I am brand new to quliting. I do have a brother machine and want to make an easy quilt for our bed. Would it be best for me to take a class first? We do have a cute little shop here in town. For a fee of 40.00 plus materials. Does this sound reasonable?

Welcome from Kentucky! I'm a Janome girl, but a brother owner will help you!

IMHO $40 is very reasonable for a beginners bed quilt class. Am blessed that our LQS has free classes for a few quilts each year, although we pay for fabric, etc. Yes you can learn from books & other sources but I found it much easier to have someone show/explain a technique. It's also a good way to connect with other quilters in your area.

40 is reasonable, for lessons, and beginners 101 is a wonderful place to start.

If you have never quilted before, I would start with something smaller like a placemat or wall hanging. Everyone does not conquer cutting accurately & need for exact 1/4" seams at 1st. You don't want to mess up & waste material when you start your bed quilt.

I think that is a great price! I have a friend in Florida who wanted to learn how to quilt and he took a class at the LQS and the owner charged him $300 which included 4 classes and the supplies to make a full size quilt. . . she also talked him into a new machine, new rotary cutter and mat and several rulers, new feet for his sewing machine before he purchased the new one, all purchased from her shop. First month he spent $2000 in her shop. Be cautious is all I can say!

My first quilt was a twin size with helpful instruction from LQS. I would recommend class. There is so much to learn about cutting and seams that they can help with.

The cost is reasonable, but meeting other new quilters like yourself is priceless. Also with the demands of home and work, going to a class is doing something for just you without any interruptions. Enjoy and meet new friends.

I think taking a class is a great idea and the price is certainly fair. I'd also suggest joining a local quilt guild that welcomes beginners. Like the board here, you will always have people ready to give aid, assistance and sometimes act as quilt police, but just ignore the latter. Guilds also tend to have days when the member get together and sew, workshops with popular teachers and usually bring in speakers that can be inspirational and bring some novel ideas.

Wow, what she said. All of this advice is so true. Hands on experience at the quilt shop class will really get you going with your quilting.