Upcycle Your Wardrobe

Course aim

The aim of the course is to increase awareness of the benefits of upcycling an old garment to create a new and valuable piece. The focus will be on Asian women's wear and the tutor can support students with Punjabi and Urdu.

Do I need any particular skills or experience?

• You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
• This course is for a group of around 15 students studying in a live video-learning platform conference and an online digital learning environment platform from the comfort of your own home.
• This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
• This course is for people with little spoken English
• This course is for women only.

By the end of the course I should be able to:

• Increase awareness of upcycling, recycling, sustainable fashion and its benefits.
• Create individual projects from old garments and fabrics to give a new lease of life, sharing ideas with family,friends and the local community.
• Develop understanding of various techniques to embellish the garments/ fabrics also using hand embroidery stitches such as chain stitch, running stitch and herringbone stitch
• Use a sewing machine with confidence and within health and safety guidlines
• Use Canvas to record my progress and share ideas.

How will I be taught?

• The WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas will be used to provide resources or to support lessons, enable assessment, provide learner feedback and for other activities for individuals away from the course. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
• You will be expected to carry out a range of activities in your own time

What kind of feedback can I expect?

• You will be able to keep a record of your progress and achievement using photos, audio, text or documents uploaded into the WEA’s digital learning platform, WEA Canvas.
• You will be able to keep a digital portfolio of your work on WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas.
• A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
• You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
• You will be encouraged to share your work with the group and discuss your learning
• You will be encouraged to consider other students work and give your opinions and suggestions
• There will be a number of tasks appropriate to your course such as written work, creating art or craft, video, photography or small projects. Some of these may be marked to help you progress

What else do I need to know?

• What you need: You will need an internet connection, speakers, a microphone and a webcam so that you can use our video learning platform, Zoom. If you’d like to understand more Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
• You will also need access to the internet outside of your sessions. You could do this using a smart phone, tablet, laptop or a desktop computer (at home or through a library etc.).
• You will need a personal email address to join the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas so that you can receive resources, record your progress and achievement and to work with others and share ideas. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• It would be helpful if you had access to the internet (Mobile phone, tablet or computer at home or through a library etc.)
• You will need a sewing machine, scissors, seam ripper, measuring tape, pins, hand sewing needles, tailor's chalk, iron and ironing board, thread, old garments and fabrics, pen, note pad. If you require additional resources your tutor will let you know through Zoom or Canvas.

Pre-course work, reading and information sources

• You will have access to course resources and links to wider learning through the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas: http://bit.ly/WEAonline

What can I do next?

• Progress to another WEA course
• Become involved as a volunteer for a WEA partner or another organisation
• Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next