Class Is In Session: How do you learn to sew?

I've been on the road for work these last two weeks and it's been a bit more hectic than expected. But Autumn is here, it's back to school time of year and also National Sewing Month.

Travel gives me time to reflect on sewing while not actually doing it. This trip, I've been thinking about learning to sew and learning new techniques.

Class Dismissed!

It seems like there's been a teaching explosion in the sewing world over the years that sewing has been a part of my life. In addition to sewing magazines and books, which have been around for the long haul, more fabric stores and creative spaces have started offering in-person classes, there's been a proliferation of blog tutorials and sew-alongs, and new web-based platforms have given rise to all sorts of webinars. As the sewing blogosphere has grown, so have the opportunities to learn.

So, I'm curious to know: with all the options, how do you learn best and where do you like to get your info from? Here's a little poll I've created:

 I hope you will say in the comments why your choice works for you! 

I view the growth in classes and tutorials as a generally positive phenomenon. However, with such a proliferation of teaching, there's a distinct downside. Not all of it is good. One reason this is on my mind is that I was recently invited to lead a sewing webinar on a popular sewing website. My immediate reaction was to be suspicious of the quality of the teaching on this site. Ha ha.

Don't get me wrong, I was immensely flattered and I don't mean to disparage myself or my skills. I'm confident, but I still view myself as a learner. I don't do tutorials; I do try to document what worked for me in a given situation and where I learned it. That way I have a reference for myself in the future.

I suppose it boils down to this: even though my Sewing on Leather post is my most viewed  post ever, and the number of hits it receives continues to climb, I don't think that, because I've tried something once and been successful at it, I'm an expert or have any business teaching it to others. When I went to a Sewing on Leather class taught by Kenneth King at Mood, it was very much to learn what I had done right, what I could do better or differently, and to possibly cringe at what I may have done wrong. It turns out that I really did pretty well with my jacket. Whew! Up until then, I had worried that I might be giving out bad information.

So far I've been fortunate to have only taken classes - webinars and in person - that I think were worth the time and expense. But I know several people who have had poor experiences. For me it has all come down to who is doing the teaching. Likewise with tutorials. I'm pretty glad that I know enough to spot bad information when I see it these days.

So my second question set, which is open ended is: What do you think of this teaching explosion? How do you choose your learning experiences? Have you had good, bad or ugly experiences? What have you taken away from them?

Oh, and before you answer, please know: I'm not looking to start any trash talk about anyone or any particular platform. What I'm hoping for is a dialogue. Please contribute!