Planning a class- advice needed?

sally · Planning a class- advice needed?

Its that time of year again and I'm up to my ears in orders for pointy hats. Its starting to occur to me that in a couple of years I might be in a position to spend a month doing a pointy-hat-class-tour of probably the States, thats where a lot of my orders come from.

This is really really at the first lightbulb stage, not even really on the drawing board, but those of you who have been on felt or textile classes, any thoughts on what worked well, what was paced badly, what is a reasonable price (with or without materials for example). Just trying to feel through the idea at the moment.

Current thoughts is that I'd ask each potential class to arrange the venue, lunch and cover my travel/accomodation, then the actual class would be relatively cheap and inclusive of materials, a talk/slideshow to start with, lots of creative instruction and a completely finished and embellished pointy hat over a two day course.

I get enough enquiries from the States to make me think this could be a goer, and properly planned could be an efficient way to teach a lot of people pointyhatmaking whilst also meeting lots of new people and seeing new places

hmmm, things to think about Idea

cledry yarner

You could try emailing Chad Alice Hagen - she does it the other way around. I went to one of her workshops earlier this year and she knows her stuff - it was well palnend and nicely set up. The International Feltmakers Assoc might be able to help as well.

http://www.chadalicehagen.com/

http://www.feltmakers.com/

sally

Thats really interesting looking at her prices etc, wonder how it works with the 'hosting' thing, her prices I presume are for sessions at her workshop and would be a lot more for when she goes abroad.

cledry yarner

We paid £85 each for 2 days with her. I don't know if that was subsidised by the IFA as it was organised by them. She stayed with a local member of the IFA and I guess that was just done as a favour. The residential courses with the Weavers, Spinners, Dyers guild are hundreds of pounds each though so it's very variable.

Chad is really really friendly - she signed my book to 'a great felter!' I stroke it every now and then Very Happy

- I'm sure she wouldn't mind you emailing her in the slightest to ask any amount of questions. I emailed her to say I'd won Wonderwool and to thank her for teaching me the hat technique. I wondered if she would be a bit funny about it but she was really chuffed for me. I think it's a lot to do with how many dates you get on your 'tour' (need a groupie? Wink

) as to how much you charge. I think there's an article about workshops in this months Craftsman - do you get it?

sally