Looking for Teachers in Bay Area Northern California (South Bay, Easy Bay, North Bay)

[craftersdelights]

Hello! I'm new to this art and I don't know where to start. Looking at instructional videos online seems extremely daunting to me, and it's overwhelming. I really need a teacher to teach me how to do lace tatting. Anyone in the bay area willing to teach me? I live in Fremont, California. Please help me! Thanks you!

Amy
ak2nguyen@gmail.com

[picotsnkeys]

Hi Amy-
Fancy you should ask. If you can get down to Jo-Ann's store in San Jose on Almaden Expwy, I'll be teaching there starting soon. There are also teachers in the East Bay area. There's the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale and also: http://www.thelacemuseum.org/ and of course Lacis in Berkeley.
Hope to see you around soon,
Melanie

[craftersdelights]

wow! Melanie, Thank you for the info. Which classes will be teaching at Jo-Ann's?

[shannon_in_love]

if you're ever in sacramento... :)

[picotsnkeys]

yes, you're right Shannon...there is a great group in Sacremento area. I remember meeting one that came down to the Lace Museum when I happened by.

As for what classes I'll teach, nothing is set in stone. The short version of the long story is that the classes are set by Corporate for the Jo-ann stores. If the local stores want to offer a "trend" class, it needs to be approved by corporate. So.......we're waiting for word and time slots and folks to actually sign up and pay money :)

I think i will basically follow the same progression as Cynthia and Georgia follow for the On Line classes that AK and Mimi developed years ago: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/newtat/index.htm along with patterns from the book they plan to stock in store by Janette Baker Learn to Tat. We'll see what happens. Cross your shuttles and needles for me and wish me luck!
Melanie

[Judy]

Jo-Ann's for tatting?! Maybe we should all flood our individual stores with inquiries for tatting lessons, and then off a limited number of teachers.

[picotsnkeys]

Jo-Ann's for tatting?! Maybe we should all flood our individual stores with inquiries for tatting lessons, and then off a limited number of teachers.

mmmm I'm having trouble reading minds lately, so help out my poor feeble brain....."off a limited".....did you mean offer a limited?

I think we should all request tatting stuff from our local stores. Chain stores included. This has been an eye opening year. It all started with an injury that ended my musical career. I don't want to short out the computer with a recounting of it all right now thank you. I was gifted a copy of The Savvy Crafter's Guide to Success several years ago. There's a section on teaching that I found very helpful. The author, Sandra McCall, passes on some good advice on where to teach and how to approach the whole experience. So, I got my stuff together and began asking around. Now, there are a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of stores in our area. So, I thought I would have success. Not so. I found out during a chat with the education coordinator at this Jo-ann's:

The classes that the store is allowed to offer is set by Corporate Headquarters. So, the local store doesn't put much thought into what to teach, they just find who and check that objective off their company form.....if they even have space in the store for classes. Apparently, there are some stores that Corporate deem too small to dedicate space to teaching. Well, I convinced this young person to spill how we can get classes going: sink a lot of time into demonstrating; create a demand for the materials (shuttles, needles, thread); put together a package complete with curriculum, samples, and lesson plans; talk it up and get people to ask to sign up even if there's not a class scheduled; and finally be a great team member of the retail store (don't ask to be hired to work the floor, employees are not encouraged to teach in the store where they work the register).

So, this Saturday, I'll be there for the "Open House" with shuttles loaded and not afraid to use them. I've gotten permission to use about 15 beginning to intermediate patterns plus a few of my own. I've mapped out what I think folks would like to work on now through next Christmas, I think I'm ready. We'll see what happens!

As for a limited number of teachers, I'm not following....could you explain? The idea has merit if I'm thinking the same way you are, but don't want to assume.

Wish me luck!
Melanie

[picotsnkeys]

Well! An update is in order! And a celebration!

As of Saturday afternoon, I have 3 students signed up for classes in the next 2 weeks. Several more took information down and quite a number of people stopped to read the sign I posted and discussed what they would learn and when the classes are scheduled. I'm excited!!!!!!!

Details: Jo-Ann store on Almaden Expwy in San Jose (where Branham intersects Almaden)
Intro to Tatting (email for SKU# please)
Wednesday Evening 6:00-8:30 PM the next class scheduled is 2/15 with another on 2/29.
Saturday Morning 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM the next class scheduled 2/25.

This will be very basic, but should ensure that the students can do rings and chains. I'll talk about joins, but the pattern I'm using doesn't have any joins to practise.

If any of you experienced teachers have tips you would like to share Please, Please, Please!
Thank you for all your support,
Melanie