No, Jacquie. The skills to be creative or how to design or not taught in how to sew a 9 patch block or a similar type. They are taught in a design class, a color theory class. Those classes are university level and many of us have had several of them. What we are talking about here are the basics quilting skills in manipulating fabric so that points don't end up in your seam, that flying geese fly in only the direction you want to send them. So that if you want a curved seam, it will lie flat and not bunch. You are talking tricks and tips so that a beginning doesn't spend 5 years learning how to keep the beginning of their fabric from being eaten and pushed into the needle hole. You aren't talking about how to be creative, how to develop an eye for color, to learn shades, tints, hues, tertiary values, complimentary colors, etc. You're talking about how to use your sewing machine or your needle, your iron, your cutting tool, etc.
But most LQS don't teach these things. They teach "Do this, do that, if your block looks somewhat like mine it is a success. Next class we will make a quilt out of another book.'"Now you are a quilter. Come for another class."
Last edited by TanyaL; 02-25-2012 at 07:05 PM.