pumpkinpatchquilter

I would love to hear what your favorite classes or teachers have been during your quilting journey and why. I was recently approached by a local not for profit learning center to teach monthly quilting classes to promote life enriching arts. The classes are for donation only but I want to make them as informative and hands on as possible. I would love to hear what made a class you attended wonderful and what about the class or teacher made it special.

I have found the classes I have enjoyed most personally have had teacher interaction but also real solid instruction time. My least favorite classes, have generally been ones where I was required to purchase a pattern and class time was spent sewing together rather than being instructed. I know some folks enjoy classes as social time - do you? I tend to want to learn as much as possible in the time I spend with an instructor.

I remember one lady local to me did a presentation on Hawaiian quilting with real life quilts to share and digitally projected images and discussed the history and techniques used in traditional Hawaiian quilts - it was wonderful! I feel like I enjoyed this session in particular even though the woman was a guild member and not a regular teacher mainly because she really knew what she was talking about, presented it well, and included the group.

I would love to keep this positive rather than going on a tangent about poor experiences - but I will say in turn I also once attended an appliqué class where the teacher scolded me consistently through the class for having the wrong supplies. I misunderstood her supply list and though it was my own fault, I spent most of the three hour class embarrassed at my incompetence rather than enjoying my time there.

I would love to hear the good experiences you have had from national or local teachers alike and what made the experience enjoyable.

coffeecozy

The very best classes that I had were with a teacher who was super organized. She provided a great print out with each lesson. She had all of her lessons well thought out and a sample that she had done for every part of the project. She was incredibly supportive and patient. We focused on a technique but there was still some time to chat and admire each others efforts as we worked on our project and she saw that we were well underway before we left.
I think you need some social time in with the learning time to keep people looking forward to returning.

Deb watkins

Deb Tucker's Rulers Classes at the Mancuso quilt show and a paper piecing class by George Sciliano with his 1/4 or 1/8 edge ruler. Other than that, since I have gained considerable experience and confidence, I like the MSQ tutorials as well as the ones from Gourmetquilter and Studio180 designs.

feline fanatic

Hands down my best class experience was with Karen McTavish. Now granted I am a HUGE KM groupie so I went in with extreme bias. But she was so down to earth and funny. OMgosh she was funny. The class was a certification course to learn and then be able to teach her McTavishing technique. So it was a combined trunk show/hands on. So what made it so special? Well it was Karen McTavish! LOL. Seriously though, it was special because she was entertaining, engaging, supportive and broke each step of the process down into "baby steps" so we all comprehended it and every single person in that class mastered the technique yet every single person's Mctavishing looked different (like handwriting).
I have never had a bad class experience but I tend to make my own fun. I find the most enjoyable class experiences are with instructors who are engaging and supportive of your efforts and break the time out to first explain and demonstrate the technique then let you do hands on practice. I like approachable instructors. They can either sit off on the side while students execute the technique or they can wander. When wandering it is always nice to hear them compliment the students with an occasional "good job". I have also seen skilled instructors be able to spot a student in trouble and delicately step in with a "here let me show you something that will make it easier for you".

Oooh, edited to add handouts! Love handouts. With drawings, written instructions, examples etc. I usually need the reminders afterwards.

Stitchnripper

I started quilting after I retired and while I had a sewing machine my only "experience" with quilting was watching Alex Anderson on Simply Quilts. Our parks system offered a beginning quilting class and the woman who taught it was exactly what I was looking for. I learned all the basics in a kind and generous way. It turned out to be a very small class that met for 2 hours once a week, pay as you go. People came and went, and sometimes we all worked the same thing, but if we didn't want to, she would help us with our own projects. The thing is, it didn't seem structured (but in a way it was) and that may bother some, but, everyone got what they needed to learn to quilt. Some of us from the original class stayed with it for a few years, until the instructor got a "real job" teaching art in an elementary school. Sad day when she left. Next instructor was a bit of a "militant" - do it my way or else. So eventually we all left the class. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made it so good for those of us who stayed. Learning, social, flexible, etc. I've taken classes since then. Some I've enjoyed more than others, but that original one was such a good experience. Now I prefer to quilt on my own. I do watch lots of videos.

NJ Quilter

I've only taken two quilting classes - one on binding and one on paper piecing. Both at my LQS with different instructors for each. I preferred the style of the binding teacher/class vs the pp'ing class but both were very beneficial. I am a self-taught quilter after years of garment and home dec sewing and watching Alex Anderson on TV.

Both were very hands on classes. I was having difficulty with visualizing both of those parts of the quilting world so they were very helpful. The binding class had a very good hand out. The pp'ing one had no hand out but that was okay. For me, just having someone show me what part was not 'clicking' was sufficient. A pattern and fabric supply was required for that class but it was okay as I have a beautiful top to eventually figure out how to quilt. The supply list for the binding class struck me as simply a way for the shop to get some extra $$ at the time but it was okay. Could have been accomplished with stating to 'bring your own sample consisting of x'.

Both instructors had very different styles. Their general personalities are different as night and day and that was reflected in their teaching methods. Neither bad, just different.

quiltingbuddy

It's been awhile since I took a class but I do like learning from someone who is organized and knowledgeable rather than someone who knows a little something and wants to share more off the cuff. The teachers I liked best would have their samples ready, pieces cut for every stage of the process and show exactly what needed to be done at each stage. If you watch Fons & Porter's show this is what Marianne and Mary do, with sections put together ahead of time. I know it's a lot of preparation but it works.

I took a class one time and it might be that a friend from my quilting bee was teaching it, but it was the class I liked the least of any ever. She explained whatever it was then grabbed what I had started and did half of my project to show how that part was done, then gave it to me to finish instead of having her own sample ready. It's a wall hanging of an angel that fits perfect in a space on my wall, so I see it every day. And I still notice all the time how her section is slightly different from mine. No one else would know, but I know.

Boston1954

This was not a class in the usual sense. We found a lady from this group who lives about 18 miles from us, and she showed my sister and me some things I might not have learned or tried without having someone to show us how. I now can do machine applique, and I think about her during almost every project. (thank you Judy)

tessagin

I basically am self taught. I watch the videos. I took a class upon DH advice and I was miserable. The teacher was very condescending. Money for the class was non-refundable. She didn't like the idea that I looked at YouTube videos and paid for some classes on Craftsy.com. I learned more from the videos on You Tube and did spend a couple hours with a friend who helped me immensely. My friend had been sewing since she was 6. She made a lot of clothes and her own wedding dress. Did not know until a couple years ago that she also taught Home ec. and worked in a clothing factory making pants. The ones that used to advertise for $9.95. I thought I had a good teacher. She never was berating.

Dolphyngyrl

I haven't really had any bad classes. I love patsy thompson, she also has a crafsty class. Cynthia england was also a nice instructor. My LQS always had great local instructors.