Nilla

Wow, reading some of the responses makes me feel very fortunate. I take classes regularly. Most of them are quilts that I could easily do on my own, but I enjoy the interaction and I always pick up little helpful hints that I can use in all of my work, not just that particular class. Most classes that I take have 5-6 people in them. The teacher explains a concept with everyone gathered round, then sends us back to our machine to master that piece of the sewing. She's right there to help if she hears anyone stirring. We all enjoy talking and laughing back and forth while we work. It's so fun to see the same blocks (and eventually the whole quilt) in different colors.

I'm taking a weekend of classes with Bonnie Hunter in July. I expect that experience to be quite different from my usual classes, but luckily I already have the books I'll need and the directions are clear. Mostly I just wanted the chance to hear her helpful tips and ideas and see some of her lovely quilts.

carolaug

i took one class and there was only one other student who already made the sampler quilt three times. She would make them her blocks at home and rush, rush, rush. The intstructor started to push me to keep up with the other woman and wanted me to make them at home. I stopped going and will someday finish the quilt here at home since I was doing it here at home anywhere. I was very disappointed and haven't been back not even to shop their for fabric.

eyes

I won't do public workshops or classes of any kind ever again because of people who have taken the classes before and are 'done' before anyone else starts and they talk to the instructor the entire time after the presentation so no one else can ask a question and act like you are bothering them if you interrupt. Let the instructor hang with her 'clique' on her own time and $.
I will learn on my own from friends, on line workshops and public forums as I can read and follow directions.

Knitette

This has been my experience also. Quite honestly, I'd feel pretty intimidated going to some of the classes described here. To me, the joy of learning seems, in some cases, to have been overlooked.

gmaybee

I'm an instructor and try to put everyone at ease from the start. I explain to everyone they will all sew at different speeds and to never feel like they are falling behind. I will demonstrate anything over again to individual students, even a few times if someone needs it. I will have students from beginners, or experienced that just come so they can sew uninterrupted from cooking, phones, and other things at home. I walk constantly monitoring what is going on and try to watch for problems, because there are always different personalities in each class. I even had a student want me to stand right beside her the whole time. I had to tell her I was there to teach everyone and I would make sure she got just as much attention as everyone else. We have a set amount of students in our classes and if we have a waiting list the owners check with us, and then bring in an extra teacher to help. I love teaching and sewing/quilting myself so I try to make my classes informative, and fun, because I want my students to enjoy it.

VIKINGQUEEN

After reading more of these responses, I had to add more to my prior post. Like many of you, I am also self taught, mostly via books, internet, & some classes. I have been very fortunate to have good teachers for the classes that I've taken. Of course with the internet there are no interruptions, but there is also no comradery, no feed back & no sharing... of any kind, good or bad. I have also been a bit of a teacher, not professionally, but we are all teachers of sorts becuz we took the time to learn an art & some of us like to share. Sort of "paying it forward". My students have been 2 of my sisters & they are completely opposite. While my older sister is a slower learner, my other sister picks things up quicker & is also very hands on. I find that no matter what approach I take, I always spend more time with my older sister, while my other sister goes on ahead of us & later grumbles about how my older sister monopolizes so much of my time. Bottom line is, we are all different & those who are constantly interrupting or monopolizing the instructors time are just as eager to learn as we are who have already mastered some of the easier steps & just need to refresh or want to learn something new. To the seasoned quilters I say, have a little patience becuz we were all there once, clueless & inexperienced. Hoping to have our questions answered first before class was over & not wanting to leave the class with an unfinished project like some others so that we don't look like the only who didn't get it. Or is that like the new kid that doesn't know his way around the new school & can't even find his locker? To the newbies I say, heads up! If this is something that you are just trying out to see if you like it, then maybe doing a little research to get a feel for what you will be learning might be appropriate so that you'll know what to expect. Knowledge is power & no one can take that away from you. As a seasoned quilter I myself don't mind helping if I can, but my instructor is the one getting paid to teach, not me. And some don't appreciate having anyone step into their arena while others don't mind the help if the class is too big. But we all have a different way of teaching as well as learning & it is not fair to anyone to be so disruptive or rude in class that even 1 person walks away feeling as if it was a waste of time & money. We have to keep in mind that we are all there for the same thing, we love to quilt. Come on everyone, we're all adults, who want to be treated as we treat others. And lets not forget, that good or bad, instructors have feelings too.

1 last thought. If we allow even 1 person to take so much control of our lives that we are loosing sleep, always so angry & bitter over a disagreement that happened so long ago that you can't even remember what happened or how it all started, then you have allowed for that person to control you. And no one should be given that much control over you or your life. Because you have not been living your life for you, but for that person. And that is not living! That is 1 miserable person.

Boston1954

I've never taken a class, but if someone is wanting you to help them, I would gently remind them that you are also a student and that they need to see the teacher.

skothing

Thank you all for the insightful responses. This helps so much. I was ask if I would teach basic sewing at the local school for summer school secession this year and turned it down. The teachers and ladies in the school saw many of my works and wanted help just learning to sew. I have taught free classes at my church and felt used my some parents of very young children coming to the class. They handle the dangerous things on the display table and even when asked, the mother would not control her child. It was a bad experience. So when I was asked to do another and I put an age limit on the enrolment. That was a great class. So, I did another with only high school girls making rag quilts. That went over very well. All these classes where free. I feel as God has bless me in this craft, I feel lead to share this others in my church. I have also taught in LQS and enjoy that but I need to finish some of my original designs quilts before I do it again. I also have a publisher now for my patterns that I haven't finished yet. But I have taken and will continue to take classes. I try to become better in this craft. I have sewn all life and quilted since "74. My problem was a new technique that I wanted to think it though. The interruption was one that I felt could have been solved by having her machine serviced before she came to class. I can do minor repairs, and have done small repairs at retreats and in classes in, I am paying for. Before I take a class I clean my machine and replace needles. I want it running at top efficiency. When others come to a class without doing the basic checks to see they have a well running machine it causes problems. Others in the class or the teacher has to stop to do what should have been done before coming. It is rude and steals value from the class.

Weezy Rider

If I had an annoying person - I'd just say "excuse me" and get up and leave, or go talk to someone else.

I usually don't take classes. They always seem to include stuff I don't want. I may not like all the blocks being made, and would rather substitute another block. Did a Craftsy BOM, decided that the paper pieced blocks looked too messy, and made other blocks with points for the practice. Since no one sees the finished blocks except me, it doesn't matter.
You have a hard time doing that in a live class.

QuiltNama

I teach a lot of classes and keep the number of students to 6 if it's a complicated class and up to 13 if it's an easier class. At the beginning of the class I let everyone know that each one of us works and learns each technique at their own rate of speed. Questions are welcomed at all times. As a teacher I can usually spot those who need more alone time to work out their projects so try to reroute the helpers. As a teacher, I do my best to make each class a learning experience and to help everyone learn the project at hand and have fun along the way. I also encourage my students to come to class prepared, projects cut out, sewing machine in good working order, etc. If you are having a problem with something or someone, please let me know. It's hard to fix a problem if we don't know about it. Most teachers I know, have the same attitude. If you take a class and do not feel you have gotten your money's worth, ask for your money back. If you do not speak up, most teachers will assume all it fine.