General Information
EAC/ACB courses are correspondence courses. This means that interaction between students and counsellors is by mail, email or, in the case of cyber courses, by online posts with email notifications. We offer three types of courses: cyber courses, project courses and technique study courses.
Technique Study Courses offer distance learning opportunities to enrolled students in their chosen needlework techniques. Our Course Registrar will assign a counsellor to the individual or group of students. These courses are available for canvas, counted thread, crewel and metal thread.
Basic courses offer the fundamentals of the technique in six lessons to be completed over 12 months. Intermediate and advanced levels provide a greater in-depth study of the technique and are completed over 18 months.
Project Courses provide a project with clear instructions and stitch diagrams unavailable commercially. Individuals or groups can take the Project Courses. These projects can be used as a workshop or program within your local Chapter. These project-oriented courses are offered in various embroidery styles and range from three to twelve months.
Cyber Courses are similar to Project Courses, with the advantages of working and sharing online with a group that can be close to you or across the country and beyond. Many of these courses have been taught at past seminars, giving all EAC/ACB members a chance to learn while working on a seminar-quality course.
We offer courses at a variety of levels. We mark our courses as basic/beginner, intermediate or advanced, defined as follows:
- Basic/Beginner level: The student needs guidance in reading stitch patterns or is new to the technique.
- Intermediate level: The student understands stitch patterns but may need guidance; has taken this technique or a similar one at the beginner/basic level; has a beginning understanding of colour and design.
- Advanced level: The student reads charts and stitch diagrams with ease and has a good understanding of stitch technique, colour and design. The student must have taken an intermediate-level course in the technique. The student must be able to work independently.
EAC/ACB courses are available to members only. If you are not a current member, please apply online before registering for a course. You will require your membership number to be able to register for a course.
Cyber Courses
- All cyber courses are hosted on the Groups.io platform, and course registrants must have or set up a Groups.io account. (You can check Groups.io at https://groups.io/register and register for an account prior to the course beginning if you proceed with registration.)
- No prerequisites are required for cyber courses.
- The two-month registration period begins four months before the start date.
- No students will be accepted after registration closes.
- The course registrar will notify the student once the registration has been completed and provide a receipt (if applicable).
- The instructor will send kits if ordered, and students will have two months to collect supplies.
- Students will receive an invitation from the online assistant to join the cyber group on Groups.io within two weeks of the close of registration.
- Lessons, questions to other students or the instructor and photos of your progress are posted on Groups.io. All correspondence is contained within this closed group.
- Lessons are posted in Groups.io at the beginning of each month unless otherwise noted.
- The Groups.io site will remain open for an extra month to enable students to post finishing photos, ask questions, and download lessons. After that date, the site will no longer be available.
- No refunds will be given after registration is completed.
- No extensions are provided.
- Students print their own instructions; no hard copy will be provided.
- There are no assessments as the student corresponds with the instructor during the course.
- No certificate will be provided upon completion of the course.
Project Courses
- No prerequisites are required for project courses.
- Members may sign up for these courses at any time for the specified fee, as posted in the course description.
- Once registration is complete, the course registrar will send a welcome letter, receipt (if applicable), registration letter, procedures regarding project courses, library information, a listing of available stores to purchase supplies, evaluation forms, privacy statement and full course text.
- A select group of courses offered by EAC/ACB are owned by the author. Registration information is sent to the author/counsellor, who is responsible for sending out all course information and kit (if purchased). The timeframe that these courses are available is posted on the website in the course description.
- Students can email the counsellor at any time (within the assigned completion timeframe) with questions about the project.
- No refunds will be given after registration is completed.
- The recommended time for completion is indicated on the course documents.
- Extensions should be discussed between the student and the counsellor. Once an extension is granted, the counsellor notifies the course registrar.
- The student will receive a certificate from the counsellor when the course is completed satisfactorily and within the proposed completion time.
- If the student wishes their name to be posted in Embroidery Canada, the evaluation form and privacy statement must be mailed or scanned and emailed to the education director.
Technique Study Courses
- Members may sign up for technique study courses at any time. Basic level courses are 12 months, intermediate level courses are 18 months and advanced level courses are 24 months or as otherwise noted.
- There are prerequisites listed in the course descriptions for intermediate and advanced-level courses. Basic-level courses have no prerequisites.
- Once registration is complete, the course registrar will send the first two lessons, a welcome letter, a receipt (if applicable), a registration letter, procedures regarding technique study courses, library information, and a listing of available stores to purchase supplies.
- Once Lesson 1 is completed, mail your work to the counsellor for an assessment. An alternative method of submission can be discussed with the counsellor. While the counsellor is assessing the first lesson, start work on Lesson 2.
- The counsellor will return your work along with her/his assessment together with Lesson 3. If work needs to be redone, send it with Lesson 2 when it is completed.
- All postage and any extra costs are the student’s responsibility.
- After completing all the lessons and receiving your final assessment, send the completed evaluation form to the counsellor and education director to receive a certificate and pin.
- Extensions should be discussed between the student and the counsellor. Once an extension is granted, the counsellor notifies the course registrar. The education director should also be notified if the extension is over three months. With a time-lapse of a year or more between lessons, a fee may be levied when the student wishes to restart and could include a restart fee of $25.
- No refund will be given in a technique study course after the first lesson has been assessed. If the student wishes, the remaining lessons may be sent to them with the understanding that no assessment will be given and no binder review allowed.
- If the first lesson has not been received and reviewed by the counsellor, a refund is possible. The refund amount will be less a $50 for administration fees as the student has already received the first two lessons.
- In both cases, a refund will be given for the binder review (if purchased) that will not be done.