Textile Techniques - and the need for people to teach them

This is a bit ranty and I don't apologise for this at all.

So, whilst pottering around on blogs recently I've come across some techniques/materials that really interest me. Felting is odviously one of them!
Some of the others are Needlefelting, Heat Setting Fabric, Using heat guns on fabric, Using embossing powders, fixing dried hot glue shapes to fabric. using glue as a resist for batik type work,Tyvek, free machining and free motion embroidery(is this the same thing as free machining?).

Trying to find information on some of these isn't easy. Its like the information I was trying to find on Fabric Paper - The craft magazines feature them but those same magazines cost around £10 ($19 or so USD. They are all American Import magazines. The UK craftworld at the moment seems stuck on knitting, cross stitch and scrapbooking) - and thats money i need for the materials.

At the end of the day I DO have a limited income (though I am trying to do something about this) and therefore I rely on the willingness of others to teach for the sake of sharing a skill. This seems to be a dying art.

Back in October 06 Rissa did a wonderful post on her blog called Each one, reach one, teach one.
This very simple saying completly sums up my own ethos in regards to education and teaching ( I think part of this is from my Quaker roots) that people with skills should pass them on to those willing to learn. My willingness to learn is overflowing but I can't find people willing to teach!

I can't afford to do my C&G and therefore that route is cut off from me at present. My felt making class was only booked due to some money I recieved at Christmas.

I know I shouldn't but I rely on the willingness of people to share!

Rissa highlights how crafts suffer from fashions the same way clothing does.

Trying to find books about creative textile techniques is hard and the few that the local library have are either missing or have waiting lists that span months. The textile craft section at Borders has been relagated to one bookshelf and they are no longer getting most of the american craft magazines in.

Another problem I've been having is that like a lot of people, I learn by seeing, by visually experiencing a procedure or technique. In this essence, pure text instructions are wonderful but are more likely to go in if they are accompanied with pictures.

The stupid thing is I would happily create tutorials for things but I'm still trying to get access to skills I want to learn!

Excuse me while I go and suffer from creative frustration....

(Please note, I know people are willing to teach these skills for money, and that is their right. I am just saying that there are many willing pupils out there who just don't have the means to learn that way.)

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On a seperate note, I am yet to start the Buttonhole T.A.S.T. for this week as I spent last night helping cheer up a friend who is in the midst of a post breakup low. Hopefully I can get to it later as I need to start embellishing on my felt samples as well!