No classes - mostly the internet and talking with a friend.

Huh, When I started there were no classes like there is now. At least none that I knew of. I just cut up squares (with scissors) and went for it. A machine pieced nine patch was born.... LoL!

Well I have read and bought books, checked out books from libraries, watched videos and finally began going to the quilt shops for the good stuff and advice.

I have still to take a class. But, I think if I had started out with classes, it would have been better. Then all those good piecing habits and little useful tricks I had to learn on my own would have come quicker.

I say quilt classes are worth thier weight in gold. Not to mention the quilting ladies that are the information network of the community. And so fun to talk with, share patterns and fabric, and go to shows with are all there waiting for you to meet.

Oh yes, I did! Found out that the local Adult Ed offered a quilt making class & signed up. That was about 17 years ago, and I'm still attending the same class! LOL We started out doing our blocks quilt-as-you-go & all by hand. Now us "old timers" work on whatever we like.
Eventually I joined a guild & take workshops thru' the guild, sometimes at one of the local quilt shops or quilt shows....even here on the board :D

I had watched a lot of shows on tv and the internet and then I found this board! :D :D :D I started the block of the months, chat classes, tutorials, and lots of help and advice here that helped me to try patterns on my own :D :D :D

Nope. No classes.

I wandered into a quilt shop in Pensecola FLA while on vacation. I saw a pattern I liked (YBR) and some fabrics I liked (mostly Kaffee Fassete stripes and solids). Bought enough for a lap quilt.

It sat around for 3 or 4 years in a drawer. I figured out one day that nobody was ever gonna make me a quilt so I dug out that unstarted project and started cutting fabric. I had bought a Bernina 830 a couple of years before so that wasn't needed. Of course, I had to read the instruction book to even figure out how to thread it. Decided about two days into the project that since I was never gonna make another quilt, I had better get more fabric and make a queen sized one.

Got one of the great Machine quilting books from Harriet somebody or other. It was great. Finished that quilt top (see my avatar) and have finished a couple more. Still working on quilts, patterns from magazines, books, or something derivative that I just think up.

I now do all my HSTs and Flying geese on an old Elna Super and the 830 is my main machine. I guess I have learned to do a bunch.

It's like my old paw said 40 years ago... "If ya can read, ya can do anything."


tim in san jose

My classroom used to be the Simply Quilts show. Now it's gone, i'm on my own. :?

I suspect i'm missing a lot of fun by not taking classes but they're too far away and i'm too cheap to pay for them. :lol:

Oh, yeah, didn't she make it look easy? One of these days when I have consistent time to do nothing but sit and watch I'll maybe sign up for their website classes, but not for awhile. lol lol

I do now take a block of month with the LQS but that's the only class I've ever taken. Went to one workshop last year and am going again this year but it's a demo workshop by Eleanor Burns sister. If you get a chance to see her trunk show, GO, RUN, take money, and enjoy. The local guild gets her here every year and it's the best $5 I spend on anything in the world. She's funny, she's real, and she's informative.

The classes we take through this website are better, you don't have to wait with questions, ask and it is given! :-) :-) :-)

When I first started...Simply Quilts was my classroom also. I checked the local library (they had 1 book on quilting)..So...I just used the beginner book that came in a kit from Wally world..it included the book, a rotarty cutter, a 6" ruler and a tiny cutting mat. That was in 06, since then, I've found Youtube, this board and a LQS that offers classes. I have since taken 2 classes- machine quilting and a class from Libby Lehman to learn techniques. I do better when I don't know that I'm not supposed to do certain things...then I just go ahead and figure out how to make things work.

I started a rail fence in 1999 and it took off from there. My grandma made every quilt she owned and my mom did some quillting. I started hand sewing at 5 or 6, went to the machine at 8 and have been sewing every since.