Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Regarding my upcoming online tapestry class...

So I have stoked the fires of student interested in tapestry classes online and have found myself not ready for the class to go live yet! I have been happily setting up a new studio and putting together new in-person workshops, but have not yet pulled together all the technology needed for online teaching. I am getting close though. I have purchased all the programs I need and the online platform... I just lack the video platform. So at this point the tech part of it is coming together, but there are still many (many) videos needing to be shot and edited. This is a very time-intensive process.

Honestly, I wasn't really sure there would be that much interest in online tapestry classes, but I believe that I was wrong on this front. People are interested.

So if you have been patiently waiting for more information about learning tapestry online, the class I am working on is a beginning tapestry class called Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry. The class includes information and practice of the most important tapestry techniques as well as lots of tips that you learn in workshops but never find in books. I have a new page on my website devoted to online learning and you can find it HERE. There is some preliminary information about the format of the class.

Here are a few questions about yarn for online classes... and the family sociologist is going to roll her eyes when she reads this as I am certainly not a survey designer! And these questions are for people who are actually interested in taking an online tapestry class at some point. You can email me at rebecca (dot) mezoff (at) gmail (dot) com or reply in the comments. At some point it occurred to me that for a beginning tapestry techniques class, it is helpful to have a specified yarn and warp. This yarn kit would take care of that.
  1. Would you purchase yarn for the class if it was offered as a kit? This would ensure, especially for beginning students, that the warp and weft will work together and you won't be frustrated by a disconnect between sizes of yarn and warp sett. (I do not plan to in any way "require" students to use my yarn. There are many yarns out there that work very well for tapestry.)
  2. Would you purchase the yarn even if there were only two or three different colorways for the available kits? There might be 8 colors in each kit. As an example (but I am not committing myself to these!), one colorway of bright colors, one of seaside pastels, one of desert varnish colors.
  3. Considering the incredible amount of effort it is to dye and package small amounts of yarn for such a kit, would you be willing to pay between $45 and $55 for a kit that included 8 different colors in small amounts (approximately 1 ounce skeins)? The kit would also include some small incidentals needed for the class and potentially even warp. (plus gross receipts tax. See the "dba" blog post for reasons on that... and of course postage.)
  4. Alternatively, would you prefer to get a list of suppliers for yarn that will work for the class or just experiment with whatever you have? 
These are the skeins I'm talking about, except the ones pictured here are only 6/10ths of an ounce and I am proposing a whole ounce--about twice this much yarn. Aren't they adorable? This is singles yarn however and for the beginning class I will use Harrisville Highland. It isn't QUITE so cute, but almost. For future color gradation classes I am considering small skeins of the singles yarn (which are exactly as cute as the ones in this picture).

The yarn kits actually happening depends on me purchasing an electric skein winder. There is no other way for all that yarn to make it into skein form to be dyed. It just can't happen. So I'd like to know if there is interest in buying yarn in small amounts for the classes before I invest in another  piece of equipment and dyeing time.

22 comments:

  1. Hi Rebecca
    How wonderful - at last someone's going to offer an online class and, even better, it's you whose work I have always admired so much.
    I am itching to sign up as soon as the class goes live. I would be prepared to purchase the yarn kit although I live in the UK so hopefully something could be arranged to get it to me. I can definitely see the good sense in everyone working with the same yarns.
    Would the class lessons (ie pdfs, videos etc. still be available to students once the class had officially finished?
    Please let me know when you're anticipating this class going out so I can make sure I don't have a holiday booked in the middle of it!
    Angie

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  2. I'd sign up AND pay the cost of the kit of hand-dyed yarn. I'm always looking to experiment with new (to me) yarns. Bring it on!

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  3. I would be very interested in taking your on-line tapestry class. I'd be willing to purchase your yarn kits if that's the way you go. Does sound like a lot of work for you though. I'm also willing to just buy yarns of the weight you suggest if that is easier. I think until you actually have one of these classes, you probably aren't going to know all the little adjustments that need to be made for the different students who attend. I'm always concerned about being available for the entire on-line class. Will there be a way to take it if the time doesn't work out?

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  4. Hi Rebecca. I am also very interested as I would love to take a class with you but getting to Santa Fe is not likely in the cards. I have a (huge) whack of the yarn James used to use in his courses. But I am now using EPiC which is also a light weight single. I would, however, be willing to purchase the kit if that seemed the most reasonable/expeditious/workable. Keep me posted for details! Trish

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  5. Oops. Small brain burp. EPiC is a 20/2 two ply.

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  6. I'd prefer yarn recommendations, since I'm in Europe. Sometimes tax is 30% extra and sometimes it takes 2 months to arrive...

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  7. I really really want to come to your workshop. We haven't been in SF for a long time. Your online class sounds great. I have some of your yarns from class last winter in Loveland. I would be inclined to sign up for the online class. Really pulling for you.
    Helen

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    1. Helen, you are my biggest fan and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Come for either workshop. The one with Cornelia in September is going to be really fun...

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  8. Please add me to your list as an interested student to your on line class and also I would purchase the kit from you.

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  9. Would love an online class and would buy the kit, absolutely!!!!

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  10. Living in Seattle makes coming to SF tricky at times--I'm intrigued by an online weaving class, so please sign me up! And yes, I'd buy a yarn kit from you as well. I have not done any tapestry weaving, except Navajo-style, and really am intrigued by this beginning class! Looking forward to meeting you in Tacoma-

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  11. I would love to take the class and would be happy to buy the yarn kit if you have it on offer.

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  12. Good moning,
    I would be like to be included in the class as well. As for yarn, I would like recommendations or just a basic guide like " You will need # of oz of X sized yarn in # of colors."
    Thanks! I know how hard teaching a class can be.

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  13. Hi, Rebecca! I replied to your post in another area, but it dosen't seem to have made it. I would love to sign up for your online class, and would be happy to have some of your yarn as a kit.

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  14. Hello, haven't visited your blog in awhile so had missed the workshop news. I'm interested in the workshop to get your slant on weaving. As for the kit, since you're proposing using Harrisville I'd just as soon provide my own thru Norsk in Saphira NC. Getting materials ready & posted for an online workshop would be a lot of work for you. When I took a workshop from Tommye & Pat they had to haul all the skeins to Asheville but at least not post them out, certainly there was quite an investment in that inventory.

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    1. You aren't kidding! The amount of work is far beyond what I ever anticipated when I got into this. Good thing it is fun! I love Norsk and would recommend their yarn to students always! Harrisville is only one option and there are certainly better yarns out there.

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  15. Please add me to the list I would buy a kit or whatever else I may need for the class......It's hard to find anything in Oklahoma.

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  16. I would love an online class, and have been looking for one! I'd love the option to EITHER get the kit OR get a list of supplies needed, depending on the budget at the time...

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  17. This sound wonderful. I hope there is enough capacity to enroll. I've sent you an email. :-)

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  18. Hi Rebecca,

    After my first set of comments got eaten, here we go again! I love the idea of an online class. As for a kit, as the source of yarn right now are limited, I like the idea of a kit.

    So, add me to the list, please!

    Kirsten

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  19. great Idea...Looking forward for more,,,
    ART 101 Assignment

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