Have you ever thought about taking an online course but not dared press the yes button ?
This was me.  Now I am a convert to the amazing things you can learn via on line courses :  in your own home.

Online sewing skills courses

My first foray into online courses was a craftsy course into modern sewing skills.  As my sewing skills are rooted in my mothers lessons 50 years ago , I had a lot to learn.

• The importance of the accuracy of cutting out
• How to use sewing weights
• Never using tacking again. !
• The relevance of hand positions when using a sewing machine.

I have still away to go before I can  apply to the Sewing Bee but I really feel more confident with my machine.

I followed this course with a stitch and rip course by Carol Waugh.   What fun. Her textile work is so vibrant.

Online Drawing for textile course

I began to be more adventurous after this and look for courses more related to my felt art.

Dionne Swift makes machine stitched textile work inspired by Yorkshire .

I do like the way Dionne machine stitches. Racing away.  Using miles of thread.  I considered long and hard before taking the plunge to follow her drawing for textiles course.
Why did I wait so long ?.   Dionne’s delivery and refreshing outlook was really inspirational. The drawing exercises were fun : real fun . It was great to have a private Fb group and share the progress week by week.
Not a long course but a real hands on fun course that’s make you forget your drawing inhibitions and that left me with a little book of golden drawing nuggets.

Online Blogging course

Sticky blogging !! I did not really think much about taking this course. It was a whim. I loved the title and I did a free taster session on the importance of blog headlines.

I had wondered for a long time how to get someone other than my mother and hairdresser to read my blog.

Well now I know

I learnt a ton of useful stuff blogging stuff .

• Like good grammar ( not I am not joking ) and how to get it checked.
• SEO
• The importance of the title and the first sentence.
• Stock photos
• Less blogs of higher quality

Kelly is so lively and interesting. Always unexpectedly appearing on the private Fb group to answer questions . The other participants were also so helpful. The outcome of this course has been a small change in style of my blog and maybe a slow increase in my number of true fans.

Online creative strength training course

I have a number of friends who have taken a course run by Jane Dunnewold called Creative Strength training.

This is a serious course about reconnecting with your inner self as a means of focusing on your art.

It’s about clearing away the barricades that prevent us all getting time for art .

To just start making !

One of the techniques it uses is to write things down . I found it interesting to do this without wondering what the outcome will be.  It has made me consider some of the techniques I use and I now have a process rationalization plan as well as a plan for a new series of work in 2017.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to anyone who wants to think their way forward  with their art work.

So that’s it :  My short collection of fantastic online courses.  I’d love to hear from you with some more ideas.