Shannon Brinkley Studio Certified Teacher Program
Make a living doing what you love.
Four Certification Options
Choose to become certified in the following:
Get Certified
Learn the content inside and out.
Learn the common challenges, mistakes, and how to best teach the curriculum. You'll get absolutely everything you need to start and grow your teaching business.
Book Events
Start reaching out to guilds to fill your teaching calendar.
You'll also be featured on our website as a certified teacher and will get referrals from us.
Start Teaching!
Become a teacher!
By the end of the certification program you will be ready to facilitate fun, inspiring, and profitable workshops that your students can't help but tell all their friends about.
Income You
Can Count On
One of my favorite things about this source of income, other than engaging with other amazing quilters, is that you can know and plan for how much money you will make each month.
Since you will have set fees and signed contracts you can budget and plan your income in advance.
Become a Quilt Teacher
Teaching in-person (or virtual) events for guilds & shops is the quickest and simplest way to bring in steady income in the quilting industry. With these popular and tested curriculum that are in high demand you shouldn't have any problem filling up your calendar.
At a typical in-person event you could earn:
- $300+ for a Lecture/Program
- $500+ for a Workshop
- $200 or more in Product Sales
Total: $1,000 or more per event
This is a rough estimate. You can always determine your own rates and your product sales will vary. Some guilds / shops choose to book more or less events, which will adjust how much you'll make.
Teach Virtually!
Not interested in traveling for any or all of your events? Since covid, a lot of guilds have begun having teachers present and teach virtually on a regular basis.
This will allow you to speak/teach at guilds all over the world without having to leave the comfort of your own home and book many more events each month, since you don't have to factor in the time and energy of travel.
Four Certification Options
Choose to become certified in one, two, three or all four of the following:
About Scrappy Applique™
Scrappy Appliqué™ is a raw-edge appliqué technique where you collage scrap fabric to create your appliqué piece. It is quick and simple to pick up, yet allows for a lot of creative possibilities.
As a Scrappy Applique Certified Teacher, you will:
- become an expert in Scrappy Applique
- learn all the different finishing options, ranging from quick and simple to more intricate
- learn how to explain, present, and teach Scrappy Appliqué in a concise, easy to understand, and inspiring way
- learn how to facilitate relaxing and fun programs/workshops that help your students have a blast and explore their own creativity
- learn all the most common mistakes (and how to prevent them) and all the common questions (and how to answer them)
- be able to offer Programs/Lectures/Trunk Shows for quilt guilds, shops, retreats, or other events (you'll get my exact script, hand-outs, teaching aids, photos, and slideshows that you can tweak and use however you'd like)
- be able to offer multiple Scrappy Applique Workshops, including:
- a General Scrappy Applique Workshop where everyone chooses a different pattern and you go through the same process together (this is what I teach most often)
- A themed workshop, like Skylines, or Animals, or Maps, where everyone chooses a different skyline or animal or map (there are around 200 different patterns to choose from).
- Workshops can be half day, full day, or 2 day, depending on the level of detail you include, so guilds have options about what they want to pick, and you have options about what you want to offer
- Bonus "Exploring Applique" Workshop: this is included in the Scrappy Applique Certified Teacher Training. You'll learn how to teach this fun workshop where students will explore lots of different applique finishing options, including couching, reverse applique, different machine appliqué stitches, and "faux needle-turn applique".
- become an incredible teacher who can facilitate a relaxing and fun workshop, where students can work at their own pace, and create something that is uniquely their own
Lots of Patterns
Your students can choose from around 200 different Scrappy Applique patterns. You can sell these as printed patterns or share your unique link that will earn you commissions from digital pattern sales.
Scrappy Appliqué is a crowd favorite in any guild or shop, no matter if it's more of a modern, traditional, or art quilt focus.
It is SO much fun to do and even more fun to teach.
Students LOVE Scrappy Applique because:
- it is laid back
- you don't have to be precise-- no rulers required
- there is a lot of room for creativity while still having a structure and steps-- this is very comforting for those nervous to go "outside the box"
- Students can move at their own pace
- It's quick. They can finish (or nearly finish) a quilt top in one class!
- There are so many cute patterns. Since it's so fast, they can make lots of projects easily, so are excited to buy lots of patterns from you
- They walk away from the Scrappy Applique program or workshop relaxed, inspired, and excited.
About Color Confidence for Quilters™
Color Confidence for Quilters™ is a full Color Curriculum that takes quilters from unsure and insecure in their color abilities to being able to confidently mix and match all the fabrics in their stash to create fabric palettes that are beautiful, unique, and perfect for all their individual quilt projects.
The Full Color Curriculum Covers:
- the Art & Science of Color
- The 4 Elements of Color
- Understanding tone
- Working with Neutrals and Undertones
- Print & Pattern Mixing
- and more!
Additional Classes on fun topics like:
- How to define your "Color Style" and get outside your "Color Comfort Zone"
- Simple & Creative Color Formulas to make fabric selection a pleasure and a breeze
- How to use Color to affect the mood of your quilt
As a Color Confidence for Quilters Certified Teacher, you will:
- become a color expert
- learn the complete Color Confidence for Quilters Curriculum
- learn how to explain, present, and teach color theory in a concise, easy to understand, and inspiring way that is uniquely suited for quilters
- learn to speak the language of color, and share it in an easy to remember and non-intimidating way
- learn how to facilitate relaxing and fun programs/workshops that help your students have a blast and put into practice the color concepts you teach
- be able to teach quilters how practically to use their color knowledge to make more beautiful quilts
- help quilters learn to mix and match the fabrics in their stash so they are not reliant on pre-cuts or bundles
- be able to offer Programs/Lectures/Trunk Shows for quilt guilds, shops, retreats, or other events (you'll get my exact script, hand-outs, teaching aids, photos, and slideshows that you can tweak and use however you'd like)
- be able to offer multiple Color Confidence for Quilters Workshops, including:
- All about Hue: Mastering the Color Wheel
- Using Value to Create Impact
- The 4 Elements of Color
- Discovering Your Unique Color Formula
- Get Outside Your "Color Comfort Zone"
- Color Psychology: How to Choose Colors to Evoke Emotions in your Quilts
- Photo Fabric Pulls: Using cherished photographs to inspire your fabric pull
- And more!
- become an incredible teacher who can facilitate a relaxing and fun workshop, where students can explore at their own pace, and walk away with A LOT of knowledge and tools added to their tool belts
A Complete System to Make Your Own
The Color Confidence for Quilters™ Teacher Training is organized into blocks that you can mix and match to build your own programs, workshops, or workshop series.
This allows you to offer many different workshops to the same few guilds. This is HUGE. This means you can create a good relationship with a few guilds and come back over and over, teaching new and exciting content. This will make your job a lot easier. You could:
- Teach at a retreat and offer new classes each day
- Teach a 6 month Color Confidence for Quilters series via Zoom for different guilds, sharing one color program at every guild meeting, or a new workshop each month
- If you already teach, this pairs perfectly with any other quilting workshops, since all quilters can benefit from mastering color
"I got my first signed contract and payment for a Color Confidence class today! Four more booked, and four pending. I'm loving this!"
Lois Mease
Color Confidence Certified Teacher
"Before I joined the Shannon Brinkley Certified Teacher program, I was sporadically leading classes at local quilt shops and cold calling guilds with mixed results. Being a CT enabled me to teach at national conventions, which provided me the opportunity to collaborate with global brands. The CT program provided me with the structured roadmap to teach recognized and exciting curriculum and allowed me to break through into teaching circles I had longed to join for years. "
Nicole Gilbert
Certified Teacher
"Since completing certification in both Color Confidence for Quilters and Scrappy Applique, I have elevated my own quilting business, and it has allowed me to meet with other quilters around the country. The next couple of years are going to be hectic as I move from one phase of my life to the next. Being a CT teacher is a great part of this change for me. "
Sandra Miller
Certified Teacher
"The Certified Teacher program was a game changer for me. Before the program I had no career in the craft or quilt making industry, but thought it would be a great way to meet people, share something I loved, and make some additional money. The program gave me the knowledge, confidence, and skills to successfully start my first business which has led to HUGE success. It's been a lot of work on my part, but it has paid off since I've been teaching both nationally and internationally online, as well as in person all over the state of California with steady bookings for the next 2 years. "
Kristie Naranjo
Certified Teacher
"After I got certified in Scrappy Applique and Color Confidence for Quilters, I started teaching at local quilt stores, scheduled to teach at local quilt guilds, and traveled to teach internationally. What I love the most about CT programs is that I have the flexibility to create my own schedule, meet new people and create extra income for my family. Shannon's CT programs are extremely packed with tons of great tools for you to start a career as a teacher in a crafty world. Shannon and all mentor teachers will help you throughout the course. I have gained lots of confidence from the CT programs enough to call myself a quilt instructor. "
Ora Hart
Certified Teacher
"The CT program gave me my "foot in the door" to the quilting business. Through this program, I gained the tools and insight into the quilting business that allowed me to have the confidence to approach guilds, shops, and quilt shows and propose my guilting instruction. Teaching was natural to me, but how to break into this industry was not. Now, I'm happy to report that my guilt teaching is a significant part of my business. "
Deb Atchison
Certified Teacher
About Portrait Quilting™
Portrait Quilting is a raw-edge appliqué technique where you focus on value to create contrast. Using a photograph of a friend, beloved pet, or family member you can create an appliqué piece that is quick and simple yet produces amazing results.
As a Portrait Quilting Certified Teacher, you will:
- become an expert in Portrait Quilting
- learn all the different finishing options, ranging from quick and simple to more intricate
- learn how to explain, present, and teach Portrait Quilting in a concise, easy to understand, and inspiring way
- learn how to facilitate relaxing and fun programs/workshops that help your students have a blast and explore their own creativity
- learn all the most common mistakes (and how to prevent them) and all the common questions (and how to answer them)
- be able to offer Programs/Lectures/Trunk Shows for quilt guilds, shops, retreats, or other events (you'll get my exact script, hand-outs, teaching aids, photos, and slideshows that you can tweak and use however you'd like)
- be able to offer multiple Portrait Quilting Workshops, including:
- How to help your students transform beloved family photographs into usable patterns for their very own personalized Portrait Quilts.
- In addition to photograph based Portrait Quilting Workshops, you will be able to teach and facilitate additional workshops using the same core technique with other patterns, like our Rose Pattern!
- You'll be able to teach a number of additional embellishing techniques to add more detail and interest to the quilts.
- You'll be able to offer half day, full day, or two day workshops for guilds, shops, retreats, or other events.
- You'll learn how to guide your students into choosing fabric that will not only work well for their pattern (the right values are crucial with this technique) but fits their personal style. You'll be able to guide them to choose the right solids, textured solids, or prints, depending on the look their going for.
- Portrait Quilting is by far one of our most popular workshops in Meander, as everyone loves the idea of personalizing a quilt to honor a beloved family member. Plus the added benefit that it is a MUCH easier technique than it looks -- your students will love how simple and streamlined it is, allowing them to achieve amazing results no matter their illustration skills.
About IMBUE™
Grow a natural fabric dyeing practice, and literally Imbue your fabric and yarn with nature. In this program, you will not only learn a myriad of techniques and recipes, to dye the rainbow and add pattern to your fibers, you will develop a deeper relationship with the natural world around you and your art materials, and help your students do the same.
As an Imbue Certified Teacher, you will:
- become an expert in Natural Fabric Dyeing, developing your own Natural Dye practice that suites your style, creative values, and location.
- learn the complete Imbue Curriculum.
- learn how to explain, present, and teach natural dyeing in a concise, easy to understand, and inspiring way that is uniquely suited for makers.
- learn how to facilitate relaxing and fun programs/workshops that help your students explore natural dyeing techniques in the time and space available to them.
- You'll be able to practice and teach using plants, insect resin, extracts, and other natural materials to create vibrant color on cellulose (cotton, linen, bamboo, rayon, etc) as well as protien (silk, wool) fibers. Whether you prefer to dye and teach working with fabric, yarn, thread, roving, etc, you can shape this dyeing and teaching practice to suite your (and your customers') preferences.
- Take what could be a messy and chaotic process, and follow my streamlined, super organized class plans, to facilitate the most efficient and inspiring (and safe!) dyeing workshops possible!
- As an Imbue Certified Teacher, you will be able to teach multiple different workshop, this allows you to significantly increase your revenue potential easily, as you can revisit the same shops, guilds, or other groups multiple times. A few of the many workshops you'll be able to offer include:
- Dye the Rainbow in a Day!
- Indigo Vat & Shibori
- The Color of (your location): Dyeing with Local and Seasonal Materials
- How to Design, Start, and Maintain your own Dye Garden
- Eco Printing
- Flower Printing (pounding)
- Making Paint from dyes, ochres, and leftover dye baths
- Fabric Painting and Printing (even if you can't draw!)
- All about Ochres: exploring, collecting, and working with natural ochres
- Expand your palette: explore modifiers to achieve many different colors from one dye
- Resist Printing
- Wearing Flowers: Dye, paint, and print your own wardrobe!
- Foraging for Dye: guided nature walk and responsible foraging class
- and more!
- You'll be able to offer multiple lectures, half day, full day, and multi-day workshops, depending on the guild's preferences, schedules, and spaces available.
- I have designed workshops that can suite any space and set up, from outdoor, to indoor with no heat source, to indoor with a stove top, so you can meet the needs of whoever you are working with.
- Since you can dye with any type of fiber, you can reach beyond quilt guilds and shops into sewing, knitting, and fiber shops, guilds, clubs, events, local colleges, and many other groups interested in dyeing with nature.
A Complete "Business in a Box"
One of our Certified Teachers describes our program as a "Business in a Box", which it is! We give you everything you need for your teaching business.
All of the content and tools that took me YEARS to develop and perfect, we give it all to you.
Save SO MUCH time, energy, & money
Eliminate ALL this work, and get right to the fun stuff.
With the Certified Teacher Program, you can Eliminate:
>> The time and energy it takes to come up with a method or technique, make samples, create a workshop and patterns, and start testing them with actual quilters.
>>Then the time to tweak and refine this into a streamlined process and curriculum that works, with all the bumps ironed out. This can take YEARS.
>>Then the time to create name and brand recognition, and "get your name out there"
You can skip all of that.
No need to reinvent the wheel, take our already built and perfected wheel and get rolling!
What's Included
There is a lot included with your certification! Click on each to see the details.
We'll dive deep into the curriculum so you understand it inside and out. I've taught these workshops countless times and can share all of the common questions, mistakes, and areas of confusion so that you can facilitate a fun, laid-back, and inspiring workshop.
- Pre-Work: Once you sign up you'll get access to the certified teacher training portal where you'll find a full, pre-recorded curriculum that you can dive into right away. You'll start going through the curriculum and making teaching samples, to prepare for the upcoming teacher training.
- Teacher Training: We offer the Teacher Training twice a year, in the early Spring and Fall. (Spring 2024 starts in Feb), we will be releasing the pre-recorded teacher training curriculum that you can begin to work through at your own pace. We will also begin our Mentor Sessions, where you will meet as a group with Shannon, and/or your Certified Teacher Mentor to answer any questions you have, practice teaching the material, and get feedback.
*Can't make all the sessions live? No worries, all mentor sessions will be recorded and posted to the site.
**Wanting to get certified in multiple programs, no worries! We recommend focusing on one at a time, so you can plan to do your first program in the Spring, the second in the Fall, and others the following year. This way you can still take advantage of the significant discount of purchasing multiple up front, and get certified and start teaching one at a time. This will time things perfectly, as you'll be able to revisit guilds the following year with new programs!
- Teachback: You'll finish your training and get certified once. your mentor observes you teaching all or part of the workshop, provide you feedback, and once ready, you'll receive your contract to sign that will allow you to start teaching!
You'll be certified for 1 year to teach Scrappy Applique, Color Confidence, Portrait Quilting, or Imbue from the time you sign your licensing contract.
We do not take a cut of the events you book, there is simply an annual licensing renewal fee of $497 per program.
So as long as you book one or two events per year, everything else you make is pure profit!
Guilds are constantly reaching out to me to come teach my programs. Once certified, you will be featured on our website, which is where we send all the guilds who contact us asking about events.
We'll start you off with a box of materials that you can sell at your events. All valued at over $500!
For Scrappy Applique Certified Teachers:
A mix of Shannon Brinkley's Scrappy Applique Patterns and a Scrappy Applique Workbook
For Color Confidence Certified Teachers:
- Color Wheels, Color Workbook, and additional Color tools
For Portrait Quilting Certified Teachers:
- A Portrait Quilting Workbook
- Portrait Quilting Patterns
For Imbue Certified Teachers
- A Imbue Workbook
- Fabric Printing Templates/Patterns
We'll start you off with a super helpful kit of resources that includes:
- Your own wholesale link to use to purchase Patterns, Books, and other products at 50% off retail to re-sell at your events
- Workbook, training docs and learning content to assist in creating your own events
- Class Guide / Materials lists that you can customize for your own business
- A contract template that you can use to book your events
- Workshop/program scripts that you can refer for your events
- Photos and slideshows you can use when teaching in person or virtual events
- My exact process and email scripts I used to fill up my event calendar
One of our Certified Teachers described our training and materials as a "Business in a Box", which it is! We give you everything you need for your teaching business! All of the content and tools took me YEARS to develop, and we give it all to you!
Included are all the templates you will need to start teaching, which will save you SO much time.
Included:
- Contract Template that you can send guilds or shops when you book an event
- Materials List and Class Guides for your workshops
- Pricing Sheet Template that you'll send to guilds
- Sample script for how to reach out to guilds via email to book you! These are the exact emails I sent when I first got started that filled up my calendar!
- Slideshow for your virtual Program/Trunk Show
Once enrolled, you will be placed with a Certified Teacher Mentor. Our mentors have been teaching the content and building their businesses, and will be able to provide lots of advice and guidance as you move through your training and start your business.
You will have regular group sessions with your mentor where you can ask questions, practice teaching, and get feedback, all in a supportive, encouraging environment.
Our CT community is SO supportive and encouraging of each other. We believe a rising tide lifts all boats, and we love cheering each other on and celebrating our successes.
Teacher Certification Options
Become certified in Scrappy Appliqué, in Color Confidence, Portrait Quilting, Imbue or all four. To avoid "saturating the market", we are limiting enrollment for each program.
One Program
$2,997
One payment
Training in 1 Certification Program
1 Year's Certification / Licensing
Mentorship Program
Resources & Materials
Teaching Referrals
Website Feature
Bonus: Product Starter Kit
Two Programs
$4,997
One payment
Training in 2 Certification programs
1 Year's Certifications / Licensing
Mentorship Program
Resources & Materials
Teaching Referrals
Website Feature
Bonus: Product Starter Kits
Three Programs
$6,997
One payment
Training in 3 Certification programs
1 Year's Certification / Licensing
Mentorship Program
Resources & Materials
Teaching Referrals
Website Feature
Bonus: Product Starter Kit
Four Programs
$8,997
One Payment
Training in 4 Certification programs
1 Year's Certification / Licensing
Mentorship Program
Resources & Materials
Teaching Referrals
Website Feature
Bonus: Product Starter Kit
Payment Plan Options
If you'd prefer, you can choose a 6 or 12 month payment plan. Keep in mind that your certification training must be paid off before you begin teaching.
Annual Licensing Fee
We do not take a cut of the events you book (even those we refer to you), there is simply an annual licensing renewal fee.
Upon completing the Certification Program, you'll be certified for 1 year to teach Scrappy Applique, Color Confidence, Portrait Quilting, Imbue or a combination of these programs from the time you sign your licensing contract. The certification is a one time fee, but there will be an annual license renewal fee.
As long as you book one or two events per year, everything else you make is pure profit!
*The License Renewal fee will be due one year from when you sign your Licensing Contract. If you'd like to wait a few months before signing your contract and starting to teach, that is fine.
Enroll Risk Free
30 day money back guarantee
If for any reason you are unhappy with this certification program, you can receive a full refund within 30 days of purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We understand that everyone has real lives with things to do during the day. All live sessions are recorded.
No problem! You can go through the program at your own pace. There is no time limit to finish you certification.
Your 1-year license begins not when you sign up, but when you complete the Certification Program and sign your Licensing Contract. So if you'd like to wait a few months before signing your contract and starting to teach, that is fine!
If we offer the Teacher Certification Training again, it will most likely not be until 2024, and may be a higher price.
To receive your certification and begin teaching you'll need to:
- Complete your Pre-Work
- Watch the Recorded Training (and take the quizzes)
- Create and submit photos of all Workshop Samples
- Be observed teaching by your Mentor; be approved by Mentor
- Sign the Licensing Agreement
Anywhere! You can teach for quilt guilds, shows, shops, wherever you'd like. You can also teach virtually so you can reach quilters all around the world!
You'll meet your Certified Teacher Mentor right up front during our kick-off call. After you've completed the training sessions you and other trainees will begin working with your Mentor in group virtual sessions. You'll have the opportunity to practice your teach-backs, listen to others practice their teach-backs, ask questions, and get feedback. Your Mentor will help guide you through everything you'll need to do to become fully certified.
For all the certification programs, you'll be able to offer a Program/Lecture as well as a variety of workshops! I'll show you how to teach the curriculum in a half-day, full-day, or 2-day workshop, so you can book multiple events for each guild/shop!
You can be certified in as little as a few months. The first 2 months will consist of training and mentor sessions and then 3 months of Teach-back sessions. We feel that this will give you ample time to get certified at your own pace.
Once you sign up, you get access to the learning material right away, so you can begin working through it and making class samples.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to reach out to us directly: [email protected]