mike'sgirl

I know of a quilt shop in Jacksonville, Florida, that is always busy. Her calendar is usually full of different offerings. Maybe if you took a look at her calendar online, you can get some idea for your own schedule. I know that she doesn't have too much trouble filling her classes. It's called Cinnamon's quilt shop. Both, good luck. Gina

romanojg

The only class that I still try really hard to go to now is my serger class, because every time I go I learn something new. I own a Viking emb machine and have spent over 10,000 in that store and from the time I bought my first machine, and then the very expensive software and then the second machine, I've been promised to have classes on one of my days off, Thu thru Sat and after over 4 yrs they still have no classes for emb during this time frame for me. I've done some of thier weekend retreats for emb which requires me to take Sundays off. I even told them I was going to sell my machine because if I wasn't going to get classes like promised then I could have bought from Walmarts and spent alot less. I used to go to monthly emb club, which requires an hour drive after working a 10 hr shift at work to catch the last hour of class. but for over a yr most of the classes are things they've already taught and I know so there is no point to waste gas and time for something I already know how to do. Finally I told them I wasn't giving them any more money for anything since they could care less about what I need. With me having 3 days off a week I'd think there would be a way of scheduling at least one day a month so that I could get more training on what I need. My serger is thru a different company and they have several stores and have classes on different days. The store closest to me even switched which day they would have the serger class to make it easier.

The other problem is that my machines are big and heavy and sometimes when my back is really bad its hard to pick it up. I know that once I get to the store I'm good and someone will take it in for me but I don't always have someone to load it for me. The serger store will use a store serger when I have a problem like this. Its not as new as mine because mine is the latest but it is new enough it will still do all that mine can do. This store cares about its customers and shows it. If I do miss a class, I can go out to the store and they'll give me the instructions to do it at home and the only time I have to pay for anything (besides thread and fabric) is if there is a pattern involved and I get a discount.

I do the you tubes and internet but love the class involvement and the one to one instructions. I need to know that I'm learning something new, not just a pattern but new techiques. Maybe you should have your shoppers do a sign up to what they might like. My serger stores tells us all the time if we want to see something different to let them know and they'll either teach a class or help us learn. If you use more than one brand of machine as in sergers or emb machines, let them know that anyone can come. I've heard alot of people complain that the only store around them is not for their machines. People want a variety and to be able to learn. My longest and favorite class was the civil war class, where the beginning our teacher would teach us about some of the war and our blocks. I was in several classes with her until her store closed down. She was so approachable that you knew you could ask her anything and wasn't made feel dumb.

carolynjo

I have tried to take classes, with varying results. Mostly I don't work well in a noisy (talkative class) so I don't take them anymore. The best classes I ever took were by Darra Duffy Williamson and by Pat Campbell in Boone, NC.

Dodie

I am a quilter and all of the answers are very good I learned quilting through classes as I took a lot but do not any more as the price of patterns and fabric has sky rocketed an now to take a class by the time I buy fabric, pattern and class I have spent well over 100.00 and just cannot do s o I stay home use my stash and the internet not near as much fun but more affordable

Lori S

I have noticed the class offerings in my area have gone a bit stale, that and the summer season when people are vacationing will bring a down turn in class sign ups.

madamekelly

This class schedule almost makes me want to go to NYC, and nothing has ever done that before! (Not a big city girl)

Bjbaxter

Perhaps the LQS that you teach at could compile an email list of customers and send out notices when a class is available. Mine does a newsletter a few times a year with the info, but I often forget. I have seen them occasionally put something out of Facebook, but it's hit and miss. For myself, I am having problems with my shoulders and have a difficult time sewing, so I haven't done much in the last couple of years.

luvspaper

I tend to be an independent learner -- always have been even as a child!

That said, my reasoning is usually two fold -- when I had the time as a stay at home mom, I didn't have the money to quilt (because let's face it-- it's not an inexpensive endeavor) and then when I went back to FT work, I had money but not too much extra time with three kids. Now that the kids are older, I do seem to have more time and money but do have a pretty good stash of fabric and a list of quilts on my to do list.

I am just not the target audience, I guess.

citygirlsews

BINGO!! My guess is that you are just not offering the right things to make. At the age of 66 years and sewing since I was five years old, I do not want to make another apron or a sewing room organizer! I would like to know more about Quilt Math calculations and digitizing designs and the color process. I learn something new every time I sit at my sewing machine and it is my passion, but on a fixed income, I can't afford to spend a lot of money unless it is really worth learning some thing new. I think most LQS have a hard time finding skilled teachers.

patski

Until recently I quit taking classes, too often a class would be held up while waiting for someone (30 to 45 minutes), then the class would end on time without all the info because of the late comer. I took one class, cut fabric as directed, the teacher apologized said oops I gave the wrong direction and told you to buy more fabric, HECK NO so I just lost that money, another class was for applique, we cut out the fabric, sewed some of the quilt and they said okay finish quilt at home and then applique! I said I had no idea how to do this and the answer was go to U Tube. Recently I took 2 quilting classes and learned a lot. One was Helen Frost binding class and it was wonderful, the second was a quilting class to learn a new technique and I also found that to be a good class. So I think people need to know up front what to expect and what they will WALK out with. I am once again taking classes and just did a one block wonder class that was very good.