40+ Classes in 2021
When I tallied up the books I read in 2021, I needed to account for my time. I only read 38 books, so what did I do every evening? Turns out, I was usually watching TV. Yes I watched a lot of TV, but more importantly the shows gave me something to listen to as I made things with my hands. As I practiced what I learned in the 40+ classes I took over the year. I kept my hands busy to quiet my mind.
FIBER ARTS
Patchwork Society (series of 12)
A monthly online meetup to learn quilting techniques and ask questions of the hive mind. I basically made a twin-size quilt in one year thanks to this class.
Visible Creative Mending Workshops (Darning and Swiss Darning)
Darning is fun because you can fix your clothes, but swiss darning is even cooler because it teaches you to replicate knit patterns ON TOP of your existing fabric. It’s like magic!
Soft Bulk Quilt Talk
TBH, I don’t really remember the talk, but I do remember one of the guests giving us a virtual tour of her sewing room.
Quilt Making with Jennifer Raish
I love classes where I get to practice new stitches. And for this class, she sent us fabric and thread (colors and patterns I never would have chosen) to play with.
Stitching Together Kindness (series of 3)
Three days and three teachers helping us make memory maps with stitches and fabrics. I never finished my map, but I did learn new techniques and loved hearing how each of these artists approach their craft.
Weekend Weaving Intensive
I have been weaving for 15 years, but I haven’t touched my loom in 5. So it felt good to dress the loom and play with yarn during this class. It made me decide NOT to sell my loom when we moved.
Weaving on Card Workshop
I loved this workshop more than I expected. Short version is the teacher couldn’t get to her looms during the pandemic and figured out a way to still work with weave structures on a smaller scale. Her technique is genius and the results are gorgeous.
Hand Sewing Class
Having also worked at a living history museum, I appreciated the teacher’s dedication to historical accuracy. I prefer hand sewing to machine sewing, this honed my techniques.
MOVEMENT / SELF CARE
Healthy Back Bootcamp
My lower back and I have a challenging relationship and this teacher offered 1:1 feedback sessions. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but always worth trying.
Functional Movement Training (2x/week)
My friend Megan and I decided we wanted to start training together. We did a bunch of research and sent a LONG email to about 10 trainers around Portland. We talked to a few, but we were super impressed with Carrie’s thoughtful approach to movement.
Healing Hearts Club (seasonal)
A seasonal box with healing goodies plus sessions with Annie. I love her tarot readings with reiki.
Body-Positive Tarot
Virgie Tovar is a gem and this was just an intro lecture. I want to take this full class now.
SOMETHING NEW
Erica Weiner Antiques Roadshow
I LOVE EW jewelry so when they offered a Zoom where they would talk about people’s antiques, I signed up instantly. I have a ring from my MIL from the 80s. They couldn’t give me a ton more detail on it, but I know to use “estate jewelry” and “contemporary” now when doing my eBay searches.
Fumerie x BDK Parfums
An amazing Portland fragrance boutique offered an online experience. We each had samples from BDK Parfums and someone from the brand walked us through smelling all the scents. So delicious!
Woven Ring Workshop
My friend Heather chose this class, I was all “ok, whatever, it’s something new to learn.” But it was SO fun to learn how to use the peyote stitch to make beaded rings.
Creating Your Signature Scent (series of 3)
Talk about going all in. I bought LOTS of supplies for this class. 30 or so key accords, pipettes, scent strips, bottles, etc. We smelled each accord as we talked through what we liked and didn’t like. And then we had a homework assignment to make our own scent. I tried, but realized that I’d rather just work with a genius like Marissa to make a scent for me.
Planning a Native Plant Garden
My husband signed up for this lecture and I just tagged along for the Zoom call. I know very little about the plants that surround me here in the PNW.
FOLK MAGIC
Tending the Hearth (series of 5)
This class made me fall more in love with 1) winter and 2) folk traditions. The hearth was the center of the home and where so many traditions came from. It also gave me an excuse to drink tea and get cozy with the dogs.
Honoring the Dark Moon + Enchant Your Beliefs & Embody Your True Self: A Hierophant Year Workshop + Cord-Cutting & Reset Ritual
Sarah at Modern Women has wonderful workshops. I try to take as many of them as I can, virtual or in person.
Online Workshop on the Basics of Astrology and Natal Charts
Astrology is just hard for me. I feel like I’m getting it and then I’m confused. This was the first class where things stuck and really made sense for the first time.
The Lore of Spring: Ostara & Rabbit Magic
I prefer Seagrape’s in person workshops, she brings in amazing guests. But I tried a few virtual classes too. This is where I’ve learned the difference between a class and a lecture. This was a lecture. I was expecting more of a class.
Moon Phase Workshop
Suzy’s store in Astoria is magical. I miss it. In the meantime, I’ll attend basically anything she does online.
Arcana Major: Witchcraft Today
This was most definitely a lecture from the Peabody Essex Museum. I just wanted to listen forever.
DOG CLASSES
Wonder Puppy Classes
- Good Puppy (series of 8)
- Great Puppy (series of 8)
- Zen Puppy (series of 6)
- Reliable Puppy (series of 6)
- Wonder Puppy (series of 8)
- Tricky Puppy (series of 6)
- Wonder Puppy Separation Anxiety Seminar
I believe strongly in dog training. You can’t just expect your puppy to know what you want, you have to build a relationship and then ask them to cooperate. They still may choose not to. Arco and I are a work in progress. I’m guessing around 3 years old things will fall into place. If you’re looking for dog training in Portland, Wonder Puppy is the place.
Hooper Bird Dog Training
Our yearly trips to Hooper, Washington have become a highlight for me. More than anything because I get to learn why my Spinoni dogs are amazing. They’re natural bird dogs and we spend the weekend getting them “on birds.” They point, flush and retrieve. No birds are shot, but some of them do look a little dazed after the dogs chase them down.
Canine Behavior Problem Solvers
I took Trish King’s dog behavior training years and years ago when I trained service dogs. So this seemed like a fun series to brush up on as I was working with Arco to have polite puppy manners.
