Sewing Inspiration

Disclaimer: Appearance of a business or activity on this page does not represent endorsement by the ASG NOVA or the American Sewing Guild and is provided solely for inspiration and awareness.

Current and Upcoming Opportunities in the DMV 

Check the site for current and upcoming member programs and exhibits.

DAR Museum - Washington DC
Sewn in America: Making, Meaning, Memory - March 15, 2024 - December 31, 2024
This groundbreaking exhibit will combine sewn items from all textile sections of the DAR Museum’s collections: clothing, household textiles, quilts, and needlework. It will examine the role sewing played both practically in American women’s lives, and in shaping gender roles, whether domestically or in professions from dressmaking and tailoring to factory work. Garments, quilts, and embroideries from the 18th century to today will be juxtaposed to show how women of diverse backgrounds have used their needles to express emotions and identity and as a force for benevolence and justice.

50th Annual Symposia - May 21-25, 2024, Washington, DC
In addition to scholarly events, the Costume Society of America regularly presents free webinars. 

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
950 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20560
This exhibition presents the artist’s first foray into video and animation, her first monographic museum exhibition, and the first presentation of her most recent body of work. In it, she departs from past practice in which she rented or wore historic costumes to interrogate photographic archives. For From the Deep, she worked with collaborators across the African continent to custom design each garment and create a speculative world.

Road Trip-Worthy

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735
This is the largest exhibition of Ann Lowe’s work to date, featuring 40 iconic gowns, many that have never been on public display, and it will illuminate her evolution as a designer from the 1920s to the 1960s. The exhibition will also feature the work of contemporary couturiers and fashion designers whose current design practices, perspectives, and career paths reflect the trajectory of American fashion emanating from Lowe’s foundation. These include B Michael, Tracy Reese, Amsale Aberra, and Bishme Cromartie. 

Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118
This exhibit spans more than one hundred years of fashion in the Bay Area and showcases designs from French couturiers, Japanese avant-garde designers, and other pillars of the fashion industry, including Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Christopher John Rogers, Comme des Garçons, and Rodarte. 

The International Quilt Museum's mission is to build a global collection and audience that celebrate the cultural and artistic significance of quilts. The museum has the world's largest publicly held quilt collection, dating from the early 1700s to present and representing more than 60 countries. Diversity and inclusion are central to the University’s and the IQM’s mission and pursuit of excellence. Virtual experiences are available for those unable to travel.

National Quilt Museum - Paducah, KY
The National Quilt Museum is America’s premier museum for contemporary quilting. Paducah was designated a UNESCO Creative City in 2013. Members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are designated in seven creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. The other US UNESCO Creative City devoted to Crafts & Folk Art is Santa Fe, NM.

The mission of the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum is to present exhibitions and educational programs in all fiber arts that enrich and inspire, honor cultural traditions, and celebrate the creative spirit.

Sewing & Stitchery Expo - Puyallup, WA
February 29-March 3, 2024
The annual Puyallup Sewing and Stitchery Expo held every spring hosts seminars, classes, activities, vendor booths, and more to appeal to quilters, cosplayers, wardrobe experts, and whimsical DIY-ers. 

Textile Center - Minneapolis, MN
A national center for fiber art, Textile Center’s mission is to honor textile traditions, promote excellence and innovation, nurture appreciation, and inspire widespread participation in fiber art. The facility features exhibits, hosts educational opportunities and a shop as well as a library.

Textile Heritage Museum - Burlington, NC

Windham Textile and History Museum - The Mill Museum - Willimantic, CT

Historic Costume and Textile Museum - Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
The collection tracks the history of Kansas for over 200 years. The museum collection also features the work of Kansas-born designer and dress manufacturer, Nell Donnelly Reed. The Nelly Don Frocks collection encompasses over ninety of her designs, patterns and patents. The Historic Costume and Textile Museum was given a substantial donation from American Designer Calvin Klein as well as nearly 150 pairs of salon shoes from many well-known designers.

Fascinating Enablers

The Upcycle Creative Reuse Center provides a resource center to reuse materials and a creative maker space for the community.

Artistic Artifacts is a creative resource for fabric, fiber, and mixed media art products sold online and in the shop in Alexandria, VA. They are an authorized BERNINA dealer and carry a full line of WonderFil Specialty Threads. They also service BERNINA sewing machines here.

Committed to textile reuse and recycling, Fabscrap provides guest lectures, tours and interviews, and assists teachers with supplies. Volunteer opportunities for sorting textile scraps are available at New York and Philadelphia.

Founded over fifty years ago, this club is all about buttons. Buttons reflect the history of societies, the use of materials, the study of design. 
Meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month at 10 am at Christ Lutheran Church, 3810 Meredith Dr., Fairfax, VA. 22030. Meetings feature a presentation on a button topic, show-and-tell by members, and opportunities to buy buttons!

Original Sewing and Quilt Expo - Fredericksburg, VA
Visit our booth, volunteer to be an ambassador, take a few classes, and check out the vendor hall! ASG NOVA members walked the runway on Saturday, September 30, wearing their handmade or upcycled creations. It was so much fun!

A Fiber Arts Guild for Charlottesville and Central Virginia

Know of an event or exhibit that others might be interested in? Please comment and we'll update this page!


No comments:

Post a Comment