Fairfax Seams So Fun will meet Friday, August 1, at the Chantilly Regional Library, 4000 Stringfellow Rd., Chantilly, from 12:30-3:00.
Michele Parker will present information on the Stash Hub app. This sewing organizer app catalogs fabrics, patterns, notions, and more. We'll also discuss ideas to celebrate National Sewing Month. Of course, be sure to bring your sew and tell.
The Woodbridge Sewcial Group will hold a sew-in meeting on Saturday, August 2, at 10:30 am. We will also discuss an upcycle project for fall. Cornie has suggested a vest project made from your choice of upcycle materials. Please bring your ideas! Do you have a vest or jacket pattern you like? Bring it for a sample pattern consideration! I love my quilt jacket coat pattern! It's a super easy 4-piece pattern, easily converted to a 2-piece vest just by eliminating the sleeves. Maudine is leaving for Kenya mid-August so bring all your pillowcase dresses to the meeting. Thank you, Maudine!
At the Sterling Sew N Sews meeting on August 13 at 10:00 am, Sandy will lead a gentle chair yoga session—ideal for quick stretches during long sewing sessions. It's the perfect complement to creativity: stitch with less strain and sew with more comfort.
Between Pattern Con 2025 and the Taste of Retreat this month, we're taking a break. We'll have great programs starting in September that will take us through the rest of the year!
The Alexandria Seamsters will meet at the Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, VA, on August 18, from 7 pm to 9 pm. The program will be on sewing tote bags, tool kits, sling bags, and so on. Marjorie B and Susan L will discuss fabrics, patterns, interfacings, notions, hardware, and sources for supplies. Please bring any bags you've made to the meeting.
We'll meet at the Springfield Governmental Center at 6140 Rolling Road on Wednesday, August 20, at 10:00 am. Despite the recent heat, the winter holidays will be here before we know it! Let's talk about easy gift ideas! Bring projects, patterns, resources, and your handmade treasures for inspiration. Don’t forget your Show and Tell!
Lansdowne is taking the summer off. Next meeting is in September.
We'll meet on Wednesday, August 27, at 10:00 am at the Clarke County Memorial VFW Post 9760 in Berryville. Brenda Goodwin will show how to create fabric greeting cards. Use your creativity and fabric scraps to create one-of-a-kind designs. Get ready for the holidays!
The longtime Wearable Art Group is seeking new leadership—and we’d love for it to continue! Whether you keep the name or change things up, Manassas offers a vibrant community of sewers ready to connect.
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| Image by Spike Summers from Pixabay |
1st Friday at 12 noon, Conference room of the Ben Glass Law Firm, 3998 Fair Ridge Dr, #250, Fairfax, VA 22033
NO MEETING. Friday is Independence Day! Enjoy wearing your makes and collecting compliments! Happy Fourth of July!!!
1st Saturday at 10:30 am, 1st United Presbyterian Church (1st Floor Fellowship Hall, entrance in back)
2nd Wednesday at 10 am, Sterling Substation, Loudon County Sheriff’s Dept
You’re also welcome to bring hand-stitching projects and join the kaffeeklatsch—an informal space for conversation, connection, and creative exchange during the meeting.
3rd Wednesday at 10 am, Burke Center Library, 5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke
NOTE VENUE CHANGE FOR THIS MEETING -- Burke Center Library - 5935 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA
3rd Monday at 7 pm, Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, VA
Bring along a recent make for Show & Tell—we’d love to see what you’ve been sewing!
3rd Saturday at 10:30 am, City of Fairfax Public Library, 10460 North Street, Conference Room 103, Fairfax, VA
Come for the sewing wisdom, stay for the inspiration!
3rd Thursday at noon, Lansdowne Woods, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, 2nd floor clubroom – Just tell the guard that you are there for the ASG meeting at the clubhouse
NO MEETING. Lansdowne is taking the summer off. Next meeting is in September.
4th Wednesday at 10 am, Clarke County Memorial VFW Post 9760, Berryville, VA
4th Wednesday at 1 pm, 8847 Olde Mill Run, Manassas
It's a new month and that means another opportunity to attend any of our Neighborhood Group meetings!
All fabric will be provided, ready to assemble! All we need to do is sew and iron the completed pillowcases. The pillowcases can be serged or sewn. We'll return them to Berger’s in Manassas for distribution. Any pillowcases not completed during the sew-in can be taken home to finish.
Please bring your sewing machine or serger, basic sewing tools, and neutral-colored thread. The room does have power strips down the center of the table, but you might like to bring an extension cord. If you don't want to sew, please come as we can use your help coordinating activities.
Success starts with great teamwork! To make this event run smoothly, we need to know how many people are attending and what tasks they’re ready to take on—whether it’s sewing, serging, ironing, setting up, cleaning up, or pitching in wherever needed. Please email Sally and Melissa at fairfax@asgnova.org by June 4th.
Feel free to bring a drink or snack!
You can attend any and all meetings---one of our many member benefits. If you're a visitor, you can attend up to two meetings before committing to membership.
JUNE
On June 6th, we will do a charity sew-in at the law office. We have our usual space from noon to 3:30 pm. Kathy is supplying pre-cut fabric to sew the pillowcases. You can review how to make pillowcases using the burrito method here: https://www.craftsy.com/post/burrito-pillowcase/
or just search the internet. There many websites and YouTube videos.
Here is what you'll need for the June meeting:
What will be available:
Because the fabric is pre-cut, we should be able to sew a lot of pillowcases! Please email the Neighborhood Group leader if you are coming and if you are bringing a machine.
JULY
No meeting. Enjoy the summer! And start saving your scraps of fabric, trims, laces, and ribbons so you're prepared for our September meeting! Think about your color palette---this will help create harmony and consistency when we begin work on them in the fall.
On August 1st Michele will do a program on gussets. Gussets are commonly found in areas such as underarms, crotches, and elbows of garments. They are also used in bags, pillows, and other sewn items to increase their capacity and durability. In addition, gussets can be decorative and add interesting design elements to garments.
SEPTEMBER
Joyce will be teaching us to make tiny fabric houses. Bring your scraps of fabric, trims, laces, ribbons, etc., preferably in a color palette that delights you! When you start without a color palette in mind, you will spend most of your time sorting the gathered items rather than getting to work on your tiny house.
Our schedule is still fluid but we might be able to ask Sarah to do the presentation/lesson on Maedeup! Or, we might do another sew-in. Sheila shared information about Star Spangled Babies - which is such a great program!
NOVEMBER
November is our Challenge Reveal: mixed media and the color wheel. We can’t wait to see what you all do!
DECEMBER
December is our holiday luncheon. Details are still in planning.
SEW AND TELL!
The Sewing Workshop offers 25 meter rolls of 10mm double-sided fusible sewing tape. It’s great on hems, especially with knits. However, if you need additional sizes or additional strength, you can order from Best from Japan. While shipping starts around $14, a bulk purchase by members of ASG NOVA could result in significant savings!
Michele shared some great (and cozy) pieces she created for her upcoming week at the beach, made with awesome fabric from Style Maker Fabrics. 🏖️
Karen showed us her finished bag from Michele’s bag class, which features Washington Nationals fabric. It’s perfect! And she found a great solution to a knit neckline issue. Using inexpensive striped fabric (perhaps because the stripes were at a weird angle), Karen experimented with using elastic thread on the inside fold of the t-shirt neck binding to help the neck lay flat. The elastic is slightly shorter than the binding and only anchored at the shoulder seam ends. Great idea, Karen!
Here's an example of that technique.
Sarah shared some beautiful wearable art pieces: a bag, shoes, and jewelry, including a ring, bracelet, and earrings. She upcycled a traditional Korean garment, called a hanbok, and used traditional Korean knots, called maedeup, in her designs. Sarah is traveling to Korea soon and has offered to pick up kits for learning this traditional Korean knot. We may have talked her into doing a program on this—so if you order a kit through her, there will be a lesson on how to use it, too.
The beginners' kit includes tools and 35 colors of 36" long cords and costs about $20. With this length, you can make rings or bracelets. For belts, you will need thicker and longer cords. If you want a kit, please email fairfax@asgnova.org ASAP! She leaves soon, so don’t wait!
Melissa wore a simple woven raglan sleeve top by Sew House Seven called the Remy Raglan. It’s super comfy and a quick make.
Johnnye shared some really cool buttons she picked up on her recent trip to Japan.
Nancy upcycled a pair of suede pants into a perfect suede handbag. She even incorporated the back welt pocket into an external side pocket. It looks so great!
We look forward to seeing you at our next Neighborhood Group meeting!
Kingstowne Clothiers
Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 10:30 am
City of Fairfax Public Library, 10460 North Street, Conference Room 103, Fairfax, VA
Techniques for Successful Fly Front Zipper Insertion
Have you restricted yourself to sewing only elastic waists because installing a fly front zipper stresses you out? Inserting a fly front zipper can be one of the most challenging technical skills in a sewist’s arsenal. Marjorie will present several variations that will make this less intimidating, help you identify what might go wrong, and how to fit it.
