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labricoleuseOne of the many things i'm up to this summer is furthering my education. A big component of costume craft artisanship can be learning on-the-fly, teaching yourself how to do what's needed to achieve the effect required. The more you know, the smoother the job goes, so i'm always up for learning new skills and related information.
In the course of my career, i've always keenly felt the presence of scientific aspects of costume creation--the geometry of pattern drafting, the chemistry of dye processes, the physics of fabric behavior in a bias-cut gown, and so forth. When i discovered the Textiles Off-Campus Program at North Carolina State University, i was overjoyed--a chance to learn more about the science of textile production, from one of the best Textiles programs in the country!
I've been taking their courses since fall of 2008, one per session--first their basic Intro to Textile Science, then Polymer Chemistry, and now i've just finished Yarn Production and Processes in the first summer session. I'll be taking a dye chemistry class in the fall, as well, in pursuit of their Textile Fundamentals Certificate, which is a program designed to augment an existing bachelors degree.
The courses are actual undergraduate and graduate level full-semester classes, with lectures delivered online via streaming video. You fax or email your homework to your professors, and take tests via a proctorship (so, if you want to take TOP courses, you need a colleague or coworker to agree to administer your exams and vouch for the fact that you didn't cheat on them).
I've really enjoyed the courses i've taken thus far, though the subject matter is challenging--best know your math!--and you have to have a pretty healthy dose of self-discipline, organizational skills, and sticktuitiveness to work within the structure of the online-delivery format. Me, i'm good at math (though the last time i studied it was to take the AP Calculus exam in high school, 20 years ago) and i do well in the online-delivery format, so i'm loving it!
I'll get to the second half of that quilt symposium review this weekend, i hope--the pix are edited and uploaded, i've just got to find time to write it! Of course, i've been otherwise occupied with studying for the final in my Yarns course, writing some forthcoming posts for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
nicknickleby, running samples at Tumbling Colors, and working on some exciting hat commissions TBA soon... Oh, and buying a house, so i imagine soon (i close July 31st) there might be some veering-toward-offtopic home decoration posts about upholstery or something.
In the course of my career, i've always keenly felt the presence of scientific aspects of costume creation--the geometry of pattern drafting, the chemistry of dye processes, the physics of fabric behavior in a bias-cut gown, and so forth. When i discovered the Textiles Off-Campus Program at North Carolina State University, i was overjoyed--a chance to learn more about the science of textile production, from one of the best Textiles programs in the country!
I've been taking their courses since fall of 2008, one per session--first their basic Intro to Textile Science, then Polymer Chemistry, and now i've just finished Yarn Production and Processes in the first summer session. I'll be taking a dye chemistry class in the fall, as well, in pursuit of their Textile Fundamentals Certificate, which is a program designed to augment an existing bachelors degree.
The courses are actual undergraduate and graduate level full-semester classes, with lectures delivered online via streaming video. You fax or email your homework to your professors, and take tests via a proctorship (so, if you want to take TOP courses, you need a colleague or coworker to agree to administer your exams and vouch for the fact that you didn't cheat on them).
I've really enjoyed the courses i've taken thus far, though the subject matter is challenging--best know your math!--and you have to have a pretty healthy dose of self-discipline, organizational skills, and sticktuitiveness to work within the structure of the online-delivery format. Me, i'm good at math (though the last time i studied it was to take the AP Calculus exam in high school, 20 years ago) and i do well in the online-delivery format, so i'm loving it!
I'll get to the second half of that quilt symposium review this weekend, i hope--the pix are edited and uploaded, i've just got to find time to write it! Of course, i've been otherwise occupied with studying for the final in my Yarns course, writing some forthcoming posts for
nicknickleby, running samples at Tumbling Colors, and working on some exciting hat commissions TBA soon... Oh, and buying a house, so i imagine soon (i close July 31st) there might be some veering-toward-offtopic home decoration posts about upholstery or something.
