What Was The Best Class/Teacher Experience You've Had?
11-24-2014, 09:10 AM
#31
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 2,774
I take Craftsy classes and watch videos from MSQC. Many more as they are presented. I took a beginning class in hand-quilting and loved that but now I do a lot of paper piecing, learning from Carol Doaks. Thank goodness there are so many choices and ways to quilt. I have also built up quite a library of books. I must stop buying and do more quilting.
11-24-2014, 10:42 AM
#32
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 242
Mary Sorensen's needle turn appliqué class. I took it many years ago and that class made me love hand appliqué. She has a lot of enthusiasm which is really contagious and she gives you confidence in your work.
11-24-2014, 03:21 PM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 6,958
Most of my classes have been very good. I was fortunate to be able to afford to go to Empty Spools for the first 5 years after I started quilting. I enjoyed each class. I have enjoyed every class that I have taken and it has run the gamut from local teachers at LQS's as well as nationally known teachers.
Most of the teachers had very good people skills and made their class fun. A couple, including one well known one, needed a little more polish on their people skills and making newer quilters more comfortable with the technique they were teaching.
Most of the teachers had very good people skills and made their class fun. A couple, including one well known one, needed a little more polish on their people skills and making newer quilters more comfortable with the technique they were teaching.
11-24-2014, 04:29 PM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: The Finger Lakes of upstate NY
Posts: 3,492
I've taken two GREAT classes, several good ones and a few "meh" (ie, I wouldn't do that again!).
The two I loved were given by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame and Doug Letko of Antler Quilts.
In all honesty, I love Bonnie's style so was thrilled to be there. Her patterns are so thorough that I didn't actually LEARN anything - it was the experience of coming together with other followers and fans to spend a couple of days (it was actually 2 different classes) seeing her quilts in person, chatting and swapping scraps. I did not go into it expecting to be taught anything specific. There was a person there who had never used a rotary cutter, had made a quilt or two but "eyeballed" cutting with scissors... I'm not sure what made her go, but would guess that she might have been disappointed as there was no way she could keep up. A few of us tried to show her how to use the tools, but she really didn't want to change the way she was doing things.
As a result, I think it's important to make the goals and content of the class very clear BEFORE folks sign up. Learning the basics, tools you must be confident with, etc.
The second one I loved, with Doug Letko, was in part because of the story of his company - he was a freshman in college when I went - was so interesting and inspiring. He was both patient and entertaining. One of his patterns involved what would normally have been a "Y" seam, but he explained another way to do it. Although it was another step, it came out perfectly every time.
Socializing comes in all different levels. If it's a casual class with more of a "do these steps and we'll move on," I don't mind chatting going on around me. If it's a "pay attention to what I'm saying, or you won't be successful," I think the instructor needs to nip talking in the bud. It's too hard to hear what he/she is saying if others are speaking at the same time. Now I know that's not an easy thing to do - one of the reasons I couldn't be a teacher is that I'd never be able to address behavior. Of course, it's also a problem that I'll show you once, but not again without getting annoyed!
Again, that kind of goes back to what is expected. Lots of repetition over the course of a day or more allows for more small talk and visiting, especially if there is a lunch break. An intense/involved class that requires actual learning of tools or methods, in my opinion, does not.
The two I loved were given by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame and Doug Letko of Antler Quilts.
In all honesty, I love Bonnie's style so was thrilled to be there. Her patterns are so thorough that I didn't actually LEARN anything - it was the experience of coming together with other followers and fans to spend a couple of days (it was actually 2 different classes) seeing her quilts in person, chatting and swapping scraps. I did not go into it expecting to be taught anything specific. There was a person there who had never used a rotary cutter, had made a quilt or two but "eyeballed" cutting with scissors... I'm not sure what made her go, but would guess that she might have been disappointed as there was no way she could keep up. A few of us tried to show her how to use the tools, but she really didn't want to change the way she was doing things.
As a result, I think it's important to make the goals and content of the class very clear BEFORE folks sign up. Learning the basics, tools you must be confident with, etc.
The second one I loved, with Doug Letko, was in part because of the story of his company - he was a freshman in college when I went - was so interesting and inspiring. He was both patient and entertaining. One of his patterns involved what would normally have been a "Y" seam, but he explained another way to do it. Although it was another step, it came out perfectly every time.
Socializing comes in all different levels. If it's a casual class with more of a "do these steps and we'll move on," I don't mind chatting going on around me. If it's a "pay attention to what I'm saying, or you won't be successful," I think the instructor needs to nip talking in the bud. It's too hard to hear what he/she is saying if others are speaking at the same time. Now I know that's not an easy thing to do - one of the reasons I couldn't be a teacher is that I'd never be able to address behavior. Of course, it's also a problem that I'll show you once, but not again without getting annoyed!
Again, that kind of goes back to what is expected. Lots of repetition over the course of a day or more allows for more small talk and visiting, especially if there is a lunch break. An intense/involved class that requires actual learning of tools or methods, in my opinion, does not.
11-24-2014, 04:41 PM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SC
Posts: 2,027
The first quilting class with a professional was with Pat Sloan. She was a great teacher. Had a "bi_t_h" also in the class with her remarks directed to me. I've had a lot of embroidery classes at my LQS where all the teachers were excellent but sometimes the classes were to full so was easy to get behind during the directions. Best quilting teacher I have had is a dear friend that taught me how to finally rotary cut!!! It is so easy now!!!
11-24-2014, 06:09 PM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
Posts: 6,407
I compiled a list from everyone's answers and my own feelings.
What make a good quilting class
At the time of sign up
State the skill levels needed for the class
State students must be familiar with their sewing machines
Supple list
Make a handout of a list of to dos; example – before class cut 32 4 1/2 inch squares
Doesn’t require specialty tools that may never be used again
At the start of class
Instructor on time for the class
Provides handouts – drawings, written instructions, examples and plenty of room to make notes
Has samples of thread, needles and pins used
During class
Well thought out lesson plan – show exactly what needs to be done at each stage
Breaks each step of the process down into baby steps
Focused on the technique
Super organized – supplies ready, pieces cut for every stage of the process
Has a completed sample for every part of the project
Entertaining, engaging and supportive
Patient – is able to spot a student in trouble and delicately step in with a
(here let me show you something that will make it easier for you)
Works with every student
Gives time to chat and admire each other’s efforts during working on the project
Makes sure students were well underway with their projects before leaving
Be prepared to deal with an unruly student
What make a good quilting class
At the time of sign up
State the skill levels needed for the class
State students must be familiar with their sewing machines
Supple list
Make a handout of a list of to dos; example – before class cut 32 4 1/2 inch squares
Doesn’t require specialty tools that may never be used again
At the start of class
Instructor on time for the class
Provides handouts – drawings, written instructions, examples and plenty of room to make notes
Has samples of thread, needles and pins used
During class
Well thought out lesson plan – show exactly what needs to be done at each stage
Breaks each step of the process down into baby steps
Focused on the technique
Super organized – supplies ready, pieces cut for every stage of the process
Has a completed sample for every part of the project
Entertaining, engaging and supportive
Patient – is able to spot a student in trouble and delicately step in with a
(here let me show you something that will make it easier for you)
Works with every student
Gives time to chat and admire each other’s efforts during working on the project
Makes sure students were well underway with their projects before leaving
Be prepared to deal with an unruly student
11-25-2014, 06:56 AM
#37
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I think you're the third person now who has mentioned this happening, in this thread. This boggles my mind! Who ARE these people!?!? Why do they think that sort of behavior is OK? And how have they gotten so far in life without someone socking them in the eye? That's just crazy. (I am not really expecting answers, I just think it's so wild that people do this.)
Makes me wonder how I'd react. Probably not with decorum or class. LOL
Makes me wonder how I'd react. Probably not with decorum or class. LOL
11-25-2014, 07:42 AM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,430
It has been my good fortune to study with wonderful teachers such as Pat Campbell, Dixie McBride, Darra Duffy Williamson, and many others. I did have one teacher who told us what to do and them promptly sat down to work on her next year's class and never even moved around the room to check on her students' progress. I left that class early. I also had another to another teacher announce to the entire class that she had a "whiner" (ME) in the class. I was not a happy camper in that class! (I am dyslexic, left handed, and suffer from damaged nerves in my left hand.)
11-28-2014, 07:27 PM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,660
Cindy Needham I did a 3 day workshop with her and it was wonderful. She did everything on the list above and I came away knowing how to confidently machine quilt. I was probably the most beginner quilter in the class but the experienced quilters were happy too. She even lent me her sewing machine so I would have a 'big girl' machine, much easier to quilt on. The lady next to me had the same machine (new to her) and we learned it together. She had some little projects to practice techniques on but some worked on their own projects. She was extremely organized, with many, many supplies and we came away with a CD with a many, many pages of notes on all of the topics and extras.
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