Like having me in your living room…

It is the future of teaching. Which is really really important because I’m getting really really tired of air travel.  I’ve been teaching since the early 1980’s and I’ve reached a lot of students and given my opinion on a lot of subjects involving weaving and garment construction.  And I want to keep doing that.  Until I can’t do that anymore. But…  It’s really wearing on me…

I have a light teaching load this fall, and into next spring, and I’d like to focus on building new classes, because I like to do that, and because I’m hoping that learning while in your pajamas is as appealing to all of my readers as it is to me.  I have been teaching live online classes for Weavolution.com for a couple of years now, perfecting the art of talking to a camera, and not a live audience, and there is a difference I can assure you.  The difficulty with live classes is the time zone thing, I’ve had a number of you write me that classes aren’t available when you are.  And it is hard to focus on teaching a live class online when I’m on the road somewhere.  And actually, much of what I teach doesn’t really need a live audience, at least in terms of the short lectures.  I’d rather spend my time when I’m with a live class, doing things that can’t be done online, like personal fitting and guiding through personal projects.  For those kind of classes, intensives like the one I’m flying to at the end of the week at Sievers School of Fiber Arts, then Peters Valley, and Harrisville in August, are perfect opportunities to really study with me on an almost one to one basis. (If you really want one to one, there is always the invitation to come study with me privately in my studio.)

For everything else, there is now the opportunity to listen to a lecture from me, on a variety of pre-recorded topics, using Adobe Connect through Weavolution.com.  There is no downloading software, all content is stored on the Adobe Connect server, and the great thing is you just click on the link and watch as much as you need/want, in the places you want to watch, for up to three months, and the cost is about what you would spend on one of my books.

I’ve been quietly behind the scenes recording some of my lectures/classes that work in a pre-recorded format, most use PowerPoint slides, and I’m visible on the screen talking and annotating the slides, and in many cases where necessary, I switch to an actual live full screen demo of the technique to really cement the concepts and ideas. So far Weavolution.com has posted seven of my lectures/classes, there is another one waiting to be posted, and I’m hoping to record a beginning Inkle Weaving class this week, before I leave for Sievers, which will coordinate well the additional three, more intermediate inkle weaving techniques, 2:1 Pick up, 1:1 Pick up/name draft, and Paired Pebbles on the Inkle Loom.

I’ve also pre-recorded my Sewing with Handwovens class, more than two hours of all kinds of information, and one on Color and Inspiration using the content of my monograph by the same title.  And I’ve also pre-recorded my class on Weave a Memory, which covers digital manipulation of images, printing on silk or cotton, cutting the silk/cotton into strips and reweaving the strips back together in an inlay technique.

Since the template of the existing class listings on Weavolution.com requires the input of a date/time, there is a date listed, some Saturday in October, ignore that, because these classes are available anytime you want, from any place in the recording you want, for as long as you want, again, up to three months of viewing.  We are currently working on a Weavolution Forum section for those who have questions about something in the class, so stay tuned for that, and we are also in discussion about offering a guild option, for showing the recording and then having an open live Q&A with me all without me having to get on a plane anywhere. 🙂  Or drag 150 pounds of luggage…

Here is what’s posted so far, more to come, and I’m hoping to pre-record more of my classes this fall.  All of this technology is new at least to me, and I’m looking forward to the learning curve, because I’m happiest when I’m exploring and learning new things, and I’m hoping what I learn will make your learning experiences even better, if not at least more convenient. (And did I mention I don’t have to get on a plane or drag 150 pounds of luggage through airports and college campuses?)

SEWING WITH HANDWOVEN CLOTH: A tour of construction techniques to make great garments from handwoven cloth.  2hrs18min long, $20.00

COLOR AND INSPIRATION: Great for any fiber enthusiast, lots of online color resources, and exercises to make you more confident and creative when selecting colors.  1hr 25min long, $20.00

2:1 PICK UP ON THE INKLE LOOM: Enjoy this more intermediate technique for creating exciting patterns on the Inkle Loom. 1hr 37min long. $20.00

1:1 PICK UP ON THE INKLE LOOM FOR NAME DRAFTS: Enjoy this more intermediate technique for creating exciting patterns and words on the Inkle Loom. 1hr 11min long, $20.00

PAIRED PEBBLES ON THE INKLE LOOM: Enjoy this more intermediate technique for creating exciting patterns on the Inkle Loom. 55min long $15.00

WEAVE A MEMORY: Use photographs printed on silk to weave a personal narrative using a variation on an inlay technique. 1hr 40min long $20.00

WARPING THE LOOM FROM FRONT TO BACK: Tips and tricks for successful warping of a shaft or harness loom from the front, through the reed, through the heddles and ending with perfectly tensioned beaming. 1hr 18 min long. $20.00