I have been quilting since childhood with my Grandmother. I have sewn for my family, others, instructed in 4-H and Home Ec. classes (shame we don't have them anymore!)even costumes for church and our community theater. So I think I can do a bit of sewing. Anyway I decided to try a quilting class advertised "for all abilities and interests and lots of fun!". I did not even finish the 8 weeks. All the women there had very expensive machines and did not know how to thread them let alone sew a seam. All they talked about was their money, money and more money. I followed the directions, made friends with two other "poor seamstresses" and made the blocks. We were the only 3 out of 22 who did any sewing. The instructor and owner of the shop was always pushing us to buy her products. Well, enough complaining. My point here is 1 to warn others, 2 check out the classes before you pay the fee, 3 don't judge all classes by this horrible one in Nebraska, 4 do your own thing, 5 get help from the wonderful people on this site!

As a former shop owner, it hurts me to read this sort of thing, to hear of a student so unhappy. We always handed out a class/teacher critique form at the end of class -- and it was collected by the staff at the register, NOT by the teacher. The forms went into a sealed envelop for MY desk. Teachers with problems were not invited back to teach. If they chose to leave their contact information, students were contacted by me personally to work out any problems or to hear more details of their complaint. Conversely, teachers who were highly praised got that recognition as well!

Even though, for most shops, classes do not fill the coffers, they do create new customers, keep regular customers happy, and increase general knowledge in the quilting community. WHY on earth would a shop shoot themselves in the foot by offending even a small percentage of the students?!

I constantly find that I ran my shop a bit differently than most I hear about, and I was quite successful, with a happy staff. I had to learn quickly that business was business and friendship was bull; the customer was highly important, but keeping a happy, empowered, loyal staff was extremely important as well. Thankfully, (honestly!) we did not sell machines, we were a QUILT store and it was definitely enough!

Jan in VA (for those who care, owner of the now closed Silver Threads of Plano, TX.)

That's a great cautionary tale, Julianna. Not every quilt class is made the same, and some are simply a miserable waste of money and one long commercial. I checked out a quilt shop about an hour from my home that was offering lessons in handquilting. I was really interested in developing a good 'rocking' stitch and the owner seemed so ditzy (sorry, can't really think of a more generous word) that I asked to see a sample of her hand quilting.....she had none.......so I asked if she could give me a quick demo of her hand quilting technique. She did. Plain old stab stitch. When I called her on it she said 'people have to start somewhere'. I agreed with that but advertising an expensive class in hand quilting that had nothing to do with hand quilting didn't seem like a good starting point to me. So I was saved from that one. Sorry you had an unpleasant experience but I'm happy for the two 'poor seamstresses' who were lucky enough to meet you and have some success with their projects! Happy quilting!

Sorry you had a bad experience, but you did make two new friends and gleaned what you could from the experience. You made the best of a bad situation. I hope you did tell the instructor and quilt shop your opinion of the class. I've taken classes and often have been "pushed" to buy which is sometimes a part of why the class is given. I've learned to ignore the sales talk and quietly decline products that I don't want. I'm glad you aren't going to judge all classes on this one experience and hope future classes will have the advertised "lots of fun" waiting for you. And yes, this site is one of the best classes you could hope for. Happy quilting, hope to see pictures of your work in the future.

I entered the world of quilting like I have most things in life, by the seat of my pants and self taught. My first few squares were, to kind to myself HORRIBLE. My first completed BOM quilt, it is a treasure of mine, that I rarely show in public. I really liked the creative outlet of quilting and decided to take a class. My first class was more on rotary cutting and I quickly got bored. About a year later I tried again and the instructor was friendly, critical but in a good way and I learned a lot. After that I found I liked classes. I have since then found that the stores that sell machines are like high school cliques and every mistake or issue is because you are not using their said machine. Most of the classes I go to do make a bit of profit off the pattern and accessories needed to make the quilt being taught but most do not care if I bring in fabric and stuff I already had at home. While I will never consider myself an expert quilter I can now show my work without apologizing. I feel that the shop classes have brought me a long way. -- Sorry not all classes and shops are that.

I have had good and bad experiences with classes. No I have learned to investigate more.
.

I have tried to teach myself but really need to take a class, I wish I could find someone to come to my house and sit with me and answer the many questions I have. I am so afraid to go to a class as I do not know how to do so many things you should know. I have made several quilts, but nothing like the beautiful ones I see on this forum. Mine are more just squares sewed together and attached to batting and a backing.

I think some women go to classes to socialize, not necessarily to actually finish a project. I would have been one of the 3 women sewing, but I've seen many women locally, who buy TOL machines and haven't even taken them out of the box for 3-6 mos. after purchase. I do think some people are more dreamers than "doers" and sorry to hear your class wasn't enjoyable.

Some interesting comments. One cannot assume anything.

When I took my beginner quilt class at the LQS, 1) too much fabric was a "required" purchase 2) the instructor used my work as an example for a next step, used the wrong fabric so I had to buy MORE (unnecessarily). They should have paid for the error. 3) never went back to purchase more fabric for any project. Their loss.

SherryLea, is there a small group of stitchers in your town or night school teaching quilting. I was like you and thought I needed to know a lot about quilting before I went to LQS. I found the groups I mentioned above to be very friendly and helpful. Most girls in these type classes are there to learn to just like us.
I was at a quilt shop the other day and they treated me terrible because I asked a question. I guess I was suppose to know what they had before I got there. If this had been my first experience with quilting it would have been my last. Thank goodness I have other places to shop.

SherryLea,
If you want to take a class you should. Start with a beginner class and don't be afraid to ask questions. I used to teach quilting classes and really enjoyed it. My favorite students were the beginners, really loved seeing the expression that says, "I get it!! Yippee!!"

I also have done a fair amount of sewing/quilting, etc. A friend asked me to take a class with her, which I did. It was the 1st and last class I have ever taken. I was having some issues with my project, and the teacher (?) kept saying "oh don't worry, it will all come out in the quilting" I took it apart when I got home, and "fixed" it! She told all the students the same thing. I wonder how the new quilters ever finished their quilts. Possably never made another. Sad.

I've been to many classes and many of them have been fun and worthwhile. One of my favorite quilt owners said to aim to learn one new thing in a class and it will be worthwhile. That has been good advice and often I've learned a lot more than one thing. I did have one bad class - cliquey, instructor kept telling me I was doing things wrong...I never went back there for a class and regret that I didn't inform the owner.
As Jan in VA did, one of my LQS has an evaluation form that is passed out and collected by the owner.
And lastly, not everyone who is good at a skill is good at teaching.
lots2do

I have to echo Candace - some ladies just sign up for classes as an opportunity to get together and socialize. That makes it hard on both a serious instructor and also on participants who really want to learn. I really don't know what the answer is to that, except to maybe separate the "chatterers" like we had to do in elementary school.

I am sorry you had such a poor experience. I think a lot of the problem is that some people teach who have no idea how to teach. I can't even imagine having 22 people in a quilting class, that is just crazy as far as I am concerned. I don't know how you could get much done, and I can't teach that way.

SherryLea, I wish we were much closer because I would come to your house and help as much as I could.

So sorry you had a bad experience... but at least you made two new friends..... and that is priceless!

Hugs

That reminds me of a woman i talked to at a sewing expo many years ago. we were both watching a demo on a TOL emb. machine(still saving for mine at this point) She said she had bought that machine the year before. I said she must be having a blast with it. She said no, it was still in the box,she was afraid to use it. Sad -$5000 machine just sitting there.
While many people take classes for the social aspect-which is fine- it's not fair to those that go to learn. It must be a challenge for the instructors to keep on track.

The first quilt shop class I went to I brought in my huge tub of scraps and my old Singer 301 and when I started sorting through my scraps it was like the ice broke, everyone became interested in helping me combine fabrics and picking out fabrics that they could use from my tub. I had a good time even though the instructor wasn't very good and kept leaving the class room after showing a demo of what to do.

Thank you Sadiemae, I think that is part of my problem no one I know sews or quilts so if it wasn't for this forum and one other I belong too I would have no one to talk to about it. I am working on getting my courage up to go to a class at the senior citizen center. I bet their is a lot of good experience there and maybe I won't feel like a dummie in an excellarated class.

Julianna, I like this post. Thank you for taking time to share your experience with us. I am glad you were an experienced quilter so you could help yourself and the other 2 quilters who wanted to learn the pattern.

If i lived closer i would be more than glad to help.I'm no teacher just a person who loves people and sewing

Juliana, I'm glad you're not soured on all quilting classes but sorry you had a bad experience with this one. 22 women is too many for one class, and knowing how to thread your machine and wind a bobbin should be a requirement for everyone in a quilting class. Those things should be covered in the (usually) free lessons you get when you buy a TOL machine.

SherryLea, you might also check to see if there are any guilds in your area. I don't think I would have ever progressed beyond a single block if it weren't for the help and support of other quilters. Also go to the fabric stores around you, ask them about a beginning quilting class, and ask to see what you would be making, what skills you would learn, etc. If you already have those particular skills, look for a more advanced class. Ask who the teacher is, and how much experience she has teaching, how big the classes are, etc. Most of the classes I have taken were very good. After the first class (which was for beginners, and believe me that's what I was), most of the classes have been geared toward a particular skill, like hand applique, hand quilting, paper piecing, etc.

My first quilting "class" was at my local senior center. Turned out the
teacher did not teach anything, but the encouragement of the other
ladies was wonderful. I was a new widow at the time & I did not realize that quilting cost money. I thought you just used what you had & sewed it into a quilt. LOL.

So, the ladies brought me scraps & I bought 1/2 yard of fabric with pictures of cute little bears doing cute things & I put one in the center of each crazy quilt square. Used an old flannel sheet for backing & hand
quilted it into a beautiful twin sized quilt for my then 6 year old grandson, who has loved it to death.

And I met one special lady there who became one of my very best friends for the past 8 years.

After having some less than satisfactory experiences at quilt classes, I've learned a few things.

First of all I ask lots of questions and examine class samples to see if this really anything I want to learn. I request a supply list and if there are too many specialized items that I will have to buy I think harder about the class.

For me, I don't take too many classes because I find it discouraging to start a wonderful project, take it home and not finish it for months because of other pending projects that have to get done. (like for Christmas!)

Regardless, I'm sorry you had a disappointing class and hope it represents a minority of quilt classes.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I have only taken a few classes over the years. My biggest complaint was that they show you how to start something but the class often ends before you get to the part about finishing. At one time I worked for a Bernina dealer. She had me work up a beginner quilting class. The first thing I planned to teach was the actual quilting process both by hand and machine. I made up single blocks of fabric that were sandwhiched and had a simple design drawn on them. If the students enjoyed doing the actual quilting then they were ready to invest in fabric, patterns and quilting tools. If they didn't like that step they were never going to finish a quilt. Over the years I have run into lots and lots of "quilters" who have made tops that were never quilted.

I often see quilts and quilted items being offered as classes in the shops I frequent. The first question I ask myself is do I need it and what would I do with it. I have a huge stash but very few UFOs. Being involved in the Linus Project has given me an excuse to purchase children's fabric. My own grandchildren are teenagers and would turn up their nose at childish fabrics.

I understand what you mean, because I knew as soon as I started quilting that I would have to complete the project from start to finish in order to consider it "mine". I feel the same way about buying a kit. (You mean someone else gets to select the fabrics? That's not any fun.) Yet I have lots of friends who thoroughly enjoy piecing or applique (and are very good at it), but they don't enjoy quilting, so they don't do it. Most of their quilts go to a longarmer, but sometimes they do get pushed into a closet. In my opinion, they are still quilters.

Thanks everyone! I make quilts now for Linus Project, quilt with a group at church where we pray as we sew, and still sew for family, friends and theater. Yes, we did state our opinions about the class to the store owner and she replied that "there are always some grumps". Needless to say I have not been back. Wish Walmart still sold fabric as i often found good buys there. I'm itching to be stitching now but have to get back to cleaning the garage. Thanks again :)

When I take a class I want to learn something. I don't really care what others are doing or saying. At times I dropped out of a class too when it didn't meet my expectation.

Admittedly, I have a really nice machine and am very happy about that, but I did take the classes that came with the machine. Anyone who knows anything about machines recognizes the Beamers and Merzedeses of the quiltworld. No need to brag about them. I have seen the most wonderful creations made with an entry-level machine.

Hope your next class is better.

Im sorry you had such a bad experience. I love taking classes. I just took one from one of the quilters on this Board, Susan. She did a great job on the OWB.

Right now I am taking the Stitcher's Garden, which is a quilt that teaches you how to use all the feet and accessories that come with your machine. In some ways, you could look at this as one long advertisement, because they are demo'ing it on their TOL machine EXCEPT they are nice about showing you the procedure even on your machine which is the important part. I have learned alot about twin needles, cording, piping, QAYG.

Maybe you should take a class with a friend. That is what I do sometimes.

Where do you live in Texas? I live in Oklahoma on the Red River near Denison, TX. If you are close, I'd love to help.

I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. If you are ever "here" and not "there" and would like to have some fun, we could make a weekend workshop for 1. I would love to sit down with anyone who wants to learn. I used to teach beginner quilting in New Hampshire and here at the Junior College in Adult Ed. I love to see the light bulb go on and then brighten when the "bug" hits a student.

Quilting is such a wonderful experience and I am so sorry yours wasn't anything to have good memories from. Don't let that stop you from taking other classes, though. Is there a school that offers Continuing Adult Ed classes. Perhaps they have a quilting class you could take. Is there another quilt shop you could take classes from?

If not, then we are right here at the end of your fingers to help you through any rough spots as you learn. Just post a thread with your problem and there will be an almost instant response. This is the neatest bunch of people I've ever found!!!!

Good luck & God bless.

i wish i was near you, i would come over in a minute! the first class i ever took was a basics class at Joanns. i learned to measure,cut,press,(not iron! ). they taught me about the grain,bias. and then we did a rag quilt as part of the class.
i thought it was awesome! of course, like everything in life..the teacher made the class good. could of gotten a bad one.
i knew nothing about quilting back then, and this class got me hooked! i made about 10 rag quilts! LOL! then i moved up to a 9 patch block/quilt, then rail fence,then a warm wishes..and up and on my way.!

what city in Texas are you in sherry? maybe someone here is close to you. I am in Detroit, so i am out of the question! but my heart is with you!

Jan, you sound like the type of shop owner that we would all LOVE to know!!! I sure wish I could have visited your shop. I bet it was a wonderful place!!!

:wink:

Well, look at this way...You won't be doing that again. Perhaps you will find a better fit next time. Maybe you are looking for finishing skills, or new techniques, and not basics.

Seems we have all have good and bad experiences with classes. I have taked several classes, but in my area classes and kits are expensive. There are many snowbirds here for the winter, looking for entertainment.
LOS charge high fees for classes and kits, I feel they lose sight local people. I have taked couple of classes that where just social talking about who was doing whatever.

My experience taking classes varied. Overal the classes where good and you got out of it what you put in. I did get tired of ladies cutting down their DH or ex DH. Maybe that is not the right place to come and vent. I ended up starting a small group at my house. I am sorry money/status was the focus. All you need is a straight stitch.

That sounds like a lot of fun but many quilt shops here force you to buy fabric from their shop for that project. I am way to young for the quilt class through the local junior college. It is only for seniors. I would not mind quilting with senior but the class is restricted that way. Actually most of my friends that quilt with me at my house are seniors.

I am going to be teaching my first class in 2011. Any ideas on how to make it a good one? I really want everyone to have a good time and learn.

Keep class small, not over 8-10 people.

I have taken one class - just this past summer - and it got me hooked. This forum is where I have learned more than from the class, but the class got me started.
The teacher is our local retired home ec teacher so her patience and experience teaching were a huge bonus. She limits the class to 4 people. Says she can't give enough attention when there's more than that. The class is held after hours at the LQS, but the teacher is paid directly - not through the shop. The project was a small sampler quilt. We got it finished through the sandwich, but the last class had us machine quilting and putting binding on scrap squares she provided - we didn't finish our project through the class, but had the skills to do so.

The class met 4 times - every two weeks - from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Other beginner classes were held during daytime hours.

We selected fabrics at the LQS with either the teacher or the shop owner's help. Nothing said we had to purchase our fabric there, but we all did - as beginners we had no clue where to start otherwise. We should have been given a list of supplies needed, an overview of each lesson's objectives, and an idea of the end product before the class began, but we were not. Many were disappointed at the size of the finished project (about 36" square) compared to the amount of fabric purchased. Had a friend who took a differect session of the same class who just kept making blocks from her material until she got a full sized quilt out of it. Wish I'd thought of that. I use mine as a table topper and feel that the skills gained were worth the price of the class even if the finished project probably wasn't.

I'm now looking for a machine quilting class held either on Saturdays or next summer anywhere within an hour's drive and so far have not found one. Several shops have answered my email saying they'll let me know if one is scheduled.

I took the class with a friend and highly recommend that!