The Amazings - get your free class here!

posted by Marie on Monday, July 22, 2013 2 comments

Intergenerational learning is a wonderful thing! Passing down years worth of knowledge and expertise is as satisfying for the 'teacher' as it is for the 'learner', but perhaps not as commonplace as it should be.The Amazings are working hard to change this, offering people over 50 (the elders) the chance to share their passion and skills with anyone who wants to learn something new - through online classes, as well as local classes in London.

"We see the potential to change learning; the opportunity to re-think retirement; te possibility tof bringing together communities; and the chance to bring back the make-do and mend spirit, so we can at the very least, know how to hem a skirt or fix a bike."

The online classes are filmed in HD and priced between £8 - £20, upto 20% of which goes directly to the elders. Classes are available to you forever once purchased, they're broken down into helpful bite-sized sections for easy browsing and you can even contact the elder with further any questions. There's also plenty of incentive to introduce friends, with a credit system that leads to free classes.

I think you'll agree that it's a fantastic concept, but are the classes any good? Well, I was offered the chance to try one out and I wasn't disappointed. Upcycle a Man's Shirt into a Summer Dress is ideal for beginners, or even more experienced stitchers who want to try their hand at re-fashioning. I certainly learned a few new tricks like turning a sleeve into a pocket (with the sleeve head as your pocket placket) and using an unwanted cuff as a back closing.

What I loved most about this class though, is how Judith's (the elder) experience and passion really shines through - exactly as as you'd expect of someone who was first introduced to sewing by her seamstress mother (and to darning by her grandmother) aged just three! I really enjoyed the conversational tone of the class and as the 90 minutes unfolded I learned all manner of interesting information and anecdotes, including: the history of traditional shirt making, the story behind the 'classic' sizing introduced by M&S over 20 years ago, that the distance from the nape of your neck to your waist equals the circumference of your head, and that you can manually use your machine's flywheel to safely sew through multiple layers.

So don't hesitate, have a go at something new today - you even get your first class for free!!! There really does seem to be something for everyone in terms of the range of classes offered by The Amazings. Among many others, you can...

Needle Felt a Furry Friend