PSA: Craftsy

November 23, 2013November 22, 20139 Comments

Here’s a public service announcement for any of you who haven’t yet jumped on the Craftsy bandwagon. Next weekend, during all of the Black Friday weekend frenzy, a whole lotta stuff will be on sale! Be sure to create your Craftsy account now and get ready for their awesome promotions!

In Craftsy’s own words, here’s who they are and what they are about, plus a little “behind the scenes”:

Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class
Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.

Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting.

What IS the Craftsy experience?
Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right.

Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.

Try online learning today with a free mini-class! Choose from 23 Free Classes at Craftsy ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more.

Ok, back to me again! Just “sew” you know – all of the above pictures are classes I’ve taken or are currently enrolled in. 🙂 Be sure to browse around so you are ready to pick your favorites when they go on sale!

New Free Craftsy Class – Learn the Basics of How to Piece, Patch and Quilt

November 12, 2013November 7, 20137 Comments

Recently I blogged about how cool I think it is that Craftsy offers so many online classes for free. Well guess what? I just got an email from them telling me about a brand new free class that just launched called, “Piece, Patch, Quilt” – Basic Quilt Making Skills.

No matter how many quilts I make, I can always pick up a tip or two from any class I take, especially when it’s free!

It includes a total of 10 lessons in the space of about 3 hours total. That’s pretty comprehensive for a “mini” class I think. I just signed up – for free – and I can’t wait to watch it. I think this will be a little treat for myself as soon as I’ve finished with my sewing room makeover. It’s getting so close!!

Free Craftsy Classes!

October 26, 201313 Comments

From time to time I like to blog about what’s going on with Craftsy and which classes I’m taking. In fact, I recently wrote up an article about online learning and got to interview a few Craftsy “sewlebrities” in the process. (By the way, this article will appear in a future issue of one of my favorite magazines, and I’ll share some more “behind the scenes” once it’s published).

Quilt by Camille Roskelley

I recently asked Craftsy to create a link to all of their free classes so I could find them more quickly. I was very pleased that they replied to my request and created one. Just click here to check out their free content!

My favorite? Hands down, the QuiltCon lecture series. Even though I attended in person, there were a bunch of things I missed, especially Mary Fons’ rockin’ speech! So it was great to go back and watch these videos. Sigh, it’s almost like being there again. :- )

My other top pick for free classes is Elizabeth Hartman’s Creative Quilt Backs class. Several months ago I was thinking someone needed to write a book or something about piecing fun quilt backings and I found her class. I just love serendipity like that, don’t you?

So anyway, enjoy a bunch of free classes. The way I look at it is that it helps spread out the cost of any of the paid classes I sign up for. Which by the way, once my sewing room is all cleaned up I can get caught up on watching and reviewing the classes I’ve signed up for.

What’s next on my list? Camille Roskelley’s Precut Piecing Made Simple. I told myself I need to watch this one before I sign up for her new class that she just released, called Playful Piecing Techniques.

For those of you who haven’t hopped on the Craftsy bandwagon yet, here’s a little promo info that explains a little bit more of what it’s all about:

What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Why should I take a class online?
Online education isn’t just for schools and universities anymore. Craftsy courses provide you the convenience of a world-class instructor in your home, whenever you want to learn. Online education, no matter what subject, is a great alternative to in-person classes for a number of reasons.

With many online learning opportunities being on-demand, you are able to learn at your own pace, anytime. Online learning is a fantastic alternative to in-store craft classes for people with busy schedules or who have difficulty leaving the house. It also allows you to watch a troubling section over-and-over again, so you can see exactly how a technique is carried out, or refer back to your class for relevant concepts before beginning any new projects.

How to Host a Great Quilt Retreat

September 30, 201328 Comments

I attended a super fun quilting retreat this weekend, put on my my local quilting guild, Desert Quilters of Nevada. I’ve been attending their annual retreat nearly every year for the past 13 years. (I know how long it’s been because I met my BQF – Best Quilting Friend – Stacy there when we were both expecting our sons who are now 13!)

Stacy and Her American Jane Scrappy Trip Along

I got to thinking about why I attend each year and what makes it just so darn fun, so I thought I would compile a list of what makes it “sew” special!

(1) Be sure there’s plenty of room for everyone who wants to attend.

Our guild consists of over 400 members and about 25% of them attend the retreat each year. The retreat committee does a wonderful job of finding large enough venues to host 100+ people in a comfortable setting.

This was just the left side of the room – we had twice this much space!

We were in a large permanent tent structure with plenty of room. It was industrial looking and got a little chilly in the evenings, but the committe cozied up the place with plenty of colorful quilts.

(2) Keep the costs reasonable!

We are in Las Vegas and the retreat was held about an hour outside of town so it was a quick and easy drive. The 3 day event cost $150 to attend plus $50 per night for a hotel. There was an additional fee of $10-$20 per class, but only if you wanted to take one. All of the classes were taught by guild members (like me!) to keep the costs down. The teachers were paid for their classes based on how many students signed up.

2013 Retreat Teachers

(3) Serve Yummy Food

We were treated to 2 breakfasts, lunches and dinners as part of the retreat. The food was good yet inexpensive. Water and juice were the main beverages, with plenty of desserts to choose from. Many of the attendees came up a day or two early and were on their own for food until the retreat officially began, but there were plenty of reasonable places to eat nearby.

Chicken and Fish for Dinner on Saturday Night

(4) Give away fun door prizes.

Every single attendee received a swag bag and each person won a stack of fabrics, books, or notions as door prizes throughout the event. In addition, the adorable table centerpieces were given away as grand prizes at the close of the event.

Quilt and Doll Centerpieces

After attending so many retreats, I finally won a mini quilt as a prize. Quilters love winning quilts, especially when someone else makes them!

Mini Quilt Prize

(5) Offer fun classes.

I taught my Charming Chevrons quilt and was so amazed at all the color variations my students came up with. Their styles varied from modern to traditional and they all did a fantastic job sewing their blocks together! I’m sure many of them will go on to be award winners at our upcoming quilt show in the spring.

Charming Chevrons Students

(6) Allow for plenty of open sewing time.

Although classes were offered throughout the entire retreat, many chose to have open sewing time the whole weekend. We were able to start early and sew until late, in between eating, chatting and hanging out.

Hand Embroidered Stitchery

Many people enjoyed doing their own thing, like my friend Sherri. She’s really into silk ribbon embellishment and hand embroidery work. She didn’t even bring a machine! Instead, sat and stitched by hand the entire weekend.

Dresden Plate Blocks

Two retreat-goers sitting right next to each other were working on Dresden plate blocks in different sizes. Aren’t they just the cutest?

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and I can’t wait to do it again next year!

Another Craftsy Sale! All Classes Discounted (up to 75% off!)

September 14, 2013September 14, 20134 Comments

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a big fan of Craftsy online classes. I try to refrain from sounding like too much of a commercial for them, but when they go off and have such a fantastic sale as this – I just can’t resist sharing!

All Craftsy Classes on Sale!

After all, I make it my goal to try and subscribe to classes only when they are on sale, or even free – my quilting budget can only go so far, you know?

From now through September 21, they are offering up to 75% off all classes. ALL CLASSES!! For fun, I just checked my list and I’ve already registered for 8 classes that I haven’t even watched yet, and they aren’t even all about quilting.

After reading about Beth’s photography workshop blog challenge, I signed up for a Craftsy photography class and can’t wait to learn more about shooting better pictures of my quilts.

After viewing each Craftsy class, I like writing up a review so I guess I’d better get caught up on watching my classes. How about you? What’s on your agenda to take?