Since the change in format this year, Career Counselors and Professors in Fashion Merchandising and Design, Textiles, Retail Management, and others, are opening the doors of their classrooms to PiPN.  

In the last months, I've presented PiPN to students at six colleges including West Virginia University, University of Alabama, Colorado State University, Carnegie Mellon, Kent State University, University of Akron and also met with the Art Institute of  Colorado in Denver.

I'm on my way to talk to students at the Art Institute of California in San Francisco and the California College of Arts, then on to Moore College of Art & Design and Philadelphia University. 

We're also receiving inquiries and applications from students attending Bryn Mawr, Georgia College & State University and East Tennessee State University.

If you're a student who is interested in participating, you can download the host information by going to clicking here. 

You can also download a student application by clicking here. 

If you're a TNNA member interested in being a host company, it's never too late to add your name to the list. 

Contact me at bdirect @ columbus.rr.com for more information. (remove the spaces when emailing, please)

PiPN 2010 now includes more than 35 unique internships in more than 30 companies and organizations, across the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Peru.

For students looking for valuable, hands-on experiences in companies involved in fiber, textile, fashion, design, and more, PiPN is it.
The complete list includes:
Bagsmith, Shaker Heights OH
Barbara Bergsten, Chagrin Falls OH
Be Sweet, Sausolito CA
Cestari, Ltd., Churchville VA in partnership with Hand Painted Knitting Yarns
City Knits, Detroit MI
CNS Yarns, Montreal, Canada
Coats & Clark, Charlotte NC – filled
Colonial Needle, White Plains NY
Cowgirl Yarn, Laramie WY
Crooked Fence Alpacas, Mona UT
Fiber Arts Yarn Shop, Cape May NJ
Fine Points, Cleveland OH
Handworks Studios, headquartered in Narberth PA (5 positions)
Knitgrrl, Cleveland OH
Knitting on the Square, Chardon OH
Kreinik Manufacturing, Parkersburg WV (2)
Maria’s Knitting & Crochet, Chula Vista CA
Misti International Alpaca, Arequipa Peru (2)
Plymouth Yarn Co., Bristol PA – more information to come
Red Barn Yarn, Pasadena CA – more information to come
SOHO Publishing, New York, NY (2)
Stitches Etc., Cleveland OH
Tanglewood Fiber Creations, St. Helens OR (2)
The Needlepoint Boutique, Collingswood NJ
The Stitchin’ Den, Estes Park CO
Yarn Designers Boutique, Big Bear City CA

More detailed information is available now at http://tnna.org/Outreach/College/tabid/154/Default.aspx

I had the chance to speak to a large class of juniors and seniors, many of whom are looking for internships for this summer. The students were more than welcoming . . . and after my presentation, were eager to put their names on the PiPN interest contact sheet.

The opportunity to intern in a small business makes PiPN a real find for many students. Rather than spending the summer with a large company where experiences may be limited, PiPN students really get involved in their placements. In addition, they truly learn what it means to have a small business . . . so besides needlearts, they acquire true business survival skills.

We’ll be posting the updated lists of opportunities, with explanations, soon. So check back!

The National NeedleArts Association’s Winter Trade show gave us the perfect place to talk directly with many of TNNA’s members. And the members responded enthusiastically.

We are still in the process of putting together more in-depth information about each of these companies and the experiences they offer. We appreciate your patience . . . as we have so many new ones to add now. (And I expect more companies will also come on board . . . so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, let us know.)

Here’s the whole list of interested companies. Please feel free to check out their web sites, but, again, please don’t contact them directly.

Complete Listing:
Barbara Bergsten, Chagrin Falls OH
Be Sweet, Sausolito CA
Cestari, Ltd., Churchville VA in partnership with Hand Painted Knitting Yarns
CNS Yarns, Montreal, Canada
Coats & Clark, Charlotte NC
Cowgirl Yarn, Laramie WY
Crooked Fence Alpacas, Mona UT
Fiber Arts Yarn Shop, Cape May NJ
Handworks Studios, headquartered in Narberth PA (3 positions in various locations in PA)
JoMar Threads, Culver City CA
Fine Points, Cleveland OH
Knitgrrl, Cleveland OH
Knitting on the Square, Chardon OH
Kreinik Manufacturing, Parkersburg WV (2)
Maria’s Knitting & Crochet, Chula Vista CA
Plymouth Yarn Co., Bristol PA
Red Barn Yarn, Pasadena CA
SOHO Publishing, New York, NY (2)
Stitches Etc., Cleveland OH
Tanglewood Fiber Creations, St. Helens OR (2)
The Fibersphere, Valencia CA
The Needlepoint Boutique, Collingswood NJ
The Stitchin’ Den, Estes Park CO
Yarn Designers Boutique, Big Bear City CA

We’re pleased to add several new companies to our list for PiPN 2010.

The entire list as of 12.22.09 is:
• Barbara Bergsten, Chagrin Falls OH
• Be Sweet, Sausolito CA
• Cestari, Ltd., Churchville VA in partnership with Hand Painted Knitting Yarns
• CNS Yarns, Montreal, Canada
• Coats & Clark, Charlotte NC
• Fine Points, Cleveland OH
• Knitgrrl, Cleveland OH
• Knitting on the Square, Chardon OH
• Kreinik Manufacturing, Parkersburg WV (2)
• Stitches Etc., Cleveland OH
• Tanglewood Fiber Creations, St. Helens OR (2)
• The Needlepoint Boutique, Collingswood NJ

We anticipate more companies coming on board during next month as we’ll be all together at TNNA’s upcoming winter trade show in Long Beach CA.

We also are planning to put up more extensive information within the coming few weeks. So CHECK BACK SOON!

And don’t hesitate to email if you have any questions.

As it turns out, Dr. Strawn . . . or Susan . . . as she likes to be addressed, began her career in the arts years ago . . . but as an illustrator first, then author, doing work with Interweave Press when it was just starting out. Later she went back to school to earn her PhD, and has been with Dominican University for the past 4 or 5 years (I believe . . . ).

After my presentation, Susan and I had a chance to chat. She currently teaches a fabulous survey class during the fall semester that includes a number of fiber techniques, including shibori, surface embroidery and embellishment . . . and more. (There were lots of others but know I don’t have all the terminology accurate . . . the number of techniques, both traditional and evolving, is absolutely mind boggling.), Susan showed me some of the pieces her students have created. Totally amazing. According to Susan, there was a waiting list for the class this year. Susan commented that “The appeal has been both a little surprising as well as exciting.” It just goes to show the interest in the fiber arts.

Several of the students showed interested in learning more about the PiPN program. We also are hoping to work more closely with the University in supporting their needlearts educational efforts.

As of 11/11/09, our hosts include:
Barbara Bergsten Needlepoint, Chagrin Falls OH
CNS Yarns, Montreal Canada
Coats & Clark, Charlotte NC
Fine Points, Cleveland OH
Kreinik Manufacturing, Parkersburg WV
Tanglewood Fibers, St. Helens OR
The Needlepoint Boutique, Collingswood NJ

More companies are signing up daily, so check back again. If you are looking for an internship in a specific type of company or in a particular location, please let me know. Email me at bdirect @ columbus.rr.com (remove spaces before emailing).

We chose to set up our table in the Career & Recruitment area, which turned out to be the perfect spot. By the end of the session, we had talked with educators from schools such as University of Alabama, Stephens College, Wayne State University, SUNY, Savannah College of Art & Design, the Art Institute of San Francisco, the Art Institute of Denver at Colorado State University, Seattle Pacific University, Kansas State University, Lasell College, Oklahoma State University, Kent State University and Ohio University. Everyone wanted to know how their students could get involved.

Because of the changes in the PiPN format this year . . . the addition of the two new routes (internship only and apprenticeship only), more schools are getting involved, enabling more students to access the opportunities.

In the meantime, we’re still adding new hosts to our list and will be posting a more complete list soon. Check back, or contact me at bdirect@columbus.rr.com.

We’ve had a great response from our TNNA membership so far and can report the following three confirmed opportunities:

• CNS Yarns in Montreal Canada are manufacturers and exclusive distributors of Mission Falls yarn and pattern books.

• Tanglewood Fiber Creations in Saint Helens, Oregon is a provider of luxury hand-spun, hand-dyed yarns for the discriminating yarn salon.

• Barbara Bergsten of Chagrin Falls, Ohio is a needlepoint artist providing expertly stitch-painted needlepoint canvases for retailers across the country.

More information about these opportunities, as well as many others will be available soon.

For information about the PiPN program, contact Sherry Mulne, PiPN Coordinator at bdirect@columbus.rr.com.

I’m now an alumni of the PiPN program and also graduate from The University of Akron. During the summer of 2008 I was enrolled in the fiber arts class and also completed my internship this past summer with SoHo Publishing in New York City.  I had a great experience with PiPN.  The fiber arts class was awesome; I felt it was the perfect test on the limits and creativity for the students all in different ways.  When I first saw the schedule for the class, I held my breath for a second.  I thought the days would be so long, but once we jumped into the needle arts the days flew by and before I knew it the class was finished. We spent time working on our projects, helping one another, and also getting to know the professors and other students.  I don’t want to spill too much info about the class, for those who have not taken it yet, but at times I thought there is no way I could have finished everything, but I managed to and it felt both relieving and rewarding.  It was great to see the differences in each student’s ideas and creativity.  The personality of the students came through in all of the projects.  The opportunity to attend the trade show was also amazing and I definitely recommend it to upcoming students.  My experience with the internship was really one of a kind! I loved living in New York City for the summer and had a blast interning with SoHo Publishing. 

I graduated in August from Akron and this last month has been least to say, quite crazy.  I have recently received a promotion and I have moved to Columbus to be a manager at a Victoria’s Secret store.  This has been exciting and rewarding, but I feel like I have left my heart in NYC.  My goal for the next couple months would be to move back to New York City.  I’m in the process of saving money and looking for apartments for myself and a new roommate, who is also a graduate from Akron.   There is so much opportunity in the city and I feel like the world would be at my fingertips.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed about a marketing assistant position with SoHo Publishing.  For the meantime I’m continuing to do what most other recent college graduates do and I’m searching, applying for jobs, and hoping for an interview.   I’m also enjoying spending time with my family and friends, a promotion, and my new activities with PiPN. 

I’m  looking forward to getting in contact with other PiPN alumnae to see where everyone is at and what they have been up to since graduation or completing their internship experiences with PiPN.  I’ve have put together a list of topics to blog about, and one that will be in the near future will be all about PiPN alumni.  I’m hoping that some of the other alumnae will be interested in the blog and want to throw in some topics and blogs of their own. 
‘Til next time,
Kristi Schwechheimer