Whipstitch started as an outgrowth of both my passion for fabric and my love of sewing.  In its very earliest form, Whipstitch existed as a series of sewing and crafting classes I taught through a local Atlanta design co-op.  As the shop has grown, my hope was to always create a way for students everywhere to join in, regardless of geographical location.  In these e-courses, I think I’ve done just that, and I’m over-the-moon excited to see it all come to life!

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.  For that reason, I’m choosing not to limit the number of students who can enroll, in the hopes that this will allow as many people who want to participate join us, and create a really robust, exciting community.  See all the E-Course FAQs for more details, and I’m looking forward to having you as part of the group!

Sewing Knits (with just your sewing machine!)

Knits are both a really hot and exciting fabric right now, and also the one fabric most likely to make stitchers freeze with indecision and uncertainty.  Because the fabric is made in a different way, it throws us off and makes us unsure of how to work with a fabric that most of us love to wear!  This e-course is designed to take the mystery out of knits and give you the skills and tools to sew knits with ease and confidence–with just your sewing machine!

This e-course takes place over five weeks.  All the content is through a password-protected blog, and because all the content is archived, you’re free to work at your own pace!  The e-course includes PDF downloads, audio, video, and open comments so that every member gets the chance to really give feedback, ask questions, and participate.  We’ll also use a Flickr group to post images of projects as we go along, and you’ll have the opportunity to communicate directly with me via images and email during the class.  My goal is to work through each of your questions about sewing with knits from beginning to end, and give you total confidence as you walk out the door to tackle a new fabric with gusto!  You can totally do this, and it’s gonna be awesome.

Course content includes:

• what knits are–and what they aren’t; types of knit fabrics; thread and needles to use with knits; knit fabrics vs wovens, and how they behave; what to expect from a good knit, and how to spot the bad ones; where to buy good knits–of all types
• tension and stitch selection when sewing with knit fabrics; patterns and pattern layout; accurate cutting and sizing with knit fabrics;  adjusting your sewing technique for a stretchy fabric
• seam finishes and seam allowances; raveling and unraveling; sewing curves with knits; unfinished edges and hem selection; using interfacings with knits; installing a zipper or buttonhole in your knits; bindings and ribbings; elastic and shirring with knits; gathers, ruffles, and lettuce edges
• linings and facings; using knits for dressier clothes, in addition to casual sportswear; embroidery and applique on knit fabrics
• when to use the serger; using the coverstitch function; professional-looking finishes with just your sewing machine
• interviews with fabric & clothing designers for insider tips to use in your sewing; Q & As with industry professionals using YOUR questions, including Patty Young and Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S
• PLUS four group projects, three mini-projects, and a whole host of on-your-own extension projects to expand what we’re learning!  Projects include PDF patterns for you to use over and over, plus plenty of step-by-step guidance and interaction as we go along.  So. Awesome.

The Sewing with Knits e-course is laid out in the same manner as my book, Stitch by Stitch: each lesson or project leads to the next, and each skill is incorporated into a project so that as you learn the skills, you’re also producing a finished piece you can be proud of and that will motivate you to continue on!

I’m so excited to see this class take place.  It’s totally TIME for a course in sewing with knits–we all love the soft feel of knit fabrics, and the forgiving fit, but there are so few places to learn to work with them.  As fabric manufacturers release more and more fabulous knit prints, I’m really on fire to get the word out that sewing with knits is fun, easy, and totally within your reach!  While we’ll discuss using a serger, the vast majority of the content of this class focuses on sewing with just your sewing machine. I have a serger and I love it, but for many of us, jumping into a new fabric is tough enough without adding a whole other machine on top of it!  Rest assured, learning the serger is worth it, but let’s start at the beginning, like Julie Andrews said–this e-course is the best way to get into knits and see where they can take you!

The Sewing Knits e-course begins October 4, 2010 and continues through November 5, 2010.  Content will be available online through November 30, and then will be removed.  You can totally work at your own pace, but I do really encourage you to join in with us in real-time, and visit the private blog and Flickr group throughout the weeks of the class, so you can ask questions and interact and get the most out of it possible!  This is going to be a really special group of YOUR people–stitchers who have ideas and creativity and who want to expand their reach and try new, exciting things.  I can’t wait to have you be part of it!

Because this class is taught online rather than in person, I’m able to offer it at a lower price than a similar course taught face-to-face.  I really think this is a great opportunity for folks who don’t live near a stitch lounge or a great fabric shop that offers in-person classes, and I want to create a space where we can all find the skills and community we crave!  Register below, and a list of supplies will be emailed to you before the class begins–I can hardly wait that long to see all the amazing things you’re going to do!

Questions?  Email me: deborah@whipstitchfabrics.com

Sewing Knits without the Serger E-Course meets Oct 4-Nov 5, 2010.

**Pre-register by 9/15 and get a $10 rebate–just $99 for the entire course!

Crafty Business Basics

Because I started out as a business owner by designing children’s clothing, I’ve spent a great deal of time with designers and artists and crafters.  As Whipstitch has grown, I’ve had so many questions about the best way to start a crafty business.  For stitchers, especially, it can be hard to know where to begin and how to find your own niche in the crafty world.  This e-course is designed to walk you through the steps of developing your own crafty business enterprise from the ground up, and to help you map out how to get where you want to go!  While it focuses on sewing & fiber arts as a crafty business, the content covers a huge range of ideas and topics that benefit anyone who wants to start, build, or grow a craft business.

The e-course takes place over five weeks.  All the content is through a password-protected blog, and because all the content is archived, you’re free to work at your own pace!  The e-course includes PDF downloads, audio, video, and open comments so that every member gets the chance to really give feedback, ask questions, and participate.  You’ll have the opportunity to communicate directly with me via images and email during the class, and we’ll form a buddy system to help members bounce ideas off one another as we progress.  Every craft business is unique and has its own set of questions, and the goal of creating this community is to give you a forum where you can ask those questions, get suggestions and encouragement, and walk away with total confidence that you have something new to say with your creations, and the knowledge that you can turn that into a business–whatever size you want that to be!  Want a cottage industry for a little extra pocket money?  Or want to quit your day job and craft full time?  Or have plans of total global craft domination?  There’s room for all of that here–starting at the ground and building up to the scale you are looking for.

Course content includes:

• what to make: crafty market analysis; finding your niche; copyright and licensing; developing your product and patterns; selling services vs. products
• how to make your product: manufacturing vs. one-of-a-kind models; finding help and knowing when to ask; suppliers, materials and vendors; wholesale relationships; special orders vs. bulk manufacture
• what it’s made of: how to locate the best materials; how to manage costs and keep overhead low; where to cut corners and where not to; how to target the needs of your market without breaking the bank; green vs. the other guys; hype vs. substance
• where to sell it: selling online; street fairs and markets; local business and co-ops; becoming a wholesale vendor; creating a client base
• how to market: building an online presence; the mystique of social media; advertising and when to begin; building word-of-mouth; getting feedback from clients
• branding and personality: creating a logo; how to build an identity for your business; tying your skills into your brand; where to find folks to do design work and answer your questions; how to stand out from the crowd
• merchandising:  photos and staging; linking your brand to the merchandise; building a visual identity and translating that to photos and the web
• planning for growth:  where do you want to go?  how big do you want your business to be?  how does your planning vary if you’re keeping it small or if you’re taking over the world? should you go bricks-and-mortar?
• accounting and taxes:  keeping track of your pennies; all the terms you never wanted to know, like overhead, P&L, margin, and more
• competition and pricing:  how to maintain your unique identity in the face of a world of crafty businesses; how to price your merchandise to really move; how to avoid second-guessing yourself all day long
• work/life balance and time management:  having a business and having a family, too; when to work and how to work when you’re working; building a business while having a day job; maintaining marital relations while crafting it up; staying creative and avoiding burnout; sharpening your saw to keep your craftiness fresh and new
• feeding the golden goose:  developing new products and ideas; building multiple revenue streams; planning for the future; trend-watching; finding a mentor, network, and support group
• PLUS interviews and Q & As with successful crafty entrepreneurs at all sizes and levels of business; essential support people, like accountants and intellectual property attorneys; and fabric industry personalities with insight into your specific marketplace.

The Crafty Business Basics e-course is laid out in a step-by-step format, with plenty of self-reflection and evaluation as we go to help you put your ideas and gut instincts into words and down on paper as you flesh out your hopes and dreams.  As we work, you’ll have the benefit of feedback on your own ideas, the insights of other class members, and the reflections on your own work to help you make real what you’ve been mulling over.  I truly believe there is room in the marketplace for all of us, and that each crafter has such a unique approach that anyone can build a successful crafty business.  This course is the place to find your own creative viewpoint and voice so that you’re able to make a place for yourself!  Sewing and fabric are the primary media focused on in the lessons, but much of the information included here is applicable to almost any crafty endeavor, and there are zillions of ways to expand and apply this knowledge to any crafty or artistic business you can imagine.

I’ve been planning and developing the content of this e-course for a long time, and am so, so thrilled to finally see it take place.  We are living in exciting times for the handmade, and I am dizzy with anticipation to see what each of you develops!  This course isn’t taught anywhere else, and because of the sheer volume of the information included here, I’m not sure when I’ll be offering the class again.  For that reason, and because I work hard to practice what I preach and maintain a solid work/life balance, I’m opening up the course to as many people who want to participate so that we can build a gallery of voices and perspectives and get the most robust, fruitful experience possible!

The Crafty Business Basics e-course begins November 15, 2010 and ends December 17, 2010.  Content will be available online through January 10, and then will be removed.  You can totally work at your own pace, but I do really encourage you to join in with us in real-time, and visit the private blog and interact with your class buddy throughout the weeks of the class, so you can ask questions and bounce ideas and get the most out of it possible!  I’ve met a number of people who have inspired this course–not least of whom are the dozen or so former students who have gone on to start their own businesses–and I know that this group will be inspiring, creative, amazing people who are really excited about finding ways to do what they love to do.  That’s how I built my own business, and it’s so exciting to see that love in others!

Questions?  Email me: deborah@whipstitchfabrics.com