A new way of Learning

Next weekend I should have been be sitting in the idyllic setting of Settle in Yorkshire that is the Thread House Summer Retreat. But, like so many events this year, this has needed to be cancelled and will roll forward into 2021, which looks like turning into a very very busy year, with 2 years life being packed into one. As with so much of the arts, we in our quilting world are missing this social contact that adds to our craft, with the tactile nature of what we create being such an integral part. Many of us are either guild or sewing group members and pack our dairies with lectures, classes and trips to quilt shows, so the lack of these this year has left a great hole in our timetables, but it has been incredible to see how quickly we have all come to adapt and find ways around this enforced isolation from our tribe.  

The Thread House summer retreat 2019

I don’t know about you but before March I avoided using any kind of video call as much as I could unless it was to my children who already knew how bad I can look in the flesh or more to the point didn’t care!  Now we have all quickly become so accustomed to Zoom, Teams and all the other forms of video conferencing and don’t bat an eyelid if a friend says, “Let’s zoom tonight “.  This has filled the gap in a way I don’t think we could have imagined.  On reflection we may well have actually had more interaction with everyone in these difficult months than we did previously because we are taking time out to think of one another and how everyone may be feeling in their individual isolation situations and we must take this positive approach forward with us. To be honest I have found there have been some weeks when I have spent every evening of that week on some kind of chat with friends, family or colleagues but I would never have been out every night of the week for goodness sake!  What am I - 19? Heaven forfend!

Aside from this positive move that we have all taken to engage more with the other humans out there, the rise of the video chat has been an incredible lifeline for any form of group activity. I have friends who have continued to sing with their choirs, join in with their exercise classes or enhanced their art skills via the video link and we probably could not have imagined doing this before lockdown. Whilst I still hold a great fear for the performing arts, this move to online education must surely be a bit of a game changer for any kind of creative educator? There will never be a replacement  for a hands one  tuition but the opportunities that have opened up now for online classes, retreats and one to one masterclasses has to be a whole new income stream that will be a welcome addition to the talented bunch who drive us on with their skills and inspiration. I know we have already had You Tube videos which helped us through so much of our life, from changing the belt on the vacuum cleaner to how to clean the shower, but these new style online interactive classes are a different world. They have a personal element to them that is much more engaging and opens up availability to participants in all area of the world as long as you have a good enough wifi connection. Direct in the room learning is limited so much by location and now if you live in the Outer Hebrides there is nothing to stop you enjoying the thrill of a one to one session with your favourite talented teacher who may be based in Australia. You would never in a thousand years have been able to meet in the real world but now the opportunities are endless. I think this is a fantastic change to our lives and I so hope it will continue to expand even more in all the creative world.

A couple of great examples of these new interactive meet ups are The Thread House Virtual Retreats and the QuiltCon Together, set for next February.  Jo Avery and Karen Lewis were very quick with their first Virtual retreat back in April and this came as a very welcome break to all of us that joined in, so early in the lockdown when we really couldn’t see the light at the end the scary tunnel. A whole group of us from across the globe spent a fun weekend making pouches and honing our New York Beauty skills, egged on by Jo and Karen and supporting our fellow students through zipper gate, which made us all laugh and feel very human. It really was a tonic in those early eerie days and I could never have imagined how much pleasure and support it was going to be when signing up.  Jo and Karen are now joined by Lynne Goldsworthy, with Virtual Retreat 3 taking place on 4th and 5th July (when we should have been in Yorkshire for the summer retreat) and  I’m sure it will be an absolute hoot and I can’t wait to see what everyone makes this time around.

my much from the first Thread House Virtual retreat

Similarly the committee of the Modern Quilt guild were very quick to action and changed the February 2021 QuiltCon to  be an online experience for the first time to protect not only the attendees from travel risks etc, but also the financial viability of the guild which I think was a bold and well measured move which I admire. In opening this up as an online experience the opportunities to anyone interested in the modern quilt movement are expanded to another degree and I find this a very exciting prospect. I have been very privileged to attend QuiltCon in the past but it’s not a simple thing to do and takes commitment both timewise but probably more importantly monetarily. There is a huge financial commitment of travel costs, accommodation etc wherever you live, particularly for non-US based members, but I would imagine for younger members with family commitments it must be pretty restrictive to be able attend. The plan now though for the online lectures and online classes, which will be available throughout the 5-day event to watch on demand, means that access is there for so many more participants. This is what I find so exciting. Now if you are unable to travel for health reasons, restricted by small children’s needs or are on a limited budget you can join the event, in whatever way that suits your personal circumstances. I am so going to be banging the QuitCon Together drum big time over here in the UK and If you would like more information on with the Thread House events, or QuiltCon Together please click on the highlighted links. 

Of course nothing will ever replace the experience of face to face meetings, standing up close to a stunning quilt and admiring the quality of the work, or just feeling the warmth of likeminded enthusiasm in a room but I am hoping that more opportunities to learn will just enhance our craft for the better and help us grow and grow in so many ways.