Shuttle Tatting with Marilee Rockley

In 2008, I featured the beautiful work of Marilee Rockley of Yarnplayer Arts. Since then, Marilee has remained dedicated to this craft, offering a variety of designs, patterns, & hand-dyed threads. She also recently added the title of Craftsy.com instructor to her resume.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Marilee about what tatting is, her experience as a Craftsy instructor, and what handmade means to her.

What is tatting & how / when did you get started tatting in general?

Tatting is a type of handmade knotted lace, characterized by oval rings and curved chains, which are usually decorated with small loops called picots. Also called shuttle lace or frivolité. I've been tatting over 30 years. I'm mostly self-taught from books and the Internet, but I've learned valuable tips and tricks from tatting friends as well. I've been designing original tatted jewelry since about 2004.

Tell us about how you became an instructor on Craftsy & about your experience as an online instructor.

A member of the production team at Craftsy.com contacted me a few months ago, saying she had seen my tatted lace jewelry article in Bead&Button magazine (April 2012 issue) and would I be interested in teaching a tatting course on Craftsy? This was the first I had heard of Craftsy.com, so I took a look at the site and was very impressed. I could see immediately the advantages to an online class - it can be watched as many times as you want, whenever you want, the instructors and other students will answer your questions, and you can upload pictures of your projects and receive feedback. Craftsy only works with top instructors across all craft fields, so I considered it a real honor to be asked to teach a class there. Of course, I said yes!

It was a very exciting experience for me to work with their professional video production crew in the Craftsy studio in Denver, Colorado. I needed to have my course completely prepared with talking points, patterns, completed projects, and the course projects in various stages of completion for doing demonstrations. It was quite a bit of work to prepare, but the Craftsy production team kept me encouraged and on schedule. Shooting the video took three days, then the editing team had my Shuttle Tatting course ready to launch after a few weeks.

What inspires you?

The inspiration for my designs comes from many sources - vintage patterns, nature, seeing the work of other crafters, and just "playing around" with tatting to see what happens.

What does handmade mean to you?

To me, handmade means putting your own skills & creativity into a piece of work. It's unique!

To learn more about Marilee & her work, visit her Facebook page, blog and her Etsy shop.

SPECIAL OFFER:

Receive a 25% discount when signing up for
Marilee's Shuttle Tatting course through Craftsy.com.

E-Course: D.I.Y. Dress Up

The newest e-course from Red Velvet is called D.I.Y. Dress Up. This e-course is written for ladies who want to learn to sew their own clothes! Students learn basic & intermediate sewing skills while creating items of clothing that you'll love to wear. The best part is, you'll learn to fit the patterns to your body. Elsie Larson posted some helpful FAQs on her blog that pertain to this particular e-course.

Home Ec - Online Sewing Course

Home Ec is an online sewing class perfect for beginners (no sewing experience needed) and those wanting to develop their sewing skills and create 26 awesome projects! This is a "take it at your own pace" class beginning August 10th that includes three Guides, 26 step-by-step Projects with at least one new Sewing Technique in each, and a tips post on How to Invent & Adapt projects of your own! Take a look at all the projects!

Along with daily sewing projects posted on the private class blog, you will have the opportunity to participate in live chats with your classmates and enjoy Q&A time with your teachers. Click here for full details and registration information or e-mail Leigh-Ann Keffer at FreckledNest@gmail.com with questions.

Indie Business - Starting, Surviving, Succeeding

Indie Business 2.0 - Starting, Surviving, Succeeding is a six week online class perfect for those wanting to build an online or local creative business. The course will focus on starting, surviving and succeeding in small business and everything in between! Taught by Leigh-Ann of Freckled Nest, Jill of Lune Vintage, and Elsie of Red Velvet Art, the course runs March 7 - April 16. Hosted in a members only blog, the 26 sessions, seven DIY projects and three live chats are sure to give you all the tools you need to establish yourself and achieve success with your small business! The course also includes a printable workbook with original illustrations by Elsie and has room for all your homework, notes and ideas. Visit the indie business site for full details and registration info. Email questions to Leigh-Ann at indieworldwide@gmail.com.

Indie Business Online Workshop

Leigh-Ann Keffer of Freckled Nest and Jill Munro of Lune Vintage are slated to teach an Indie Business online workshop beginning on September 3. These successful business owners have been involved in both the online and local small business market for a combined total of 16 years. The course will consist of 25 sessions related to Starting, Surviving and Succeeding in a Small Creative Business for both local and online companies. There will also be lots of great giveaways throughout the course that will enhance your business. Complete details can be found on Freckled Nest.

Workshop includes:
1) 25 Topics to Develop your Small Business from Start to Success
2) 1 on 1 Brainstorming Chat with Each Student
3) Live Online Interview/Q&A with Leigh-Ann and Jill
4) Pre-Recorded Videos Augmenting some Session Topics
5) Ongoing Q&A thru out the Workshop
6) Business Building Giveaways