I took a class here in the spring and bought all the supplies on the list to complete the class. Except for the soldering iron which I already owned, I bought all the supplies from the VA Stained Glass Company and it came to under $600, including glass. The class was $100 and spread out across 8 weeks, with one assignment per week. I ended up completing my first project within that time span, and I was well-supported to have my questions answered in class or received help with the tricky parts -- of course I took on the hardest beginner template (which every shopkeeper warned me against) because I'm a creative masochist. I am glad I went for the extra challenge because I really like the piece I made. Finally, I'll sign up for the class again when I am ready to make my next piece. I like how the pace kept me accountable, but didn't rush me, and for $100 having a mentor like Diane and her staff to go speak to each week is an incredible resource. I feel incredibly grateful that amazon hasn't wiped out this community resource, and I marvel at her dedication to stained and fused glass and her prowess and patience at sharing it with the community. Note regarding buying supplies: Yeah sure, I am a young generation internet wizard but being a fan of open source and the ways of Stallman (who was right) I DID NOT purchase resources online -- I kept the profits local and focused at this gem of a resource to our community, which means I bought EVERYTHING from VA Stained Glass. If you are looking at taking a class with Diane, and need to buy supplies, you should DO the same. Buy directly from her for all of the reasons I've listed here and allow me to re-iterate just what a priceless resource VA Stained Glass is for our community. read more

My wife and I took the "Introduction to Stained Glass" class, so we could have a chance to learn the basics and finish a project without having to make a big investment in tools, etc. (definitely worth it). It was so much fun we decided to take the plunge and took the "Beginning Stained Glass" class too! We're very pleased with how our projects turned out, and now, with the detailed, hands-on (and patient!) instruction we've gotten, we have the confidence to take on some projects on our own. To anyone who's thought about trying their hand at stained glass, but feels a little intimidated by it, let me tell you that it's not nearly as difficult as you might think. In fact, it's actually pretty easy. And I can confidently recommend coming to the Virginia Stained Glass Company to get some instruction. Our experience was wonderful, with all of the staff, the other people in our classes, and the other customers who had bought studio time and were coming in just to work on their projects (I think the fact that people are buying time to work here on stuff they could just as easily do at home says a lot). The atmosphere was always relaxed and friendly, and I really enjoyed it. read more

Extremely dislike this store... Needed to get some stained glass pieces cut by their glass saw because they were too difficult by hand. Brought the pieces into the store on a Monday to be cut and was charged up front per piece. When I asked how long it would take, the staff quickly said one week. I was not expecting this long so I repeated "One week" and then was rudely told by the staff member that "they have other customers in front of me." I should have left right then to take my business elsewhere, but I didn't. On Thursday of that same week, I received a call from the store saying to come get my glass because they were not going to cut it for me because they didn't have replacement glass to match if they made a mistake. 1) WHY did they wait until Thursday to decide they wouldn't cut it? 2) WHY charge up front? Never have been charged up front for that service before! 3) WHY the rude tone and comment about having "customers in front of me?" I will ALWAYS drive to Weisser glass in Kensington, MD from now on. They cut my glass for less than half the price and are never rude like Virginia Stained Glass Company. The drive is nice anyway and they have everything you could ever want and more. read more

Enter at your own risk. By the time I left two out of three staff members did not have a mask. The person calling all the shots, who I can only assume was the owner never had a mask on. She asked a staff member on the other side of the shop to remove her mask to yell inventory stats across the shop at each other. The shop is very small with low ceilings. Very disrespectful putting my life in danger like that not to mention the lack of respect for your fellow workers. read more

I got into this hobby a few years ago. It is the closest stained glass supply store to my home, but I only go there if I really have to. I gladly make the much longer drive to Kensington to a shop there, due to the better service offered. Crazy, huh? Virginia Stained Glass had been slightly okay in the past couple years, but then management changed and so did the staff, and then they moved to a much smaller location within the strip mall. The selection of items is now very limited - to just the basic stuff, due to their limited store space. A lot of the times you ask for an item, and it seems to always be "on order and due in within a week or two." Plus, their prices jumped higher when they made their store move. So the combination of their unhelpful, unfriendly attitude, and the low selection of items, and higher prices, has turned me off to going to this store unless absolutely necessary. It is a very unpleasant shopping experience, which is unfortunate, because their location is handy, right off 495. read more

I used these guys to clean up a piece I made for my sister. They cracked it! unbelievable. All I wanted was for them to clean up the lead and they cracked a corner of it. I still gave it to my sister who loved it. She may have loved the piece, but I hated VA stained Glass Co. They charged me and never apologized for what they did. never again!! read more

Most of the stained glass I have required has been given to me, so I'm still learning the various styles of glass and how to buy or order it. I decided on a whim to stop by Virginia Stained Glass since I was in the area. NEVER have I had such rude service and been in such an uninviting environment. My biggest regret is that I needed one of the colors of glass to complete a project or else I would have just left the store. I will never go to this store again, it is better to order from online stores or go to Kensington. If this store's service is based on rudeness, then they should get 5 stars. read more

I am still relatively new to stained glass work. I am currently working on a large panel that has a few very intricate pieces that I am not brave enough to cut myself. So I took the glass I needed cut to VSG for them to cut using a glass saw. The way that the owner acted (I am guessing she was the owner), I felt like I was inconveniencing her with my request. She was very short with me and some of the remarks she made were borderline rude. Despite being so close, I will definitely make the long drive to other glass shops in the future. UPDATE: A few days after I took my glass to them to be cut and prepaid for the work to be completed, they called me and said they did not want to do the work because it was too complicated and they didn't have glass to replace it with. So I picked up my glass and got my money back and took my services to another shop up north. After working with them for a bit, they also informed me that the cuts were complicated, however they worked with me to resolve the issue and still made the cuts for me. In the end, they were far more helpful than VSG. read more

I recently moved to Alexandria and was thrilled that VSG was so close. However I was disappointed in their stained glass supply and was horrified that the owner was so rude when I asked about studio time or classes for experienced users. I will take the long drive back to Weisser Studio in Kensington or go to Back Bay Art Glass in Lewes DE, when I am at the beach for my supplies in the future. read more

I took a Stained glass class in January and made a beautiful framed piece of art for my window. My piece was not up to my classmates skills, but to me it is delightful. Miss Diane, the owner, and her assistant were very patient instructive and knowledgeable. I, too, visited the store when it was at the former site. This was a long time ago and felt the coldness of the employees. It may be that the staffing has changed and the owner knows that you can get more bees with honey than vinegar. Bees that as it may! read more

I have been doing Stained Glass for over 20 years, and I was having a problem with my solder and putting on the patina. After a frantic call I drove over to the shop and was met with a professional staff who saved the day for me. Thank You so much! Brandy was able to solve all of the problems that I was having and fixed what was wrong along with help from Colleen. Instead of a giant headache I was met with success and fun. They had a lovely selection of glass and patterns, and a variety of interesting classes. I highly recommend Virginia Stained Glass Company for all of your needs. Thanks again Brandy and Colleen. I will be back! read more

Very nice staff, greeted me upon entering the store and were helpful in explaining where to find things and offering advice. Seem to have a nice selection of glass (many colors, various types/styles), and they carry Leoponitt tools which are the industry best! read more

Just stopped in to pick up some supplies after moving here recently. Wonderful place! Greeted at the door, helped me with my whole list, clean, nice, people working on their own pieces, in and out in 10 minutes. read more

I am not sure why this place gets such bad reviews. I have been in a few times over the last year, including yesterday. The two employees were very helpful in helping me put a hinge on a jewelry box I just made. Everyone is always very nice whenever I come in. read more

I bought 2 groupons and took 2 different stained glass "beginning" classes. The owner was terrific and the pieces look wonderful. Really nice place. read more

I hesitated to go to Virginia Stained Glass Company because of the single review that was on this site. However, the store is less than 5 miles from my home, so... Erna and Dale were EXTREMELY helpful. I haven't done stained glass in 20 years. I had never used lead. However, I got a starter kit on-line with a pre-cut design. I needed help. Dale and Erna answered all of my questions thoroughly and very politely. They gave me some pointers on how to put together the piece I have. They also said I could bring it in and work on it there in the store. They encouraged me despite my own self-doubt about my abilities. I will gladly return to this shop! Whatever might have been in August 2006 is certainly different now! Give this company a chance. read more

I've been dealing with Virginia Stained Glass for about 15 years now. Management over the years has changed from 3 owners to 1, and I think the vision and focus has changed along with the management. The store is on the small side, so just becuase of size, their product selection is limited. They do have a wonderful gift section for finished pieces - they're all made by the employees of the shop too. Glass selection can be pretty basic for both fusing and stained glass uses, but they will take special orders for glass which they'll include in their next shop order. My biggest beef of late with Virginia Stained Glass is that every time I've visited there over the past two years, the employees don't even acknowledge that someone has entered the store. At times, it seems like customer presence is a nuisance to the employees - this makes it very hard to come here even though it's the closest stained glass supply store to my house. I miss the "good old days" when coming here meant you were greeted like an old friend, they were in a bigger spot so they had more interesting glass selection, and everyone here was nice, welcoming, and a willing resource to their customers. read more

I was nervous about using this company due to the bad reviews, but my experience was fine. In a recent move the Army damaged a beloved large stained glass angel, and I had to find a place closeby for an estimate and repair. They provided a written estimate within 24 hours, and did a super job of repairing a 17 year old piece for a reasonable price. Plus the staff was friendly and helpful. Plan your visit to each lunch in the wonderful Swiss bakery nearby. read more

Virginia Stained Glass bills its sessions as "classes". Not true. They are open studio time. If you don't have basic knowledge, you will not get it there. There is minimal instruction - in fact, it's just a quick talk about tools and equipment. Maybe 30 minutes, tops. There are no projects. You are left on your own to figure out what to make and how to make it. There is NO help unless you ask for it and then the employees are so busy chatting, you feel like you are interrupting them. If you are interested in learning to work with glass, this is not the place. read more

I like the other reviewer have issues with this store. I would rather drive to Jessup, MD which is one hour out of the way than to go here. The owner/manager is extremely rude, not to mention the staff knows absolutely nothing about the craft. The few people that had a clue and a personality have since moved on, which is a great loss to the store. They have very few items on hand and I find the items they do have to be extremely pricey. If I have to go there, it is because of an extreme emergency. I to find it to be a very unpleasant shopping experience. Wish they would go back to the way they were years ago. read more

I can only speak to my time with the staff as I have decided against classes here due to my interaction with staff. I wanted to ask questions about the classes and workshops but felt like they were not interested in helping. they were not necessarily rude to me but fairly dismissive and didn't seem like they actually wanted me to sign up. read more

Amazing wealth of classes & supplies available. This store offers experienced artisans who gladly share knowledge & ideas & inspiration. A sense of humor, however, is essential when working with the fragile art medium of glass. I have enjoyed years of class here with a wide variety of teachers, learning a wide variety of techiques. The stock is pleniful. However, if something is not readily available, the mgmt is happy to order for you. read more

I got great service at VA Stained Glass - as soon as I walked in, two friendly staff members asked how they could help. They spent time helping me select glass and supplies, and their prices seemed fair compared to what I had seen online and at Weisser. I came to VA Stained Glass after getting such bad service at Weisser last week that I walked out without buying anything. VA Stained Glass Co's inventory is not as broad as Weisser's, but I'll continue to go back for the friendly, helpful service. read more

This is still a fairly new hobby for me, I've only done a few pieces. But I've been doing enough to know when I'm being ripped off. I'm working on a large piece, 2 feet by 1.5 feet, and ran out of foil, and didn't have enough solder to do the whole thing. Being really anxious to get started on the last steps, I didn't want to wait for supplies to come in the mail. So I go to the store and am pissed off to find prices TWICE as much as any other retailer for these products. Foil and solder should not cost 42 dollars. I was desparate to finish my piece and will never go back. It's a rip off with poor customer service. read more

Working with staff to complete a custom project has been very rewarding and educational. I find all employees helpful and encouraging!!!

I am now on my 4th class there and am happy with them. I am still surprised by the bad reviews. If you're looking to take a class, you won't be disappointed. read more

Wish I would have read these reviews before I made the mistake of going to this store, where I received the RUDEST and most INSENSITIVE customer experience that I can ever recall. I was greeted by a friendly employee and when I had shown her the piece I wanted repaired, she had asked another employee for her advice. She summoned, whom I presume was the owner or someone knowledgable in this craft, to offer her advice, and then the trouble began. She rudely dismissed the fact that I even wanted my small piece repaired, flinging the pieces down (all the while thinking it would crack some more), then told me to have "whoever made this" make another one. When I said that was not possible because he was deceased, and this piece meant a lot to me, emotionally, she just walked away like she could care less. At this point, I was so shocked at her treatment, that I asked the pleasant employee if she was this nasty to all of the customers. She gave me a compassionate look, and I promptly left. If you want decent customer service, DO NOT FREQUENT THIS PLACE. I have no idea of the quality of their work since I never got to that point, but I have no intention of ever finding that out. I will take the advice of the other reviewers and drive to Kensington. read more