Monday, October 24, 2016

Holiday Honeycomb Smocked Ornament Workshop

ASG NoVa
5th Saturday Program
Saturday, December 3
(5th Saturday on the 1st Saturday due to holidays)
12 PM – 4:30 PM                   
Holiday Honeycomb Smocked Ornament”
Presented by Carolyn Cooke
at
Kings Park Library
9000 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, VA 22015

Early bird registration before November 10th: $10
Price after November 10th: $15

Learn this basic fabric manipulation technique which can be applied to garments and home dec projects. No smocking experience is required!

Registration fee includes complete instruction and a kit to make one ornament.  Kit includes, pleated fabric, floss, needles, ribbon, pins and styrofoam ball. Participants bring basic sewing supplies, light and magnification if typically needed, and a sack lunch. Beverage containers must have a lid.

Seating is limited; reservations will be accepted on a first-come first-serve basis.
All participants are asked to help with room set-up and clean-up.
No refunds after November 10 unless reservation can be sold from a waiting list.

To register, complete the registration form and send it in!



Saturday, October 1, 2016

ASG NoVA Annual Meeting!!

Be sure to reserve 
Saturday October 22, Noon to 3 PM 
for our annual 
Northern Virginia ASG Chapter Annual Meeting!
at the
Lake Ridge Baptist Church      


Light lunch will be served.
Please RSVP to Kaye Gonterman by email or by phone at 703 . 590 . 8262, no later than October 15 for planning and catering purposes.

A quorum is required for election of officers to be held, so please make plans to attend. If you cannot attend, return the proxy ballot that was included in the Fall newsletter by the October 12 deadline.
            On the ballot:  President:   Kathy Wright
                                    1st VP:              Adrienne Bennett
                                    2nd VP:             Sheila Bohannon
                                    Secretary:       Martha Walker
                                    Treasurer:      Kathy Saladino


Terri Johnson will be the guest speaker. If you have been curious about the digital cutters that are storming the market you won’t want to miss Terri’s presentation!
Terri presents Silhouette retreats and events, including All Things Silhouette Conferences, Instructor Licensing, and hands-on events around the country. She recently launched Terri Johnson Academy to offer online classes. Visit her blog at http://terrijohnsoncreates.com/


A Fashion Show will close the meeting. You can model anything you have made!  Garments for yourself, children’s clothing, quilts, bags, etc.  Contact Kathy Wright for more info.

Clothing for the Appalachia sewing project will be collected. Details can be found in the most recent newsletter.


5th Saturday Program - Kumihimo Japanese Weaving


Reserve the Date for another fabulous 5th Saturday Program.

Have you ever completed THE perfect garment but couldn’t find the perfect acces- sories for it? Then make your own using the easy techniques of kumihimo. This ver- satile form of weaving (braiding) can be used for garment trims, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hair ornaments, belts... get the idea?

Join Julie Witham and Kaye Gonterman and a group of your ASG friends as we learn how to do a basic kumihimo weave necklace. We will also include some beads for a bit of bling. These exact techniques can also be used to make a bracelet. Addi- tional supplies won’t be available in class but good sources for additional supplies will be provided.

The complete kit fee for this class includes:

  •   written and well-illustrated instructions for the project
  •   braiding materials
  •   coordinating beads
  •   magnetic clasp
  •   loom
      bobbin set

  • WHO: Northern Virginia ASG members – limited number of seats available
  • WHAT: 5th Saturday Fun with Kumihimo
  • WHEN: Saturday, October 29, 2016, 10:30AM – 3:00PM
  • WHERE: Community Room, Montclair Public Library, Montclair, VA (near Woodbridge)
  • HOW: With lots of fun and sharing with your ASG friends ... and probably a bit of chasing dropped beads!
  • FEE: $26 
Send in the Registration Form today!  


Summer Retreat Fun!

by Denise Marois-Wolf

I’d never been to a full three day retreat, so this year I went with a friend out to the National Confer- ence Center in Leesburg to meet up with, and make new, sewing friends. It was, truly, a great experience. Thank you to Sylvia Gould and Karen Gilbert for your untiring volunteer efforts, and all who helped out. Thank you to the center for the incredible service and the food – goodness. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll know what I mean when I say it was like being a 12 year-old dining at Hogwart’s. Here are some of the photos from the retreat, taken by Sylvia. Enjoy, and don’t forget to put aside the dates for the Winter Retreat in Win- chester. Look for the registration form in the next newsletter.



Sewing a Canvas Boat Cover

by Sally Bibro

Purchasing a ten year old power boat brought both the excitement of a larger vessel with more creature comforts and the need for some repairs and upgrades. Not the least of these was the need to re- place the canvas deck cover. After researching the market for custom made canvas, we realized this would be a costly project estimated to be at least five thousand dollars. I had constructed seat cushions, curtains, and other accessories for our previous boat, so I decided to investigate the feasibility of taking on the canvas project myself. What unfolded was a job that tested my sewing skills and my ability to plan and complete such an ambitious project.
For the sewing projects that I had completed for our previous boat, I relied heavily on a marine canvas company, Sailrite. This company was started by husband and wife sail boaters who wanted to be able to complete their own sailboat projects and sail repairs. Over the years Sailrite has grown into a sec- ond generation family owned company that is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in a wide range of do it yourself projects from marine applications such as canvas covers and sail repair to upholstery, window treatments home dec, outdoor living, and more. http://www.sailrite.com/


Sailrite has developed an extensive library of free videos to demonstrate and teach a multitude of construction techniques, tips for choosing fabrics and other materials, tools and more. They offer both an online and print catalog with a huge selection of fabrics, trim, thread, findings, etc.
Once again I turned to Sailrite to plan the project and acquire the necessary tools and materials. I ordered all the materials and tools needed from this company including Sunbrella canvas, clear Strata- glas vinyl, heavy duty weatherproof thread, heavy duty zippers, snaps, a hot knife and fastener installa- tion tool. Along the way I received excellent support from the folks at Sailrite.
I spent about a month gathering information on materials, supplies and tools needed to do the job. I already owned a Sailrite heavy duty sewing machine, capable of sewing through multiple layers of canvas and other materials such as vinyl. I purchased a hot knife to cut the Sunbrella marine grade can- vas, and a snap fastener tool. I was ready to start.
The first step was to make a pattern. We had de- cided to alter the cover from the one that enclosed the entire cockpit area to a drop down curtain.
Consequently, I couldn't use the old cover pieces as patterns. I used plastic sheeting material called Duras- crim to make the five pieces needed for the new curtain enclosure. Once that was done, I needed to plan how I was going to lay out and cut the pieces.
Several obstacles needed to be overcome. First was creating the necessary space to store the vinyl sheets prior to use, lay out the canvas and sew the components together. At one point in the process I had vinyl sheets laid out flat on my laundry room floor.
The sheets came in 54 by 110 inches and needed to stay flat until used to create the clear panels. The family room became the cutting area. I used two 4x4' folding tables to make a large cutting and assembly table. I also had to rearrange my sewing room to accommodate long and wide panels so there was enough room for the pieces in front of and behind the machine.
The planning and patterning took the majority of the time needed to complete the project. Once I had the materials and logistics under control, I was able to complete the actual sewing over a period of a couple of weeks, working on it a few hours a day. The final step involved installing the canvas, a job that couldn't have been done without the help and skill of my very
handy husband.

The canvas cover is now in its second season on the boat, and I'm pleased to report it looks as good as the day we installed it. Yes, it was a huge undertaking, but in the process I advanced my sewing skills, learned a lot of new techniques and gained confidence in my sewing abilities. And best of all, we saved approximately $3,500.00 over what it would have cost to have the cover made professionally. 


Charity Sewing Project - Clothing for Children in Appalachia


by Martha Walker


In June ASG NoVa donated 95 dresses, 12 slips, eight nightgowns, and 25 tote bags! Another seven dresses, six slips, and 40 tote bags have been donated.
Tender Loving Care Ministries, ministering to the clothing needs of underprivileged children of the Appalachian Mountains, has merged with Prayers to Action in Kentucky. They service Kentucky, West Vir- ginia and parts of Virginia.
Poverty in Appalachia is extreme. Many children live in conditions that border on those of Third World countries. As a result, many children are socially and academically behind by the time they enter school. Between 75 and 80% of the children at these schools live in homes where the income is below the poverty level.
Things you can sew or make: Sizes 4 - 14 are the requested sizes
For dresses, jumper & blouse sets, pajamas, slips and sweat- ers, you may use any pattern suitable for young children. Designs and fabric must be appropriate for young children. Tights or socks, undies, hair bows, bracelets, and barrettes can be purchased to complete the outfits.
Pajamas for boys and nightgowns for girls are also useful.
ALL garments must be labeled with size. Labels should be made of fabric that can withstand laundering and permanently secured to the garment; if you cannot attach a fabric label please pin a paper label with the size on the front of the garment. Please clip all threads.
Deadline:
Christmas Distribution is November 15 –
long sleeves only on garments.
Garments will be collected at Sharing Threads meetings the third Wednesday each month
. The last day to
turn in garments is Saturday, October 22 at the Annual Meeting.

Fifth Saturday Program - A Great Succes

by Sheila Bhoannon


Fifteen members registered for our third successful Fifth Saturday Workshop and made a Pet Screen Summer Tote. We all had a great time and left with finished or nearly completed tote bags. The July 30, 2016 program was led by Michele Parker, assisted by Debbie Tollin, with special thanks to Ellen Rogers for provid- ing the pattern and detailed instructions. Kaye Gonterman ordered the required supplies and prepared kits for each attendee, who brought two fat quarters of their choosing for the tote’s focus fabric.
These totes make great beach bags because sand can fall through the screen bottom and sides; however, they can also be used as purses and everyday totes. The fifteen designs were quite diverse despite everyone using the same pattern and the themes included fruit, dolphins, batiks, water, bugs, graphics and fish.
You don’t want to miss the next 5th Saturday programs! Kumihimo Japanese Weaving is scheduled for October; registration information is in this newsletter.
A honeycomb smocked ornament workshop is planned for the first Saturday in December since the
5
th Saturday is New Year’s Eve. This fabric manipulation technique can be applied to garments to create inter- est. Details will be available soon.
Then in April 2017 we are planning a quilted tuffet workshop! Go ahead and mark your calendars now and plan to spend every 5th Saturday with your sewing friends learning something new.




Neighborhood Group Upcoming Topics


Shenandoah Valley Girls

   October 26 - TBD
   November 23 - No meeting
   December 7 - Holiday Luncheon

Springfield Sharing Threads

   October 19 - Vintage Sewing Books
   November 16 - Scraps Challenge - show us what you can do with them.

Kingstowne Clothiers

   November 12 - Sewing Perfect Collars with Mary Parker

Fairfax Seams Sew Fun

   October 7 - TBD
   November 4 - Costumes we've made
   December - Holiday Party

Alexandria Seamsters

   October 17 - Survival Sewing (program to teach adults and teens how to do simple hand sewing and mending.)
   November 21 - Fiber Postcards with Carolyn Harris
   December 19 - Holiday party

Life in the Hoop

   October 25 - How to use an optional circular sewing attachment.
   November 22 - How to sew decorative stitches on ribbon in embroidery mode.
   Decemer 27 - Planning new year's activities.  Surprise Guest Demonstrator.

Fredericksburg Notion to Sew

   October - Fitting Day with Dawn and Kathy
   November - Embroidery
   December - Holiday meeting at Wegman's for breakfast.