A Learning Experience: Teaching Micro Macrame

Well, I did it, folks!  I finally jumped into the pool (or maybe I was pushed in, I'm not really sure).  I taught my first in-person micro macrame classes this past weekend at a lovely bead store in Hastings, Nebraska - Julie's Xpressions.  To say it's a bead shop is sort of misleading, though.  It's so much more than that!  Co-located in the same building as Julie's bead store is the Calico Cottage (a quilt store), The Plum Nelly (fiber) and Blu J (scrapbooking).  If any of you are passing through Nebraska on I-80 (and a lot of people do!), it's well worth your time to take a little detour south to Hastings (exit 312 - you're welcome!).  If you can't find something in their three floors (yes, three floors!) to inspire your creativity, I'm not sure there's any hope for you.  I could spend a week in there.

We worked on from my Leaves micro macrame bracelet tutorial (the first photo shows the class samples I sent ahead of time) and I think it went well.  I had a great time and I couldn't have asked for a better group of folks.  They were all very eager to learn to knot.  Just look at the concentration going on here:

I should have taken more photos of the shop - notice the spinning wheel and the looms?  I was seriously in love with that place.  As if that wasn't enough, Stephanie and Chris Haussler (Pixybug Designs) took me over to see the 2nd Floor Studio, too.  They have an awesome studio space there with Deborah and Frank Brooks in what used to be the old middle school.  They make some absolutely beautiful pieces in glass (lampwork), precious metal clay and metals.  They also display and sell pieces from some other local artists including batik, mosaic and pottery.  It was a truly inspiring place.

I hope to be teaching more classes in the future (provided I can find places where they'll have me!) so stay tuned for that.  If you can't make it to a class, don't despair!  You can learn how to make micro macrame jewelry by taking my online classes at CraftArtEdu.com.  Or, if you prefer, I also have several tutorials in my Etsy shop and some videos here on my blog.

So, now you have a couple things to add to your to do list: visit the fabulous store in Hastings and learn micro macrame!!