Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Classes- Online vs In Person

Well hello there! It seems we can't get through one week this year without some sort of chaos or disaster! It's truly sad, exhausting and I know so many friends are feeling the same way. Everyone I know is just plain worn out with all of it. Thus the reason being able to hop down the rabbit hole is a welcome respite from the ugly and depressing world.

That being said, I had the most wonderful time last week with my new friends at the Charlotte Quilter's Guild. I truly enjoyed being around all the positive, creative and friendly energy!

I know that online classes are really big right now, and I realize they are good for lots of reasons like lack of time etc., but there is just something so special about being able to spend a day with your friends and also getting one-on-one support from a teacher. I get so excited to see what everyone designs and I love being able to inspire some unique embellishment techniques and color choices. Not to mention, everyone enjoys showing their masterpieces to each other. You just can't have that kind of experience being alone with a computer. 

Here are some photos from our "Play Date."

This is Melanie's finished "Beekeeper" pincushion. She showed me photos of a crazy quilt she made that was just breathtaking. Her crazy quilt stitching skills were evident on her pincushion.


This is Melanie

Here's another close up of her flower. I can't believe how much she got done in class! Super speedy stitcher!


This is Sandy. I love how her purple center pops on her flower. She also served as Pat's personal needle threader for class. ;)


This is Judy. She is the workshop chairperson who invited me. I love her to bits! What a great lady!



 Judy even brought treats to celebrate our adventure down the rabbit hole! Her father hand-carved that rabbit many years ago. Isn't it fantastic?


This is Vonnie. I met her when I vended a show and she asked the guild to invite me. I loved her bead selection for the center of her flower petals. Hugs Vonnie!


This is Jan. She was chatting about the methods her grandiekids use to learn math nowadays. Good gracious it sounded so HARD! I would flunk out for sure. LOL!


 Here is Jan's flower. I like the beads down the center.


This is Donna. Doesn't she have such a great smile? She gives you a hug with that smile.


I showed Donna how she could twist some yarns together to create an interesting center for her flower.



She sent me a photo of her completed pincushion. She even made the bee purple! Lovely!


This is Pat. I met her when I vended the show where I met Vonnie. Pat is such a sweet lady. She came up from South Carolina just to take my class!


Deanne chose warm, rich colors for her flower. Yummy! I also love the beads she put in her flower petals.


This is Debbie. She is an art quilter and this class was outside her normal "wheelhouse." I think she did a beautiful job with all the seed stitching and I was super happy that she decided my class was something fun and different to do. :) :) :) 



Anna's flower is so fun and festive like a celebration in the Caribbean sea!


Here's a close up of the little French knots she stitched on the rick rack. Sweet!


This is Sharon. She was my "Teacher's Pet." She helped me hand out kits and set up my supply tables. Thank you!! She also said I should apply to teach at Empty Spools. Boy would that ever be fun!!


I love how Sharon used a Lazy Daisy stitch with the beads. Very cool and very clever!


This is Marie. She is the guild President. This woman knows how to run a meeting! I told her that I was going to tell my guild they need to take pointers from her. We always drag on and on and Marie got things done lickety split!


She did a cute little cross stitch in the center of her flower petals.


This is Debra. She selected a Valdani thread color that I just got in.


Here's what it looks like on her flower. I'm loving it!!


Joyce was making a super sweet flower. She was couching a soft purple yarn around the edge. She chose some yellow buttons and a variety of purple beads. Perfect!


This is Angie. She is an Architect! (Brenda are you reading this?) Angie is the second student of mine who is an Architect. So darn cool! Girl power!!


Angie chose these really rich, warm colors for her flower. This was another Valdani thread color that I just got in. Super yummy! Makes me think of pumpkin and cinnamon.



This last flower is from Jan. She wanted me to take a photo her flower and not her. She is so darn funny! I love how she added the "fuzzy" stitching around the outside of her flower. Very cool!


Of course, no "Play Date with the Crazy Bunny Lady" is complete without bunny ear photos!


Woo hoo!!!

I love you gals bunches! Thanks so very much for inviting me to come and play. I hope you had as much fun as I did.

So, what are your thoughts about online versus in-person classes?

Hugs,
Michelle

8 comments:

RG said...

1. The food at On-line classes is no where as good nor as diverse as sit-down, work together classes!

2. Hang on to the Empty Spools gig idea for awhile. It sound like maybe the "end of the line?" You know, "Old stitchrs never die, they just get empty spools."

Anonymous said...

It was nice to see many people doing different ideas in same design. Different combination and different colors. Enjoyed seeing all of them...

Jeanette said...

I do prefer people classes rather than online. So much more fun to be with people learning rather the being on one's own. Love all the different versions of the projects. Love the thread colour Debra used I'll have to see if i can track it down here. Hugs, xx

Sparklyjools said...

In person for sure! On-line is wonderful if you want to do something with a teacher who's far away, but there is nothing like being with a class with others, it's a special kind of magic.
Absolutely loved seeing all the wonderful interpretations of the flowers from the ladies - and the happy smiling faces ( oh and the bunny poo - brilliant!) :) xxx

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I prefer person to person. From what I know about on-line language classes, there is always something missing in the student's understanding because language requires the dynamics of the human spirit. There's more to language than just words, there's more to ART than just instructions. We need one another, end of story.

QUILTING IS BLISSFUL, DI said...

Ohh thank you for some sweet photos and lovely sweet words--it did put a smile on my face and made me feel a bit happy (as I am having a hard time right now with those fires in CA and all the other stuff going on right now)
sewing always help the world feel better--
enjoy the moments, di

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

Because I'm a hermit, I would probably take a class online. But that being said, I've signed up for a few I haven't watched them. Old age just makes me lazy.

Kris said...

What a super fun class, Shell!!

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