I live over over an hours drive through mountains to the closest quilt shop. I've taken a class there over a weekend. It was a great class. However, the cost and time of travel, plus the cost of the course and materials and the pressure to soak it all in and retain the information long enough to put it to use are the reasons why the Craftsy platform works. Not everyone has the accessibility to LQS's and I for one think Craftsy is the slickest thing since sliced bread. It's also one of the most affordable ways to learn new skills in an expensive hobby (addiction). ;-)

I love Craftsy classes. Some have been better than others, but only 2 was I really disappointed with. One I got a refund no problems, the other was past the deadline to do that :(

Why do I use craftsy and not my "L"QS? Well the local quilt store is a 45 minute drive. Oh, and they don't offer any classes during the evening, and I work full time. (I've asked about it and they say there is no demand.) And while the few weekend classes I've taken were great, most were on basic quilting skills. They don't have the breadth of classes that Craftsy has, nor are their teachers national (and international) experts on those fields. And the classes rarely cost only $20.

Ann Peterson is my favorite teacher--I found the free knife class is also a great class.

I love the craftsy classes! I am a single mom wiht not a lot of extra time. Most of the classes at the LQS are during my work hours. I can watch Craftsy at home on my iPad (and my kids like to watch along). It's most convenient to me. I suggest trying a free class and seeing if you like it before purchasing a big class. I bet you'll be hooked like the rest of us!!

I *always* buy the classes on sale and many of the instructors have dicount links on their blogs. I have never paid ful price for classes. I've even gotten a refund for a class or two and it was SO easy. No questions asked, though I did provide my reasoning.

Good luck and happy quilting!

Just ipad/ iphone. My Mom has a kindle and it's not supported. Of course, she can go online at craftsy.com, but we couldn't get the quality to be anywhere as good as the ipad... Not sure if it's a kindle thing.

I've taken a lot of Craftsy classes and learned at least one thing in each of them. Some are better than others, but all good enough that I was satisfied. I usually read thru the lessons, then the questions/answers and then watch the video. I really like that you can ask a question and get answers from more than just the instructor. Many times there's more than one answer that works. I've been a follower of Leah Day for many years, even before she began her Free Motion Quilting Project. I highly suggest her classes. Just about all the machine quilting classes are good. I've also taking a couple knitting classes and found them to be wonderful as well. They get the camera right in there on the knitting needles, so you can easily see what's happening. As others have said, if you are not satisfied, they'll give you a refund. I've gotten just about all the classes I've taken, on sale for at least 25% off. The only time limits are with the block of the month - you can't see the next month's lesson before it's the next month. All the others, you watch on your own time, whatever time of the day or night = doesn't matter. I love this way of learning.

Well that stinks. :( More people own android based phones than iphones. I'll never buy apple again (for myself-my kids love their ipods). I hate that everything is proprietary.

I have an Android phone too, which is why I asked this question, and it drives me crazy that so many apps are Apple only. Seems so unfair (and commercially a bit short sighted) when, as you say, far more of us have Android. I can't and won't pay Apple's prices.

Thank you for the post, this has been a question I've had for quite a while, and thank you to all who have replied because you made a muddled question seem pretty clear. I think I will try a free class and go from there. Great post. YAY

The only reason I have an Apple is because it was the "free" phone offered to me. To stay with Android (I previously had one) the minimum cost would have been $150. (Both with the same 2 year contract.)