What is CRAFTSY? Craftsy offers professionally created classes on all your favorite crafty topics such as sewing, quilting, photography, cake making, embroidery and so much more. The classes are online, so they are available at anytime to the student. You can watch an entire class or portions of a class, interact with the instructor and other students, as well as make notes on the video related to your questions and post pictures. Each class is taught by an acclaimed instructor and consists of several hours of HD quality video content. Launched in May 2011, Craftsy has over 500,000 users of all skill levels and is a quickly growing and changing company with a fun and flexible attitude. One of our favorite ASDP instructors Kenneth King has taped classes. You will also recognize Susan Khalje, Barbara Deckert, Janet Pray, Angie Wolf and I among many popular creative personalities.
Craftsy is powered by the Sympoz online learning platform, a dynamic, interactive environment that allows students worldwide to participate in a meaningful educational experience. Crafters and artisans everywhere come to us for inspiration and hands- on instruction. Our mission is to serve students who want to get better . . . and offer professional educators a chance to spread lifelong passions and expertise beyond their usual realm,” quoted from Craftsy. Just a few weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to tape my class at Craftsy studios in Denver. I thought it would be easy to write about my experience. It was so amazing and our crew really meshed, so is it difficult to write how truly meaningful my experience was.
For over a year I had been contemplating taping videos for my website, but everyone takes short videos and posts them on their blogs and websites and I just did not want to be like everyone else. Quality and content are my passion, and I would rather have a few good videos than many with topics you see all over the internet. Fast forward a few months ago when CRAFTSY called me and I was hooked. I have been so impressed with the entire platform and organization from the beginning. I knew right away what my subject would be. They loved it, and we set a taping date immediately. From there I was connected with my pre-producer whom I feel like we have been sewing buddies forever.
We started outlining my class and had weekly conference calls and SKYPE meetings. Right away I created a very detailed outline of my subject matter and that made all the difference. I was able to provide lots of class content and she advised me on the order and setting up my individual lessons. Every class is broken down into smaller lessons like book chapters. They have found that 20-30 minutes of content is a good relatable time for students. I value all her expert advice and once I showed up for taping we had a well defined outline of what I was teaching so it went smoothly. She also helped me develop my ideas and concepts for visuals on camera and I even challenged the graphic artist on some new ideas. I spent two weeks developing all of my pattern samples that would be viewed on camera, making before and after step outs, as well as prepping what I would utilize during taping. From a film crew perspective they kept commenting on how prepared I was and how nice my step outs were. I would definitely guide anyone to be over prepared. Think of everything.
Taping my class was so much fun. I was so impressed with the detail my film crew put into the taping including things like: my jewelry, ruler placement, step out placement, color coordinating, model poses, photo shoots, sound (oh yes, we meshed in the thunderstorm sound to the background), room tones, and even eating chocolate behind the scenes. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. They were really professional and we all decided when I go back for my second taping I am requesting all the same people.
My producer asked me if I was nervous. I told him I felt very comfortable in front of the camera, but my biggest concern was forgetting something as I wanted to give as much information as possible. I love their fun atmosphere. I am not a stuffy person, so hoity toity is not for me. I am bubbly and working in that kind of atmosphere is very important to me. We had a balance of having fun, being serious, and still being myself. My most awkward moment was sitting down and having to reach up and show how to measure the lower body, I had had a funny moment where my glue stick literally jumped up off the table and flipped over like a magnet (that will be in my video), and some other taping funnies that you had to be there. You learn about all your subconscious hand gestures, as you have to position your hands in the same position if you stop or film and intro or outro. My class is titled FAST TRACK FITTING and will be available in June. I am so excited to share real techniques that I actually use successfully in my studio every day. Students will learn key body measurements and how to apply them to their pattern before cutting a muslin. Your pattern is in body proportion and you eliminate all the extra work of having to cut open a muslin to fit and having to create additional fit samples.
ASDP member Janet Pray also provided some insight to her Craftsy Experience.
Janet Pray, www.islandersewing.com
“A few months ago I was approached by Craftsy.com to teach a class on industrial sewing techniques, Islander Sewing Systems. After a brief discussion we decided that the class would involve making a project that included many opportunities to demonstrate those techniques. My newest pattern, Jacket Express, a jean style jacket designed to compliment most any figure, was the choice. In this pattern the student not only learns industrial sewing techniques (no pins, no basting) they also learn a faster production order for constructing any garment. The title of this class is: Sew Better, Sew Faster, Garment Industry Secrets. “Teaching a class in the Craftsy studio was a real pleasure. Having filmed classes and TV shows multiple times I can honestly say this was by far, the easiest and most pleasurable experience of them all. The staff was more than attentive, seeing to my every need including steaming my wardrobe.
“When I arrived, the on set producer was well versed in all of our plans and that made the filming run smoothly. She worked with a crew who filmed and edited while she directed. The nicest aspect of all; they trusted me, the teacher, to know what was best and gave me all the time I needed to execute a quality class. The relaxed atmosphere was complimented by all members of the team conveying a genuine interest and never trying to rush! Craftsy really understands how to work as a team and how to bring the teachers in as members of that team. I can’t begin to express how positive I feel about this experience. Craftsy is my kind of place!!”
Angela Wolf, www.angelawolf.com
“When I was first asked to teach on Craftsy I was a little leery, simply because of the term “Craftsy”. But knowing Tricia Waddell (whom I highly respect, as we worked together on the set of It’s Sew Easy TV) I thought I would give it a shot and I am so glad I did. My first class, Tailoring Ready-to-wear, was shot in my studio and the second class, Creative Serging, was shot in Denver at the Craftsy studios. Both had excellent film crews and if work could be fun, this would definitely fall in line!
Working with Craftsy was a little different from shooting It’s Sew Easy TV, as I was not constrained to 4 or 10 minute segments. The classes on Craftsy are detailed and informative. The class board allows students to ask questions, post photos, and create chats. The HD videos are open forever, so there is not a rush to watch all the videos at once.
As I am writing this newsletter, I am just shy of 10,000 students between both classes. With a click of a mouse I am intermingling with sewers from all over the world. I am so in awe. In fact, one student wanted to know how to source fabric in the Amazon! My goal is to inspire others to sew and sew with professional looking results, but not to be afraid of jumping in and getting started."
www.craftsy.com/CraftsySQE
NOTE: if you plan to take one of our CRAFTSY classes click through our own personal websites and the link will direct you to CRAFTSY.
Written by Joi Mahon, www.designerjoi.com
