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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

I have attended classes from 3 shops, driving about 1 hour one way to each. Two of the shops offer 1-4pm classes and I find I only get some cutting and sewing done and the time is over...some times I can not finish the project at home alone and it just sits. The other shop clearly gives a list and usually some cutting instructions and I find I do much better there. They also have longer classes and are careful to rate them so beginners like me do not get in over my head. My favorite shop also has a meet the teachers day when they unveil the next classes. You can look at the quilt you will make and ask questions of the person teaching the classes you are interested in. This shop usually has good turnouts! Hope this helps you

I took a class one time and we were all waiting for the teacher to show up. We waited over an hour. She forgot she was teaching the class that day.

I usually sign up for classes to learn a new technique. I usually won't sign up for a class to make a specific pattern. I can purchase the pattern and read the instructions or find it on the internet. One good thing about taking classes is the fellowship of other quilters. You can learn a lot from other quilters and learn a lot of shortcuts or other ways of doing something. My personal irritation about taking classes is that there is a long supply list of items that are never used in the class. I'm on a limited budget and don't need to be buying supplies that I don't need.
I just took a class from a well known instructor and she said that classes are slow all over and a lot of instructors have open schedules with very few bookings. I don't know if it's the economy or the internet. I hope things pick up for you.

I am a self taught quilter. I've watched a video or two, but learn so much from all you ladies here on QB. 3 or 4 years ago, I got hooked on English Paper Piecing from watching a short video on Jessica A's blog, Life Under Quilts. After finishing the hand piecing, for the top, I waited 6 months for her book, Quilting on the Go to be published so I could learn how to add borders. Once I had it quilted, I brought it to show at our LQS, and they asked me to teach a monthly class because they had has several inquiries on classes for EPP. I've been teaching since January, and have enjoyed teaching from 5- 11 ladies each month. Starting in June, I'll be teaching 2 classes each month. I find a lot of people really like the hands on teaching, and enjoy the social aspect of a class. Others really enjoy sewing, but struggle with reading the pattern and understanding what it is asking you to do. Teaching has become such a fulfilling experience for me. I thoroughly enjoy it. Perhaps the owner of the LQS could ask customers what they classes they would like and tailor the offerings to what her customers want.

I have been sewing for probably 50 years and have only taken two classes: a serger boot class (I never had the chance to take the intro class when it was purchased) and a class offered by a well known designer through the guild. The last was okay, instructor personable etc. but never finished the project as the colors just weren't me. I support my LQS by attending their retreat center (adjoining) and purchasing while I am there. I don't sign up for classes because I have more than enough projects in my closet, and in my head to last three lifetimes and don't want to start something else that they picked. My LQS does a fabulous job of bringing people in the door with other activities: play day (all day sewing for $10 with hourly demos on new notions and door prizes), during breast cancer month they request decorated bras which are voted on with all money going to charity, food expo of all local eateries in their gorgeous gardens, guest speakers with truck shows and workshops, and this past week they tried a Red Carpet Rave (simulating the Academy Awards but a Show and Tell for a $10 fee) complete with mic, appetizers, flowers, awards, red carpet runway. Everyone present dressed up and showed off their project and had a vote for Viewers Choice for the best quilt, purse/garment, wall hanging. I was honored to have received the award for best quilt for the quilt shown here on the board: Appliqued Memory Quilt for MIL's 90th


​There are many others, but the idea is always to get people in the shop and then promote their stuff..........which seems to be working. They do offer classes or weekly sew-ins but never really inquired as to their successes.

Every now & then our local has a class that interests me but I am Never able to attend one. They are always scheduled during the day, like 10am - 2 pm, which may seem reasonable to some but....not all quilters are retired, or stay at home people.... Many of us have to work to pay our bills. I can not take a day off to take a class. What seems like ( reasonable - good time for quilters) might not be at all. I would suggest the shop put together a survey/ questionnaire and ask customers to fill it out- what they are interested in, the times they ( wish) classes could be, prices they feel is reasonable. Etc.
We used to have a lqs that was good about scheduling classes during evening hours, for a while they went well; then the owner decided all the classes had to include the purchase and a kit that was quite expensive... Even as an instructor I did not think $20 for a class, then an additional $65+ for a table runner kit was reasonable at all. People stopped taking classes there

I have only taken one class, and I loved it. It was a beginning 'quilting' class, although it was really a piecing class, no quilting. I had already completed two quilts, but taking the class made me want to kick myself for not taking advantage of that learning experience before bumbling thru on my own. I learned a lot, we had fun, and completed a very nice sampler quilt top.

I would like to take more classes, however, my LQS usually holds most of them during the day, and I work full time. That is my big problem. Content of some of the classes also doesn't interest me. I think taking a survey of what potential students want may be your best bet, and offering them in a time slot that working students can use.

I will echo what a lot of others have already stated but I think its important for LQS owners and teachers to know. I am a beginning quilter and would love to take more classes but I work full time weekdays and often weekends are busy. I do appreciate the occasional class on a Saturday or Sunday but it is an investment of time. Someone posted earlier about having weeknight classes spread apart over several weeks (i.e every other Thursday or every 3rd Thursday)

After reading the comments thus far, the pattern I see emerging is timing, cost of supplies, degree of interest in content. So my recommendation (which echos that of those above) is conduct a survey of potential attendees regarding when they would be able to come, how much they would be willing to spend on supplies they do not already have, and what they would like to learn more about.

For supplies - I am willing to buy the book or pattern for the class -

If the class is to learn how to buy a special/unique tool or ruler - I might be willing to buy it - but would want to see it demonstrated first.

For fabric - I have a "bit" at home - I really prefer to use what I have, if possible.

If the shop/class makes it clear that it is okay to use what - especially fabrics - I already have - I would be more willing to sign up for a class. It is highly likely that I will "need" something while attending the class - so I probably would buy whatever at the shop then.