I am also self taught and this board has helped me lots and lots. Thanks everyone!

A few years after I began to piece quilts, I was lucky enough to have a couple of quilting biggies teach me. This was thanks to public television. I had made simple quilts before that thanks to elenore burns book quilt in a day log cabin. But, in those days, it was tear the fabric into strips and we all know how off that can be. But still, it was revolutionary compared to the cardboard templates I learned from books. Honestly, if I had to make quilts like that still, I don't think I would love to piece and quilt like I do now.

I have to say I heard many tips while watching, but, it doesn't become clear why you do those things until you are in the middle of that part of the sewing blocks or tops together. I bought a great book all about quilting tips and highlighted the dickens in it to try and remember it all. I also bought tons of magazines and books and read and read. That is how I learned what I know today. I am still learning by reading and incorporating into my routine. You have to grow and that is how I keep up with the new methods and rulers available that make it easier and easier.

Hopefully there is one great book required to buy as a part of the classes to refer to. That would make it easier on the instructor.

All that being said, I only took one block of the month quilt class called, Sandys lessons from the lake. There were two of us in the daytime class and no one presided over the class! I don't know what happened, but they stuck us back in a sewing room and not one person came in to check on us the whole time! The poor little gal in there with me was asking me to help her. I was able to help but, I didn't get one thing done of my own. I never went to another class because I just was so unset with them I could spit! I mean really???

I've never taken a class other than my home ec classes. And I had already been sewing at home before that. And the quilt I did as a home project was finishing one my mom and her sister had started years before. Took me about 40 years to want to do anything else quilt related!

I have taken a few classes at my LQS and quilt shows which were nice to improve my skills. My first class was actually at a joanns and was very basic. I don't think I was really taught how to accurately cut, how to square up my blocks(kind of learned this one on my own). I started about a year ago taking craftsy classes and honestly have learned so much more in taking those classes and asking questions than I ever could have learned at an LQS especially price wise

I WISH.......I wish they had told me that after you piece all these fun beautiful quilts, you have to be talented enough to actually QUILT them. I love to sew. It is my passion! But I am not artistic and have tried for three years (after quilting for three years) to quilt my pieced projects on my domestic sewing machine (Viking Diamond) and have finally given up. I have taken classes and read a zillion books, practiced until I feel sick every time (very stressful) and I have no talent for it. Having someone else do the quilting (by check) is not an option. I am not rich. I really feel the finished quilt's beauty lies in the Quilting. Wish I knew all of this before I took two years of classes!

Me too! I'm self taught! Now I take classes to perfect what I know.

there should have been a basic discussion of fabric. I have a handout that briefly touches content, values, etc. I try to get them to not use 'fussy' fabrics for awhile. Then we usually do a churn dash block. This way they can match seams, play with triangles and color variations. I had a mother daughter team use the same fabric and made the opposite blocks - great example for the others in the class. I also give them a single page instruction sheet so they can make more blocks at home and then come to the next class to assemble the top.

I see a lot of expectations here...and most of them are great; but let's not forget that we are talking "beginners' now. Just as we learned to sit up, then crawl, then walk [and dance comes in there somewhere ;o)]; so we have to take small steps to get in all of the skills necessary to be proficient. If each class can include good demonstrations and explanations, good handouts, and good samples, it will all fall together after a while. Each skill learned is a foundation for the next skill. Also a good suggestion could be included for a basic quilting book.

I would like to have acquired 20 years of knowledge and experience in three one- hour classes!

There really is no substitute for experience.

I have taken many classes and also taught many and it takes lots of classes and there is still room for learning for beginners unsure on their fabric I always told them to get a pretty print that they really liked then had them pick colors to go with that but as for techniques and things to learn well I am still learning and I still enjoy going to a good class and or retreat