I took a class at Jo-anns fabric in 2003 and I've been hooked ever since. I took the class with 4 friends and now I'm the only one still quilting.

My first class was a log cabin!

I am a quilt class drop out. I signed up for a 6 week class at the local learning center paid my 130$ and dropped out after the second class. I am a lefty and the teacher was teaching righty learning and she kept telling me I was doing everything wrong, and backwards embarrassing me in front of the class and she gave me a hard time because I choose brights for my first little wall hanging project when she said in the flyer light or pastels colors would be best... I am not a fan of pastels at all and it did'nt say I "had" to use pastels.

So I dropped out bought some books and learned my own slow way.
And thanks to my BFF who is also a quilter (we met online) she has walked me through many a technique with lots of patience.

I took a Community Ed class back in the mid-80s. We made a sampler quilt (crib size). It was a quilt-as-you-go class. We hand pieced all the blocks then hand quilted each block on a lap frame and sewed them together (we were allowed to sew them together by machine as long as we hand sewed the back). Needless to say, mine never got finished and I still have it. I can't believe the quilting looks so bad! It took me nearly 20 years to get back to quilting. Now I don't hand piece or hand quilt. It just wasn't my cup of tea. And I've never taken another class but I watch a lot of TV shows, read a lot of books and learned a lot from the ladies in my church quilt group.

I certainly hope you got some of your money back!!! How rude of that teacher to treat you that way!

THAT really makes me angry! Why did she think the right to tell you that or berate you on ANYTHING?? I hope you reported her for that behavior and I hope she never attempts to teach a class again! Insanity! I have a good friend that I taught to crochet by having her sit across from me and watch me. I have done the same with folks wanting to learn to quilt. Being a righty doesn't limit the teaching ability only a closed and little mind does that!

I started with a SIL attending a quilting course at a local community college. It was hand-piecing 12" sampler blocks. I learnt a lot, and made all the blocks, but still have them unsashed and awaiting completion.

At the time I was working with fabrics that I had in my stash, but most of them were clothing fabrics, 'cause I didn't have the funds to spend money on "craft".

I've come a long way since then, and have no fear about adding to my stash. My sister has been a great enabler - she let me have a huge box of samples that I love, and dig into every time I think about making a tote or quick gifts for various occasions.

I started with a class at Lee Wards back in the 80s. The teacher had taught some classes at the Community College and agreed to teach one class at the store! I was lucky! She was GREAT! She had also started the Quilt Guild that I still belong to. Our class was 6 weeks long with two patches each week for our Sampler! I DID IT! I was so proud! And made so many friends through the guild! I don't remember anyone from the class because I was concentrating so hard on learning everything I could. We were using all the tools and tricks we could to learn the new techniques each week. I have taken other Sampler classes at LQS and throug my guild. I have gone on retreats where we get national teachers to come teach their techniques. I can't tell you how many Georgia Bonesteel videos I still have, nor how many programs I taped of Simply Quilts, and Carol Duval! Most of what I have learned comes back to me just after I have made a mistake and am picking out my stitching! But I feel fortunate to live in an area where there are so many people who will share for free, or a reasonable fee. :lol:

Yes, I did take a quilting class for beginners at the local quilt shop-had a wonderful teacher who wasn't a store clerk. They sent the list of supplies which I diligently sought and bought. The day of the first class came, I went, and to my dismay I was the only one who hadn't brought her machine! I guess you can tell how green I was!
Taking the class was very beneficial because I know I learned 'the right way' to do things. I say that because some of the questions that come up on the Quilter's Message Board are specifically those that were answered and shown in this quilting class, such as wavy borders. :)

There is a group in central CA where newbies signed on and stayed and stayed and stayed. Most have been with this instructor for over 9 years.
Well, my first thought was, aren't they learning and moving on? after being with this instructor for my first semester-I want to stay with her too.
Her 2 classes always has room for new quilters that are welcomed into the group. Rare in this world? I hope not........

I took quilting classes at a quilt shop when I first stated quilting. I wanted to learn how to hand quilt. That was 3 years ago. Some of the girls still meet at the quilt shop on Monday nights. We pay a small fee and we learn from each other, echange scraps and have coffee. It a good way to keep in touch and it is a girls night out.