London, serving as Dean for many years.  She also taught all over the world and wrote many books that are still treasured today.  While taking her classes we became friends and she visited me when she was in California on teaching trips.  She died on July 2, 2000, and I have missed her very much over the ensuing years.  

The ability to be a good teacher is a gift that requires hard work and constant learning.  I appreciate all the teachers I have learned from all my life.  I thank them all.