I'm a newbie - took classes 1 & 2 in another state and recently moved. Today I went to sign up for the fondant & gum paste and the girl told me I couldn't, as I needed course 3 first. Is there any truth to this? I was always told by my previous instructor that after course 1, you could do the classes in any order. Plus, course 2 doesn't have anything to do with fondant, so why is it necessary to do them in order?
I'm really annoyed by this so-called rule.

Find somewhere else to take the classes if they don't want your business. I am finishing course 1 this Saturday and have already signed up for Fondant and Gumpaste with the same instructor. She recommends that we take 3 before 4, but doesn't require it. I have never heard someone say that you have to take them in order other than that course 1 needs to be first.

My Wilton instructor made us take them all in order as well. But I have heard on here that some people just take the fondant class. Meaning that they skip course 1, 2 and 3. I would leave your name and phone number at the register. The Wilton instructor can call and talk to you. Perhaps she will let you go ahead and take the fondant class.

Wilton is actually going to remove the numbers from the courses here soon. You can take them in any order (but you have to have taken course 1) I think after the changes it won't be so confusing. You won't have a number on it so people won't think you have to follow them in order.

Personally, I found the fondant and gumpaste class somewhat disappointing. I had already taken 1-3 and thought I learned more about fondant in course 3. I thought it was somewhat of a waste of my time to be honest.

In my F&G course, there were 3 people (out of 6) who hadn't taken course 3. I think this is really dependent on your instructor. As already mentioned, the F&G course didn't teach me as much as courses 1-3. My instructor really went out of her way to show us how to make extra flowers to fill up all that extra time. Even she admitted the F&G workbook could be completed in 1 lesson.

In fact, the first lesson is supposed to be spent covering a cake board and that's it. WTH??? That could easily be done in 5 minutes. The F&G course is a fairly new course, and it seems like something Wilton just tossed together. If you can, go for course 3.

I don't regret taking F&G, but that's because my instructor went above and beyond to make the class more worthwhile.

Does anyone know how much different a Wilton class would be compared to a class that they offer at a community college?

I signed up for a class in October with my mom at a community college just for something fun to do together.

I was also just hired on at a local bakery part time simply to get more experience. I kinda skipped all of the basics of cake decorating and went right to doing my own thing with 3D cakes and hand painting...etc

This should be interesting. LOL

My wife and I took the courses together and paid:
Course 1: $15
Course 2: $17
Course 3: $25
Course 4: $35
Friends of ours found out we took the courses and told us they had inquired at our local community college and they wanted something like $350, plus supplies.

I never baked a cake until the first one we had to do for course 1. I only took the courses to keep my wife company but ended up loving every bit of them and love doing cakes now. I'm glad we took the couses one at a time and in order since I knew literally nothing about any of it. It took the stress off, allowed me time to practice and I just had fun and learned alot. Our instructor also didn't like the F&G course and taught us what was in the course but went further to keep us busy and to keep learning. She was soooooo patient and a wonderful instructor.

Thanks.
I believe this course is $240 and lasts 8 weeks. I really have no idea how involved or what level this course will be compared to the Wilton. Like I said... I'm really doing it more because my mom originally signed up. She's 70 years old now and bored and I thought it would be a good way to spend some time with her once a week since I don't get to see her that often.

Yeah, the Wilton does sound a lot cheaper. Hmmm.

If you've already signed up for the courses with the college, don't worry. If your mom already signed up, definitely go with her. You can't put a price on the time you'll have together and the fun of taking the classes together. Not to mention the time spent doing your homework (baking, practicing, etc.). Also, if the college includes supplies, you'll be way ahead of the game, though I doubt they do.
The Wilton classes were 4 weeks for each course, 2 hours - 1 day a week. In total we took 16 classes since we took all they had to offer.
Like I said, if it's already a done deal, then just go and enjoy your time together.

I've taken the 4 Wilton courses, an interest course at the local high school in the evening, and several classes from a cake decorating school. There was a lot of repetition, a lot of variety in content and price, and a large variety of levels of experience in each and every group. I never failed to learn something new. The opportunity to practice old and new skills was great. I don't get to do a lot of cakes but by taking the various courses, it reinforced a lot of what I had learned and gave me the chance to see various techniques. It also gave me the opportunity to talk "cake" to people who were also interested. I'd say take the course. Meet new people and enjoy!

I took F&G without ever taking Wilton III

The gumpaste Course can be taken right after Course I. Is suggested that you can take Course I so you know the basics on how to decorate a Cake, but the
gumpaste course is a class on it's own, is not attached to the other classes. You can take it after course I anytime you want..
Edna

As a wilton instructor, I do not require my students to take the classes inorder. I fill the student knows what they can handle also I have never been told that you have to take them in order. I also agree that you don't learn that must more in the fondant and gum paste, but when the new classes come out in 2010, i think you will be impressed (at least I hope atudents will be)

From what I recall the fondant & gum paste course is not labeled as course #4 so what does it matter when you take it? We were also told that after #1 you can take the courses whenever you want.

I am also a Wilton instructor. I strongly suggest that a student have either taken Course I or have some basic skills before they take the Fondant & Gumpaste Class. I also VERY strongly suggest that a student take Course II before they take Course III. My only reason for this is that if you have never worked with royal icing and you take Course III before you take Course II (80% royal icing work), you are at a serious disadvantage. In Course II I demonstrate on how to make royal icing. I will not, I repeat NOT demonstrate how to make the royal icing in the beginning of Course III, nor will I spend more than 2-3 minutes explaining to the person who has never used it before. It is each students responsibility to be aware of what is happening in the class before they sign up (actually glance through the Course book). I cannot penalize the majority of the class by making them wait while someone tries to "catch up".

Just my opinion...
Gayle
SE MI

Who told you this? The store employees or the instructor?

If it was the instructor then I'd point out that it was told you to that you could do it and ask her why she doesn't allow it. If she still says no, I'd l ook for another store to take it.

Alot of the time the store employees don't know much about the classes. Any of the classes can be taken in any order you want, after you take Course 1. I'd personally speak to the instructor at the store, and let her know your issues in signing up so she can try to correct the problem.

I recently had someone call me asking about my Sept classes cause the person they spoke to at the store said they didn't know if I was having the classes in Sept cause they didn't know if I was going on vacation. I'd love to know what vacation I am suppose to be going on, since I went on one at the end of July. *rolls eyes*

I haven't taken Fondant and Gumpaste yet, but took all the others. Do you really think it's worth taking??

I couldn't wait to take the fondant and gumpaste classes. Boy were they worth it for me. In fact, I couldn't wait until those classes started, and haven't been sorry for one minute that I took them. Those classes opened up a whole new world of possibilites for me, and they really let me know where your imagination can take you with cakes.

I baked my very first cake on Valentine's Day last year. Before that, I never baked a cake, made frosting or decorated a cake. I don't know if I'm allowed to post links to my cake photos elsewhere, but I hope so. Here is my link: http://s314.photobucket.com/albums/ll426/ShelbyLynnCakes/

I think I've come a very long way in a year and a half, and yet, I'm still at the beginning of what I have to learn.

wow cownsj! your cakes are beautiful! if you want to upload any pics here, you can do it in the gallery. Gorgeous! good to know about the last course, I think I need it, as I don't know anything about Gumpaste.

I took classes 1 & 2, but there were not enough people to take 3 last month so my instructor told me I could go ahead and take class 4 and then take class 3 next month. Anyway, it seems like most of what we did in 4 was stuff I had already attempted on my own. I really don't feel that I learned much in class 4 but that may just be my instructor. She didn't even require us to use gumpaste as instructed in the book. In fact, she had never even used it herself! I can't wait to go back and do course 3 if for nothing else but to learn how to do the fondant roses and the other BC flowers.

Gayle, I just had two that took C3 before C2 because I didn't have enough for C2 this month. While we had to do a little adjusting of icing before class they both did well. I almost always have to adjust icing in C2L2, even though I do make it for them in L1. So that part didn't bother me. They did have a little issue with the Petunia, but I have people that have taken C2 have issues with it as well.

I set my classes up where they run in order, so I don't often have people skip around. But I can understand it working for some that can't offer each class every month or are having trouble getting enough to have two classes to make but can combine and have enough for one.

Trails_N_Errors, the Wilton classes are great for basics. Yes I am a Wilton Instructor, but I alway say taking the classes years ago is really what got my started in cake decorating. I am all for learing on your own and branching out outside of Wilton, but the basics are the basics and once you learn them, no matter the source, you build on them and just keep learning more and more.

I think the biggest thing with the Wilton classes is getting the right instructor. There are many that are very by the book and there are others that allow creativity. There are some that do not know anything out side the world of Wilton, and there are some that would probably suprise you by what all they know.

What people have to remember is that a Wilton Instructor is not the know all cake person, even though there are some out there that may seem that way. I always tell my students on the first night of Course 1 that I do not have all the answers and will not pretend to. I always let them know to ask me any questions they have, but I am not afraid to tell them that I may not know the answer and if I don't I will try to help them find it. I have been stumped by questions and by icing issues.

ShelbyMama, it always bugs me when someone pays for the class and did not get what they should have. The Fondant & Gumpaste can be a little basic, but as a WMI I try to make it interesting for my students and to give them extra tidbits. I'd really suggest contacting the store and talking to the Manager and letting him/her know that the WMI did not teach all of the class. I'd point out that you paid for the Fondant & GUMPASTE Class, but that the WMI did not use Gumpaste at all in the class. I'd also consider contacting Wilton. I know that sounds a little harsh but Wilton or the store won't know the classes are being taught incorrectly unless someone tells them. And with that knowledge hopefully they can correct the issue.

I'm really sorry you didn't get everything you paid for in the class.