I recently purchased a used Bernina sewing machine. Before I used it, I wanted to get it…read morecleaned/oiled & make sure it didn't need to be serviced. I asked my quilting friends for recommendations on where to take it & a few places were suggested, Quilt Barn Studio (QBS), near Janesville, WI, was one of them. Here is my experience. On 6-12-21, I dropped my machine off to be cleaned/oiled & checked for needed service. I called QBS on 6-26 for a status & it hadn't been looked at. I received a call from Rachel, the owner of QBS, on 6-29. She said my machine was ready to go & did not need service. I picked it up on 7-6, paid the $100 cleaning/oiling charge, & used it while retreating for the next 4 days. During that time the following was discovered: 1. the bobbin overwound 2. the bobbin area was full of thread snips/ fuzz 3. the machine skipped stitches as a seam was sewn & over the course of 4 days, it got so bad that I could no longer effectively use my machine 4. the machine leaked oil from the back On Saturday evening, 7-10, I called the store & fully expected to leave a message. Rachel answered the phone. I explained what was happening & she told me to drop it off on my way home; they would take a look at it & try to fix it. 7-11, Rachel met me at QBS so I could drop off my machine. I mentioned the over winding bobbin. She looked at that area & agreed it needed to be adjusted. I mentioned the skipped stitches & she looked at the sample I brought & said they would check it out. I mentioned the dirty bobbin area that was full of thread snips/fuzz. She had no comment. I mentioned my machine leaked oil several times over the last 4 days, & again, no comment. I was told if they could fix my machine, they would, but if they couldn't, it would need to go to the Bernina Factory Service Center (BFSC) for service. I asked how long it would be if it needed to be serviced by BFSC, & was told a few weeks. 7-15, Rachel called & let me know that my machine would need to go to BFSC for service. She didn't know what was wrong with it. Between 7-22, 7-28, & 8-13 I called QBS 3x for a status & received a call back twice, both calls were after my second call to them, & I spoke to Rachel both times. The first callback was to ask me how much I was willing to pay to have my machine fixed & the second callback was to ask me if $215 would be acceptable. I agreed to have the machine serviced for $215. 8-25, I called QBS for a status & spoke to Marcie, Rachel's daughter. She said 4 machines were being picked up the next day, but she wasn't sure who they belonged to. About 90 minutes later, Rachel called to confirm that my machine was being picked up the next day & I could pick it up any time after 2pm on 8-26. 8-26, at 4:42pm, Rachel called to let me know that my machine was not picked up that day. 8-31, I called QBS for a status. Rachel confirmed that my machine was being picked up from BFSC on 9-1. I let her know I would be in sometime over the weekend to pick it up. 9-3, when I picked up my machine from QBS, the following transpired: 1. Rachel informed me that my total was $245 & stated that a $35 freight fee is being added to all machines that need to be taken to BFSC. The freight fee was not disclosed to me until I walked in the door of QBS to pick up my machine. 2. She informed me that the handle was broken on my machine when I dropped it off. It wasn't & I let her know that! She zipped the case back up & told me we can send it back to BFSC. 3. Since I was not about to allow Rachel OR QBS do anything more with my machine, she agreed to reduce the bill by $100 because of the original poor cleaning & leaking oil, but I still was charged a "freight fee" & I now have to pay out of my own pocket to get the handle fixed. A few other things: 1. The $35 "freight fee" was not listed on their website, & as of this review posting, it is still not on their website. 2. Per Rachel, if you did not purchase your machine from QBS & it needs to go to BFSC for service, you must provide the original box & pay for shipping to/from BFSC. The reason is the surrounding stores will not service these machines & are sending them to QBS & according to Rachel, "We are ending up with a bunch of crappy machines that need servicing." 3. Rachel provided me with a copy of her invoice from BFSC. The invoice has a PO Date of 7-29-21. I don't know if this is the date that BFSC took possession of my machine, but if it is, it was 18 days after I dropped my machine off at QBS the second time, & 2 FULL WEEKS after it was determined service would be needed. 4. If you look at the QBS website on a mobile device, it clearly states they are an authorized Bernina dealer who can provide ONLY cleaning & oiling for Bernina sewing machines & ALL needed repairs will be done at BFSC. However, the PC/laptop version their website, has no mention this at all. Why was I told they would try to fix my machine on 7-10 & again on 7-11?

It will take your breath away!! A quilters dream. We have a large cutting table, 4 longarms,…read moreclassroom/open sewing area, living room area and TV for relaxing or doing some hand sewing.

Such a fun and unique birthday experience! I took a class here with my friend Tina and we got to…read moremake our own glass bowls--so cool to see the process up close. The instructors were super helpful and made it easy for beginners while we were still feeling hands-on. A great way to celebrate and we left with something we actually made! So fun!

Loved the glass blowing class I attended here. My friend heard about it from a coworker and we were…read moreboth so happy we tried it out! We opted for the glass bowl class and our group of 6 wrapped up within an hour-1.5. The dual instructors did a quick demo then let us loose 2 at a time with an instructor to help us craft. We had choices of LOTS of colors, designs and essentially when we wanted to stop working on a piece which I really appreciated. Though I wish my bowl were a bit deeper, I'm so happy with the final product and color. Can't wait to go back!

I love the Studio Art School! Super cute place in downtown McHenry…read more A bunch of girlfriends and I did the paint class on Friday night -- it is $30 if you go by yourself, but if you bring a friend (or multiple) its $25 per person -- huge steal compared to places in the city. Reservations are required and on the website they show you what painting they do each Friday. BYOB, adults only class, and all supplies for painting are provided. You can also have your painting framed instantly for an additional $20 The instructor was super nice and fun, always encouraging a drink or two to boost your confidence if need be, lol. And everybody's painting turned out soo well!! I really can't wait to paint again!

Incredible helpful in providing aid, chalk paint and one on one service during the Covid…read morequarantine. I can't wait for classes to begin again. Lovely store, great location and all sorts of goodies!

Wonderful place to take a class. I'm learning so much and having a great time. It doesn't matter…read moreif you are new to art or have previous experience, Michael meets you where you're at and helps you reach your potential

From the owner: We take pride in removing the stress or intimidation of making art. There is no perfection. There…read moreis only the process and the journey of learning! Owner and instructor Michael is a graduate of The School Art Institute of Chicago and a working artist with expertise in many areas of art, And Jodi is a Learning Specialist and Special Education teacher, which makes the studio able to accommodate needs of many students.

Monroe street Arts advertised in April 2024 that they "support individuals with ASD", that's why…read morewe signed up for some art classes. Not an inclusive place for kiddos with ASD and their families Director and business manager demonstrate no cultural competence with ASD and are in need a basic education and training. They marginalized our son and family and caused us harm. Awful experience. Look at their advertisement below.

Really fun adult painting class, great for date night. Have enjoyed taking my wife to 3 of them so…read morefar

Instructors are not trained very well in accommodating their beginner students. 0 stars.read more

My husband was there on May 8 and posed for the students and for Frankie Johnson Frankie's is the…read moreowner so hers was amazing but all of the students got him spot on! Frankie is obviously a wonderful teacher! Very, very happy! Good job with your students they captured him perfectly!!!