E-courses are online classes that are open to anyone, anywhere.  Through a combination of blog posts, PDF downloads, video, audio and chat, we explore the topic over a series of weeks all in one big community.  I work hard to bring you original content in areas that are in high demand, and where I don’t see many outlets either in person or online.  I truly hope you love these classes, and am so excited to see you join us!

Register below for upcoming e-courses.  These classes will be offered only ONCE–because my family is always my top priority, I’ve worked to avoid over-committing myself by scheduling each of these classes one at a time and only one time this year.  See all the E-Course FAQs for more details, and I’m looking forward to having you as part of the group!

Topics for 2012 include:

• Essential Sewing (all the core, foundational sewing skills you need, and the only class I’m offering twice this year)
• Sewing for your Home (plenty of pillows, slip covers, bed linens, shades, table settings and more for everyone!)
• Sewing Clothing for Kids (super popular in 2011, and includes SEVEN free kids patterns for boys and girls)
• Essential Quilting (takes you from afraid-to-choose fabric to a fabulous finished modern quilt)
• Pants (that’s right, y’all: PANTS)
• Five-Piece Wardrobe (work your way through five awesome patterns, and learn higher-level sewing skills as you do!)
• Happy, Happy Holidays (tons of holiday decor and crafts, with plenty of time to get it all done before Santa arrives)

Essential Sewing: Zero to Stitch in Six Weeks!
Essential Sewing is a six-week online course based on the sewing classes I teach in person in Atlanta, and my book, Stitch by Stitch. The entire class is designed for what I call “new and returning” sewers: those of us who either are brand-new at the sewing machine and need some guidance to get off on the right foot, or those who have been self-taught or took lessons so long ago that we need some hand-holding to know that we’re doing it right. The class covers foundational sewing skills in a logical manner, tackling new skills through making projects so that as you complete each project you not only have new tools in our belt but a fantastic finished project to show off!

Over the last five years of teaching sewing, I have found over and over again that having that instant gratification gives a huge motivation to continue to learn, and your skills will snowball as you progress, taking you further than even you thought they would!  Beginning with the basics of threading the machine and winding the bobbin, and progressing through concrete tasks like sewing in a straight line and identifying all those mysterious stitch options on the machine, Essential Sewing is a really complete sewing class that you take on your own time. New lessons are posted each weekday for six weeks, and you’re invited to work at your own pace as we proceed through the class–any time of day, anywhere in the world! Students from all continents and time zones have taken my online classes together, and have shared their awesome sewing success through our live chats, Flickr group, class comments and group experience. With loads of video, audio, PDF downloads and original projects, Essential Sewing is designed to take you from non-stitcher to confident in just a very few weeks! Even folks who have been sewing for a while benefit from the advanced skills we cover, like buttonholes and zippers, piping and ruffles, linings and stabilizers–there is so much content here that it wouldn’t even all fit into the book! How awesome is that?

Essential Sewing is your chance to

• conquer your fear of your sewing machine and show it that YOU’RE the boss
• learn the best techniques for maintaining your machine, operating it so it will last forever, and creating beautiful stitches that look even better than the pros
• choosing equipment, notions and supplies to make your work faster and easier while getting you the very best results
• selecting fabric and knowing when to use which ones
• following basic sewing instructions and identifying key sewing terms so you’ll never be in the dark with a tutorial or pattern again
• cutting and pinning as you sew and having gorgeous results to show off
• streamline projects so you’ll know which instructions are essential and which are better left undone for results to pretty you can sell them
• create projects for your home, for your kids, for yourself, and for gifts!
• become totally confident at your sewing machine so that the world of crafting is yours to conquer

Projects include dinner napkins; a reversible tote bag with flat bottom; a zippered, piped pillow; simple A-line skirt; sassy apron; appliqued tee shirt; and nearly a dozen more! Skills mini-lessons break up the project content so you’ll constantly be challenging yourself to try new things as you get more and more comfortable with what you’re able to make at your sewing machine. There are so many ideas out there waiting to be sewn up–with the skills you build in Essential Sewing, you’ll totally be ready to tackle them and transform your idea of what you can do.

When I taught my first sewing class, I had no idea how deeply it could transform people, and how completely it could offer you the ability to see yourself in a new light. Having the skills to create what you see in your head and then hold it in your hands is really unparalleled in its ability to open up new horizons for you–in small ways and in big ones. I love, love, love to sew, and struggle to imagine what my life would be like without that. Watching the same passion come to life over and over for students is one of my very favorite things to do–won’t you join us?

The Essential Sewing e-course begins Monday, January 23 and continues through Friday, March 2, 2012. ALL content will remain available to participants through the end of April–four months–for you to review and complete as your schedule permits. Registration fee of $179 includes six weeks of daily instruction Monday through Friday; two scheduled live chats with the instructor and class; video, audio, and/or PDF content with every lesson; email contact with me throughout the course; and a boatload of can-do attitude. Students from any part of the globe are welcome to register!

Register below–I limit enrollment to keep the class a manageable size and to ensure maximum interaction.  This class always fills up quickly, and I’d love to have you part of it!