Transitioning out of E-Week and Back to Normal Life

As a part of E-Week in October I posted my Townhouse Sewing Case, soon to become a class at Shining Needle Society. I first taught the Townhouse at EGA's 50th celebration seminar in Louisville, then at Callaway. I look forward to trying a cyber class. Although I have had my ongoing classroom at Shining Needle Society for 2 years now (just past the second anniversary), this will be the first time I have taught a class online. I am hoping my students will help me do it well by making recommendations.

I am curious to know what people like and dislike about online classes and would be happy to hear any opinions, along with suggestions how cyber-classes might be improved.

Technology has come such a long way toward helping the prospects of online activities. I realize I am such a beginner at this whole technology game. I keep trying to learn more about it and one of the highlights of my week is going to Apple's classes.

Last week at my Apple class there I showed several people the most awesome thing I have found connected with needlework online: Tricia Nguyen's animated needle! I hope you will go and see her needle make a stitch. As I said, it is awesome!

Here are the links to the animated needle:

http://thistle-threads.com/animationtest/animationtest.html

It is also in the middle of the movie on this page:

http://thistle-threads.com/teaching/projects/onlineclasses/goldworkmasterclass/teach_goldworkmasterclass.html

The animation was done by Tricia's brother a freelance computer animator and also an embroiderer in his own right. His company, Smudge Animation, is doing animated needles demonstrating 28 different stitches for her upcoming Tudor and Stuart Master Gold Work class.

I would love to take the class just to watch those needles!

Gay Ann

Mail Jail: maybe not forever after all

Mail Jail, at least E-Week Mail Jail, may not be forever after all. I am almost at the end! If I stick with it through the weekend and I have no bumps in the Jail Road, I should finish next Monday.

Then I plan to do some serious stitching!

I am working on a chatelaine right now. I had an idea for how to make the chatelaine chain and I can't wait to see how it works. I have been following my own 12 Stitches a Day program to get through it and it amazes me how much stitching my little 5-minutes-a-day accomplishes! I should finish the stitching for the chain about the same time I finish E-Week.

As soon as I am out of Mail Jail, I will plan a special week of stitching assignments for my class at Shining Needle Society. I can't wait to try this and see if people follow it. It should be a very fun game!

More about it when E-Week Mail Jail finishes....

Gay Ann