Hi everyone! I'm new to the site and to cake decorating, although I've been baking for a long time.

I had my first Wilton class at Michael's Arts & Crafts on Tuesday. It was kind of a bad experience. I wanted opinions as to what you guys would do in this situation. Since I've never taken a class for baking or decorating before, I'm not sure what to expect.

First off, the classroom was full, so we had to do the class in the breakroom which was very very small. Literally, there was one table with 2 chairs. I then found out I would be the only person attending class, and that there would be 2 others next week (they did actually show up, and the instructor went and got 2 additional chairs). The break room was hot, dirty and SMALL.

Secondly, my instructor didn't appear very clean. Her nails were long, some were broken off and appeared yellowed and dirty. She passed her buttercream around for us to sample, and we put our fingers in the bowl! This really horrified me, but I didn't want to be rude and tell her I didn't want to try her frosting, so I just barely stuck my finger in and tasted a tiny bit.

Thirdly, she's only been doing cake decorating for a year, which wouldn't be a huge deal, I guess, but she had a photo album w/ her and her cakes were very amateur looking. They look like something I would make! ha!

She said that next Tues, we should hopefully be in a real classroom. It was so hot back there that her icing melted and her rose kind of just looked like a blob.

I've been wanting to take a class like this forever. I have a son, who is about to turn 1 and I was looking forward to some "me" time once a week with other cake decorating students that I could get to know and have fun with. Being that there are only 2 other students, and one is about 12, and all the other stuff I mentioned, it's disappointing. At the same time, I still want to go back because the cake instructor is a very sweet person, although a little unsanitary, and I think I'm going to learn a lot.

Sorry for the long post!!

Amber

Oh, I forgot to tell you she put all the icing back into the bowl after we used it to practice with, licked her fingers (ew!) and said, "Oh there's plenty left for my next group."

Sorry to hear you had a not so nice first class. Firstly she should have just showed you the icing bu passing it around with the spatula in it and mix it. I would never think of putting my fingers in something like that in public YUCK.
As for her armature cakes its unfortunate that Wilton hires people that aren't so great but it does happen. She might be a great teacher but a not so good decorator.I would wait to see what she is like next week. If she isn't clean I would say something to the store manager. I would also make sure if the class room isn't available next week let the manager know as well that it was a mess and extremely hot.
Good luck keep us posted

Thats disgusting,first of all after seeing her appearance I would have been conpletely turned off and that would be my cue to NEVER come back again.Thats just gross,personally I can't work or learn ina dirty or small room.Thats just my opionion.

I took classes at Hobby Lobby and they were great. Maybe you could get your money back and try somewhere else or switch to a different Michael's location. You could always talk to the store manager about the classroom situation(they shouldn't schedule conflicting classes). BTW- my teacher was a little quirky, but I learned a ton and ended up having a great time.

Um, run! Don't walk and get your money back! I would tell them that having the classroom in a break room was not what you are paying for. I would talk to the manager if you get any slightest hesitation. If you have to get down and dirty with the manager you tell her how the woman had you put your fingers in the same bowl she planned to use for the next class, how she licked her fingers and if she didn't let you have your money back, that you felt you would have to report her!

I just finished course 1 and my instructor had us all take a clean, new tooth pick and take a bit out to taste.

Sounds like you got the redneck version of course 1. And before that offends anyone, I'm not ashamed to admit I come from a family of rednecks!

You need to find another class with someone with more experience. Take all those signals that you had on day one and trust your own instincts.

I don't know what to do. I guess I feel bad for the lady, yet at the same time, I'm disappointed and wish I had a better class. If I did complain, she'd know it was me, since I'm one of 3 class members! Not just that, but like I said, she's nice and I feel like I'm being stuck up or something.

I just wanted to see what you guys thought, and it makes me feel better to know I'm not overreacting (trust me, that was the short version, there was waaaay more gross stuff than that).

Anyway, I'm very torn. I guess I'll give it another class and see if it gets better. If we don't have our own classroom next Tuesday, I'll definitely complain. I was sweating and miserable and it's a 2 hour class.

Thanks, guys.

If you do switch to another place to take classes, be sure you ask who is teaching, because my teacher taught at every craft store within 20 miles!

I've had two Wilton Instructors and the first one wasn't very experienced either after I had my course 2 with a new lady I realized so many things I could do instead like switch to another store or like suggested on another post and talking to the store manager for sure just because this lady works for Wilton they wouldn't do the same thing for the other classes Michael's offers. Also evry decorator is different I happen to like the new one better!!!! I am sorry but I would say something if I was you even with an unprepared and inexperienced decorator like the one I had who didn't even show us any of her work my experience was not as bad as yours I would be so angry!!!!

I gagged just reading this. (Can you imagine what goes on in her workplace when no one is looking? Oopps, dropped it..brush it off and back to decorating..) Eyewwwww!

I wouldn't care if she knew it was me or not, but then I'm a pushy old hag, lol. I'd get my money back & look elsewhere.

I have to say that sounds like a terrible experience (and here i thought my Wilton Class was bad)...mine was at a Hobby Lobby but there was literally 20 people attending in a tiny room where we were all bumping elbows trying to decorate our cakes. My instructor however was very nice and very clean. I was just disappointed that in such a large class it was extremely hard to get any one on one instruction and if you didnt get there early...you had to sit so far away you couldnt see what she was doing! I am thinking about trying the class at another craft store (just because my Hobbly lobby likes to use the classroom to store all kinds of stuff! I was also disappointed because there must have been an art class sometime before us, cause the sink area (if you brave enough to forage through the junk in front of it) was always covered in paint!

obviously it has everything to do with the instructor and the store! Good Luck

I also think you should check with other craft stores in your area and see if they have the classes and have someone else teach it. I'd also get my money back. That is so Gross!

In June I took Course 1 and 3 with the same instructor. I wasn't too impressed with her the first night and by the last night I just wanted to get out of there! She just liked to brag about how good she was, what she could do, and what she was working on to sell. I actually did better roses BEFORE taking her class, hers all looked like they were from a grocery store and were just plain ugly! I have learned so much more from this site then I learned from her at the classes. (in fact she printed out a bunch of pages on the last night from this site and was bragging about how she had these instructions and was sharing them. They were tutorials from HERE! She tried to make it sound like it was exclusive information, but I had already read them all! I want to take Course 2 but am going to check with another Michael's in the area. I chose that one because it was close to work and I could go after work, it think going the 25 miles home and then another 20 miles or so to another store might be worth it!

Anyway, first impressions are usually pretty good to go by. If you can switch classes and learn from someone else, by all means do!

Sorry for the rambling! I just feel I kinda wasted money taking the classes- especially since I hear how much people learned from theirs!

I would be gagging and wouldn't be able to go back. I have this clean thing and don't let my kids even lick their fingers when cooking. I would talk to the manager and get your money back. If you can't then contact wilton about the instructor. There are too many people doing this that shouldn't be and you wonder if it is just so wilton sells their products. I had a wonderful instructor so I think myself lucky. First impressions with me are usually right on.... runnnnnnn

I see you're from SE MI too. I'm re-taking the Wilton 1 class starting next week at Michael's in Roseville. Hopefully it's not the same instructor! Akkk!

If you felt uncomfortable, ask for your money back. You could see who teaches at the closest JoAnns.

I was planning on taking a class at Heinrich's in the fall, they don't start their classes until after Labor Day, they're not Wilton classes, but I was told they were better.

I'm just trying to find as many classes as I can, so I'm taking the Wilton ones again and then trying some classes either there or at the Cake and Candy Cupboard in St. Clair Shores.

Heinrich's Decorating Nook
8160 E 10 Mile Rd
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 758-5100

I get really frustrated at this. I too, had a bad first instructor but then a wonderful 2nd and 3rd. I'm frustrated because people like this are teaching and I've been talking to Wilton about starting to teach for 10 weeks! Their process is really slow so it's surprizing that these people get through. The regional managers are very far away, like many states away. Maybe you could call Wilton? Who knows, there might be an even sweeter person waiting to take her place.

(Thanks for letting me vent back to your vent.)

Girl, RUN ,RUN and RUN I would get a refund and find another location to take ur class, the class's are great but not when u feel uncomfortable, I am so sorry you experianced this !!!
Lisa

amber0717 that is aweful!!!what adiapointment to be looking forword to decorating and this is what you got I am a wilton instructor as well,and I can not believe what I read here!!!!!!! fingers in the bowl is a NO_NO in my book.I make the frosting in class then pass around the three consistencies(spelling) WITH A SPATULA so my students can MIX it to get the feel,not to taste..I have never said they could taste it and I can't recall anybody just doing so by sticking thier fingers in, YUCK.she also should not have used that batch for another group I also think she should care about how she is presenting herself in a cleanier mannor.I would have thought the same as you did by her appearance.not to be judgemental per say but this is a baking class I may be silly but I always try to wear something nice (nostains/dirt etc)and my hair is pulled up/back.anyhow I hope the classroom is available next time for more space and hope it gets better,good luck decorating

you also should bring this to the attention of the class coordinator or store mngr because by her being this way she probably doesn't have alot of students continuing to other courses or sign ups and therefor that is also affecting the overall store sales,not to mention Wiltons rep for teaching.

The problem is that some people think that just because they took all three Wilton Classes they are capable of teaching and it ain't so! I'd lay odd that all of the folk on CC who happen to be Wilton instructors have a lot of experience behind them as well as their Wilton classes. More importantly, I think that those Wilton instructors on CC are conscious about sanitary conditions.

Is she the only Wilton instructor in town? do you have any other craft/hobby stores in town that offer classes? What about the local colleges? She can't be your ONLY option, can she?

I was so disgusted just reading it
I dont think I could have even made myself put my finger anywhere near that bowl, your a stronger woman than I!

I sure would say something, what if she was just getting a cold or ewww....my mind is going to some very dark places now....

Yes PLEASE say something so no one ends up getting sick from her antics.

I am just glad you didnt!

Melanie

Ew! Yuck!


Is there anyone you can talk to?


What did the others attending think?



I'm thinking you don't want to go back to her; please find someone else to go to.

Oh, if that icing is being saved for her next group.....I wonder who had their fingers in it way before you ever did.


Ew! Ew! Ew!

The trouble is that I'm so eager to take this darned class that if I quit now, that means waiting another month for another to start up. Plus, as I said, I have an 11 month old, and this location is right near my house and my dad's house, and he is the one watching the baby for me so I can go to class, since my husband works late usually.

I'm giving it another try and if we don't have a classroom next Tuesday, I'm quitting for sure. I'm not roasting in the breakroom for another 2 hours!

Thanks for all the advice!!!

Amber

Amber,

I am also a Wilton Instructor at JoAnn's. This kind of demonstration would never be acceptable to my education coordinator or to my supervisor at Wilton. If this is how the 1st class went I would hate to see what she has in store for you for the next 3 weeks.

If you are insistant on giving her one more chance, do that, but if things don't improve, report it to the manager at Michael's and then to Wilton!! There are other instructors out there believe me.

Good luck and let me know what happens.

Sounds like E-coli waiting to happen. I would run, not walk away from this situation. I would also contact Wilton and complain. I would almost bet they would make sure you got your money back. This is disgusting.

Diane

I had a cake class that ended up in the Michaels break room because someone scheduled a last minute kids party and the manager informed my teacher that parties make the store more money than a cake class.

My teacher was furious and that never happened again.

At least the breakroom had AC and was clean! Teeny tiny and we kept bumping into each other though.

First off, I completely feel for your need to take a nice, fun relaxing class to have some alone time and meet other people. I took my first class when my daughter was 11 months old and I fortunately had a clean, air-conditioned room with a great instructor and met 2 very good friends, too!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this sounds stressful and just plain gross. You are not supposed to stick fingers into the frosting. I am surprised you didn't just tell her that it's not a good idea. Just tell her! Nothing wrong with that. I hope class 2 is better for you. It might be a good idea to just wait a month and take it with another instructor.

Good luck
Angie

I just wanted to update all of you and say yesterday was my 2nd class and it was much better. It was in the classroom, not the breakroom. And the instructor looked cleaner. I had so much fun!!! Thanks for listening and offering advice. Hopefully, it just keeps getting better!!!

I'm glad to hear that! Enjoy your classes. Can't wait to see your cakes from class!

Angie

When I first took my Wilton Course 1 I was like you and didn't much care for my teacher. She showed us her cakes also and I thought they didn't look very good. Turns out she has been decorating and selling cakes for over 20 years. So I wasn't holding much hope of being very good.

But I stuck it out because I really wanted to have fun and learn. I did have fun. I learned some stuff and at the end I knew I really wanted to take the Course over. SO I looked around and found Trish who taught but was about 1 hour and 15 mins from me.

I had seen her work and seen her teach on the videos on the ebook I bought and knew I would learn a lot. So I made the drive. Well worth it! She is the best. I learned so much from her and learned that some things I learned from my first teacher was taught wrong.

But every teacher has little tips they pass on and it's good practice. My first teacher is also at a Cake Club I go to and I didn't want to make her feel bad so I signed up for Course 2 and I'm now in Course 3.

I also took course 2 from Trish and am in Course 3 with her now. I figure it's good practice as I don't have the time to practice much at home.

Anyway, I say stick with the class. You don't have to eat her stuff. I hate the licking fingers also. I have two girls in one of my classes that did that all the time. I would point it out and say YUCK I sure wouldn't want to buy your cakes. They just laugh.

So as long as you are clean you will be fine. The one on one you get from your instructor will be great. Like someone said here bigger classes are not better. Finish your course. If you feel like you could learn more then find another one and take it again. I have a feeling you will learn a lot from your first instructor.

Be sure to post your cakes.
Joanne

Just a note about teaching in the breakroom... I'm a WMI, and there has been a few occasions that I have had to teach in the breakroom. As said earlier, if a Birthday party is scheduled during the time of my class or something else that is a corporate event.

It is not fun for the WMI to teach in the breakroom either, so please do not judge her for that, as it is usually not her fault for being in there.

As far as the other stuff, I don't ask my students to taste the icing, so I couldn't imagine that. You may want to leave her an annonous message one day suggesting that she may rethink that.