What was bad from the teaching end wonderbuns??? (I love your screen name it cracks me up...LOL) It's not like the class was rowdy or wouldn't listen...that was all there was to learn that night...
No, the students were great. It was Wilton itself I had the problem with. But I'm not interested in getting into a "wilton bashing" contest here. Let's just say it was best for all concerned for us to part ways. I was very disappointed in the whole situation, but then the best lessons learned are often the hardest and most heartbreaking. 
Hey M...
Nic Lodge is teaching in May in Toronto....$525....Maybe next year we should am for that.
Seat sale, Hotel etc, we could do it for $1000.00 I'd say....
Funny thing is that I will be in Toronto when that course is running but I just can't afford the 550 dollars with everything I have going on this year. I would so love to learn from him. His gumpaste work is amazing. I am definately going to try to follow his book instructions once I get used to working with gumpaste a little bit.
Awww,
I'm really sorry to hear it wonderbuns...you were probably one of the few that wouldn't walk EXACTLY to the beat of their drum...too bad. I hate the really tough lesons in life...
You got that right!!
OMG L, I'm counting the days already!!!
Are you sure we couldn't do it this year??? SERIOUSLY!! Are you already booked?? My B-day is in April, it could be an early present from me....to ME!!
How do you know about this course by Nic in Toronto anyways???
I will be taking the class on tues. The cost is $12.50 because it was 1/2 price off. The cost of the kit is $29.99!!!! I have gumpaste material , but wilton wants you to but the kit. So I am hoping a coupon comes out in the mail. As far as for fundant and gumpaste , since i am practicing, I am goin the cheap way and make my own. I go to cake craft and get the ck gumpaste mix and follow the directions on it. It is $2.75 a lb. bag. WFrom what I am hearing, the class is not what is expected. Just show me the basic and I will learn the rest on my own. But I love the company and enjoy my self in the classes. My Wi shows us new ways which are easier than wiltons too. The only gripe i have is that the classes should be longer and not so much that is taught be crammed in 2 hrs. I agree with others, that in order to do the advanced classes, you have to get with the masters and expect to pay more. This class just teach me the basics, just enought to know how to do and then advance on my own.
May I suggest that anyone interested in taking other than Wilton Cake Decorating class's to check your local community colleges for course's you can take there threw the continuing education departments...I teach cake decorating classes at our local college...I teach the method I was taught and was taught to teach as a mentor from my teacher who taught the classes she retired to me after 30 years and 50 experience years total in cake decorating...my classes are 3 hours per class one day a week for 8 weeks per course equaling 24 hours per course, I work one on one with my students and stay over after class's and go above and beyond to teach anyone something they are desiring to learn whether its included in the course or not. I also keep the supplies down to the basics as low as I can cost wise per kit that I have our local cake decorating store make up for me, and most the odd and end stuff you bring from home, no product pushing at all.
So check your colleges circulars or call your local colleges and see what they offer, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the cost, time and cake decorating techniques they offer.
Happy Baking, Mary 
We would love to do that frosting111 but unfortunately where we are there is a 5 hour drive to the nearest place for more advanced classes. I am hoping that with the new trade school that they are going to open in a few years that some opportunities will arise in our area.
mthiberge,
Sorry to hear you are having such trouble with classes at your local Michaels and hopefully it can all be straightened out soon for you and anyone else in your area interested in the same.
I am currently taking the Wilton classes (I live in the Houston, Texas area) at a local Hobby Lobby store, not at Michaels. There are 10 students in my class and all of us are very happy to have the Wilton classes to attend. Our instructor seems to be a really neat gal that started out cake decorating the same way the rest of us have.
I am really sorry your local Michaels and Wilton do not have their act together in your area. However, I must say they are doing a great job in our area as I have heard nothing but good regarding Wilton classes at any store, beit Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
Please understand I hear and can sympathize with your issues regarding the Wilton classes at Michaels. I only ask that you see the vast good that Wilton has brought to so many of us by offering us a good start into the cake decorating world. Wilton is here to teach the beginning student, that we all either are or was at one time. It looks to me like the problem you are having is likely to be with the Michaels store management and/or the Wilton instructor. Personally, I do not believe a Hobby Lobby store manager would put up with what you are going through at your Michaels store. Wouldn't/shouldn't the store the classes are held in know much more about what is going on with the classes than the Wilton headquarters would thousands of miles away?
Just my two cents worth.................happy baking and decorating! 
Lea
...As far as for fundant and gumpaste , since i am practicing, I am goin the cheap way and make my own. I go to cake craft and get the ck gumpaste mix and follow the directions on it. It is $2.75 a lb. bag.
I just recently used the CK mix and found it to be very stretchy -- it deformed several petals and I had a heck of a time working with it (and I've worked with gumpaste before.) Just so you are aware of that. You can buy the Wilton gumpaste mix in a canister, make that up (or the CK products one), and buy a box of the Wilton fondant and mix them together for a 50-50 paste which will give you a slower drying time in which you can spend more time forming your petals until you get more in tune with working with gumpaste.
We would love to do that frosting111 but unfortunately where we are there is a 5 hour drive to the nearest place for more advanced classes. I am hoping that with the new trade school that they are going to open in a few years that some opportunities will arise in our area.
So true...I think it's hard to understand...we're not a big center there is NOTHING of the sort offered at our college and we ARE 5 HOURS from a major CENTER...it's really frustrating!!!
...As far as for fundant and gumpaste , since i am practicing, I am goin the cheap way and make my own. I go to cake craft and get the ck gumpaste mix and follow the directions on it. It is $2.75 a lb. bag.
I just recently used the CK mix and found it to be very stretchy -- it deformed several petals and I had a heck of a time working with it (and I've worked with gumpaste before.) Just so you are aware of that. You can buy the Wilton gumpaste mix in a canister, make that up (or the CK products one), and buy a box of the Wilton fondant and mix them together for a 50-50 paste which will give you a slower drying time in which you can spend more time forming your petals until you get more in tune with working with gumpaste.
Thanks for letting me know!
I took the class, and was bored. Although, I was always behind, because I wanted my flowers to look perfect- I did find a book, I found on Amazon.com-from Fay Gardner, just called "fay gardner's cake decorating. It was cheap-but there was alot more info in there than I expected, step by step instructions. She is British, so some of the things are done a little different, but there are beginner, intermediate, and advanced flowers. I done the stephanotis, and found it waaaay easier, and more life-like than the way I was taught. Theres LOTS of different flowers in there, from roses to magnolias. I think it is a very impressive book! (I am a book junkie)
May I suggest that anyone interested in taking other than Wilton Cake Decorating class's to check your local community colleges for course's you can take there threw the continuing education departments...I teach cake decorating classes at our local college...I teach the method I was taught and was taught to teach as a mentor from my teacher who taught the classes she retired to me after 30 years and 50 experience years total in cake decorating...my classes are 3 hours per class one day a week for 8 weeks per course equaling 24 hours per course, I work one on one with my students and stay over after class's and go above and beyond to teach anyone something they are desiring to learn whether its included in the course or not. I also keep the supplies down to the basics as low as I can cost wise per kit that I have our local cake decorating store make up for me, and most the odd and end stuff you bring from home, no product pushing at all.
Thanks for the advice, but the community college in dayton has a prerequisite that i take up culinary. All I want is to cake decorate. I might try to call them an see if I can just take cake decorating classes and skip all the other stuff. What do you think? thanks
So check your colleges circulars or call your local colleges and see what they offer, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the cost, time and cake decorating techniques they offer.
Happy Baking, Mary
I just finished up my last class of Gum Paste Flowers and was considering taking the newest gum paste class but I don't think I will now after reading the above comments. My instructor is great and I love her to death but I was bored out of my mind. I was the only one in the class so she taught me more than what would normally be taught but I was so glad when the last class ended. I wish I could get the classroom books and try to learn on my own.
May I suggest that anyone interested in taking other than Wilton Cake Decorating class's to check your local community colleges for course's you can take there threw the continuing education departments...I teach cake decorating classes at our local college...I teach the method I was taught and was taught to teach as a mentor from my teacher who taught the classes she retired to me after 30 years and 50 experience years total in cake decorating...my classes are 3 hours per class one day a week for 8 weeks per course equaling 24 hours per course, I work one on one with my students and stay over after class's and go above and beyond to teach anyone something they are desiring to learn whether its included in the course or not. I also keep the supplies down to the basics as low as I can cost wise per kit that I have our local cake decorating store make up for me, and most the odd and end stuff you bring from home, no product pushing at all.
Thanks for the advice, but the community college in dayton has a prerequisite that i take up culinary. All I want is to cake decorate. I might try to call them an see if I can just take cake decorating classes and skip all the other stuff. What do you think? thanks
So check your colleges circulars or call your local colleges and see what they offer, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the cost, time and cake decorating techniques they offer.
Happy Baking, Mary
I think you should give that college a call and see if they will let you take the cake decorating part of the class without the culinary..we have a Technical college in the next county from here that offers cake decorating within the culinary training...I have had a some of the students from that class enroll in my class's to further enhance their cake decorating experience, and heard that with the class being combined with culinary it made the cake decorating part kind of not priority there,just the simple basics and move on to focusing more on culinary aspects..but it don't hurt to call and ask, you'll never know unless you do..and then ask as well if they know of or can refer you to any cake decorating classes else where.
I wish you all the best and I hope you find a cake class that has everything your looking for in it to offer you, Mary
I love taking gumpaste classes and I am so blessed to be able to take classes from a lovely man that is taught by Nicholas Lodge himself. In fact he often is the assistant at Nicholas' classes at Cake Camp.
However, I have bought several of Nicholas Lodge's DVD's on gumpaste and they are great. So if any of you out there want to take his classes but can't afford it or don't have the time then may I suggest getting his DVD's. You are sure to love them.
It's the next best thing to taking his classes.
Joanne
I believe the fondant and gumpaste class started at the Michaels nearest me yesterday. I was sort of interested in taking it but the classes are all on Sundays and I couldn't get there in time (30 miles away) after church if I wanted to. I have so much going on with mother and MIL right now that I'm going to have to stick with teaching myself with the books. Sigh..........
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