ASG NOVA is Holding a Rummage Sale on Saturday, November 9 from 11:30-2:30

Get Ready for the Ultimate Rummage Sale for Sewists, Crafters, and Makers! 

Dive into a treasure trove of fabrics, threads, tools, and crafty goodies! Whether you're a sewing newbie, a seasoned crafter, or a passionate maker, this is the event you don’t want to miss. 

• Date: Saturday, November 9
• Time: 11:30-2:30 
• Location: Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St, Vienna, VA

Stand by for amazing 

• Apparel fabric, home decorating fabric, quilting cottons, and fat quarters
• Notions, elastics, buttons, zippers, and trims
• Patterns
• Sewing books 
• Sewing demonstrations and "Make & Take" stations

Why You Should Come:

• Score amazing deals on high-quality materials and supplies
• Meet fellow creatives and share ideas
• Get inspired by unique projects and innovative designs
• Perfect chance to stock up on essentials for your next big project

Bring your friends, family, and fellow craft enthusiasts for a few hours of fun, shopping, and creativity. Let’s make this an unforgettable event!

Interested in donating items for this event? ASG NOVA is a 501(c) 3 charity. 

All proceeds go to funding educational workshops and supporting charities.

Charities and non-profits supported through ASG NOVA volunteer sewing and expertise:

Dress a Girl Around the World

Pohick Regional Library Maker Space

Quilts of Valor

Days for Girls

Fleece hats for local hypothermia prevention efforts

 

Me-Made May, Museums, and Homemade Inspiration

 Well, we're halfway through #MeMadeMay! How are you doing? We'd love to see your photos and read your comments!

It's also time to make summer plans. When the weather is awful or uncertain, museums are a great antidote for heat, humidity, and rain. If you're in the DC area, we have a lot of exhibits related to sewing, so take advantage of these opportunities! Even if you don't live near Washington, DC, many of the exhibits offer virtual tours and even lectures. 

The DMV:

• Irresistible: The Global Patterns of Ikat. Through June 8 at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum. 
• Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction. Through July 28 at the National Gallery of Art. 
• Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women. Through August 24 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. You still have time to register for the lecture on May 23!
• Sewn in America: Making, Meaning, Memory. Through December 31 at the DAR Museum. They're also offering Unfinished Objects (UFO) Craft Circles. Check the site for dates and to sign up. 
• UFO Craft Circles (in-person at 3pm) and Tuesday Talks (available via Zoom or in-person at noon EST). Check out the schedule here. 

Beyond DC:

• Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art. Through June 16 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 
• Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams. Through July 14 at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
• Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. Through September 2 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Dress Up. Through September 2 at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Hallyu! The Korean Wave is also on exhibit here through July 28. 
• Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style. Through July 8 at the de Young/Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA. 
• Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution. Through October 13 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. 
• The Museum at FIT always has exhibits. Check this link for current and upcoming offerings. 

Passport Needed (or just membership):

• From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana. Through July 31 at the Palazzo Reale.  
• The Biba Story, 1965-1975. Through September 8 at the Fashion & Textiles Museum, London, UK. If you sew with vintage patterns, you might have one of hers in your stash. 
• NAOMI: In Fashion. Opens June 22 through April 6, 2025, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, UK. Free virtual talks are scheduled for members. Incidentally, there is a 3-day workshop on creating a couture cocktail dress in quarter-scale. This would be SO MUCH FUN!
• Barbie: The Exhibition. Opens July 5 through February 23, 2025, at The Design Museum, London, UK. 

Neighborhood Group Inspiration:

Check out Shenandoah Valley Girls in Berryville on Wednesday, May 22, as they offer a 1/2 day workshop on the All Dunn Designs Strip & Serge Top! This workshop was taught at

 the last two ASG Conferences and ASG members get a 15% discount on the pattern. 

The Springfield Sharing Threads and Kingstowne Clothiers have focused their sewing plans on fitting. If you're interested in learning more about fit and desire a supportive and encouraging community of sewists at all levels, join us at our monthly meetings! 

Our newest group, the Woodbridge Sewcial Club, alternates its offerings at the maker space in their local public library. Every other month, they will hold a sit-and-sew (or sew-in) where sewists can bring their machines and projects and get expert assistance. The alternate meetings will feature a presentation on some sewing related topic. 

Bothered by distractions? Need to get away to sew? Check out our upcoming "Taste of Retreat" scheduled for August 24-25 at the Hyatt House, Dulles, Sterling, VA. This mini retreat is modeled after our popular Winter Retreat every January in Winchester, VA. The cost is only $100 for this two-day retreat and you can stay overnight with hotel rooms that begin at $99. Overnight parking is $10, but there are no parking fees for daily attendance. Attendees are responsible for their own meals and drinks.  

Contact information for Neighborhood Groups.

Current meeting locations and agendas for Neighborhood Group Meetings may be found here (email contact information above if no group is listed). ASG members have access to GroupWorks where additional details may be found.

Interesting People Wear Hats

January 15 marks National Hat Day so pull out your books, patterns, and supplies! 

Or, just pop on a baseball cap, the overwhelming choice of hat wearers in the US. Baseball caps have evolved to become a staple in fashion and pop culture. They are often considered an off-duty essential and can be paired with anything from a knitted sweater to a blazer or even a bomber jacket. Baseball caps are also popular because of their customizability and convenience. Baseball caps are widely available and come in a variety of styles, colors, and teams. For ideas on how to incorporate baseball caps with your look, just search the internet----there are tons of photos of people wearing baseball caps with anything you can imagine! 

 You can make hats out of anything, but fabric is one of the easiest to sew. Making hats of felt or straw requires specialty supplies, training, and more expertise. 

 I have a hat that was purchased from Hecht, a department store chain that operated along the East Coast. The hatbox features the Washington DC skyline, and the hat is stamped inside with "Glenover Henry Pollak." I learned, however, that Henry Pollak is not a hat designer!

The word "millinery" comes from Milan, Italy, where importers and sellers known as "mileners" or "milaners" sold trimmings and other accessories, including bonnets, hats, and caps. In 1897, the original Henry Pollak left Italy with his brother to seek their fortune and opportunity in Japan—which had been closed to outsiders for centuries. They became successful exporting straw braid to the headwear community in Europe and in America. In 1917, Henry and his wife, Eva, moved to New York and started importing hat bodies and braids from around the world. Henry Pollak's company was incorporated in New York in 1917. 

Domestic manufacturers of hat bodies required country of origin stamps inside of the crown of the hat bodies in the middle of the 20th century and hat bodies came from all over the world. That is why so many wool and fur felt hats are marked with the “Henry Pollak” stamp. Henry Pollak Inc sold the raw hat bodies to the milliners—but the company was never a designer or producer of the finished hats. Many hat designers (Halston, Adolfo, Frank Olive, Lily Dache, etc.) used these hat bodies. It is ironic that the name that survived in the hats is the name “Henry Pollak,” who did not design hats at all!

Sewists may be most familiar with Patricia Underwood, who partnered with Vogue Patterns for a series of hat patterns. Patricia Underwood got her start as a hat designer when she took a night course in hat making at the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

In an interview on why she became a hat designer, she said, “I was thinking, ‘What is the most important thing about a woman? It’s her brain. And what is the most important piece of apparel closest to the brain but a hat?’” For Underwood, hats are much more than adornments; they uplift and dignify women in all their complexity. 

Wearing a hat requires confidence. "Because people will look at you when you are wearing a hat--not necessarily in an overt way, but they will notice--and you have to have the confidence for that."

So, on National Hat Day, be bold!

If you want advice on how to wear a hat, watch this YouTube video where the National Arts Club interviews Patricia Underwood. 

If you'd like more information on sewing hats or would like to share your experiences on hats, leave a comment below!

Contest Ideas for Neighborhood Groups

Content credentials

Generated with AI ∙ November 9, 2023 at 12:18 PM

One of the ways to engage sewing groups is to create a challenge! Sewing challenges spur risk-taking because it's a low-risk exercise with the potential for a fantastic payoff! After all, these are learning opportunities. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Use the same pattern selected by the challenger to create a project. Marvel at the different variations sewists can create! An alternative to this is to use the same fabric. 
• Everyone writes down a project (aka UFO) that is lingering in their time-out bin or stash. A deadline is agreed upon and everyone reports the status at the end of the challenge period. This written commitment provides accountability that can move a project forward.
• Issue a "zero-waste" challenge and review the final projects
• Upcycle or alter a garment you never wear but don't want to discard. Make it better, however you define "better."
• Quilters must use a garment technique and garment sewists must use a quilting technique in a challenge.
• Propose a technique challenge. Sewing books that demonstrate couture techniques, sashiko, quilting, and embroidery lend themselves well to this challenge. Sewists may also find inspiration from YouTube videos, Instagram, and blog posts. 
• Identify the oldest pattern, notion, or fabric in your stash and make something with it.
• White Elephant Challenge: Everyone brings a predetermined amount of fabric in a bag and bags are exchanged. (No peeking!) This could extend to trims, buttons, notions---the possibilities are endless!
• Identify a "Christmas in August" recipient (could be an individual or a facility). Everyone is challenged to create a sewing donation for the recipient. This could be hats, adult bibs, walker/wheelchair totes, scarves, etc.

What ideas have you used for sewing challenges? What was your favorite challenge?

It's Just Fabric; We Can Out-Think It

 

It's just fabric; we can out-think it.

It seems that you are quoting a phrase from a sewing discussion topic on PatternReview.com. The phrase was used by a user named BriarRose, who was commenting on a thread about Carol Burnett's outfit on a TV special. The user was expressing their admiration for the fabric design and their confidence in their sewing skills.

The phrase could also be interpreted as a metaphor for creativity and problem-solving. It implies that fabric is not a fixed or rigid material, but rather something that can be manipulated and transformed by human ingenuity. It also suggests that there are no limits to what one can achieve with fabric, as long as one has the right mindset and attitude.

There are other contexts where the phrase could be relevant, such as physics, fashion, or philosophy. For example, some physicists have argued that spacetime is not really a fabric, but rather an illusion or an emergent phenomenon. Some fashion experts have criticized the sustainability of fast fashion and the use of synthetic fabrics. Some philosophers have explored the nature of reality and the role of human perception in shaping it.

In any case, the phrase is an interesting and provocative one, and it could inspire many different kinds of creative works. For example, one could write a poem, a story, a song, or a code using the phrase as a theme or a prompt. Here is an example of a poem that I wrote using the phrase:

It's Just Fabric; We Can Out-Think It

It's just fabric; we can out-think it 
We can cut it, sew it, dye it, knit it 
We can make it into anything we want 
A dress, a coat, a hat, a flaunt

It's just fabric; we can out-think it 
We can stretch it, bend it, fold it, twist it 
We can shape it into any form we need 
A tent, a sail, a flag, a creed

It's just fabric; we can out-think it 
We can weave it, quilt it, patch it, stitch it 
We can mend it into something new and strong 
A bond, a bridge, a story, a song

It's just fabric; we can out-think it 
We can dream it, design it, create it, invent it 
We can make it into something that reflects our soul 
A vision, a passion, a purpose, a goal

This entire article and accompanying graphic image were generated by an AI prompt on the phrase "It's just fabric; we can out-think it."

A Quilt Can Wrap Someone in Love - Quilt Donations for Maui

Thoughts and prayers can hold someone up spiritually, but a quilt can wrap them in love.

Wrap the World with Quilts, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sending quilts and sewing machines where they're most needed.

Their mission statement says it all:

Through the gift of a handmade quilt, we provide comfort and love, warmth and human connection to those suffering around the world.

Wrap the World with Quilts has been sending quilts to Ukraine but have recently added Maui as an option. Use the drop-down location option, "Wherever Needed Most," to route your donation to Maui. The "Aloha Quilts Donation Drive" began with Marilyn at the Maui Quilt Shop. If you'd like to register quilts as a group, just include a note in the box with a name and email and specify they should go to Maui.

Marilyn says, "Your donated quilts will be distributed wisely to those affected by this horrible fire. These quilts will give them comfort and help them heal as they try to overcome this tragedy. Thank you for caring about Maui! With Love and Aloha."

For shipping, Wrap the World with Quilts has partnered with GiveBackBox and UPS for an inexpensive shipping option that will go directly to the receiving organization. Donations may also be sent directly to the Maui Quilt Shop at 18 Central Ave, Wailuku, HI 96793

Go to THIS LINK to add the label to your cart. The address will be preprinted and, after you pay the $20 flate rate fee, the label will be emailed to you. Simply print it out to place on your package. The label will cover the costs for any size box up to 50 lbs.

Just drop it off at any UPS store.

Woodbridge Sewcial Club July Meeting: "THRIFTING 101"

 

If you are new to upcycling or if you've never thrifted before, this meeting is for you! 

The Woodbridge Sewcial Club (WSB) will first meet at the Goodwill Thrift Store located at 9769 Liberia Ave, Manassas, VA 20110 at 10:30am on Saturday, July 8th. 

We will tour the store as I explain:

• The various sections of the store;
• The method I use for thrifting and what to look for; and
• Tips and tricks for finding the perfect thrifted item

Ideally, my hope is that everyone will find (and purchase!) that one perfect item on this trip!

We will stay at the thrift store for as long as we like, purchase any items we just cannot leave behind 😍, then head over to the Central Library at 8601 Mathis Ave, Manassas, VA, afterward to show off our thrifted finds and the next steps in turning this item into a new upcycled creation!

THRIFTING 101:

The Thrifting 101 series will continue over the next several meetings, and will include education and presentations on:

• How to clean or pre-wash your item (and any future thrifted items once you're hooked on upcycling---which I think you will be!) 💞
• How to envision what your item will become in its new life, considering its fabric content, any directional prints or nap, etc., and how to pick a pattern that suits your vision;
• How to deconstruct your item;
• How to lay out your pattern to maximize the "yardage" and/or deconstructed pieces you have to work with; and
• Maybe some open sew sessions for us to upcycle together!

If you haven't RSVP'd for the meeting, please message me asap at asgwoodbridge@yahoo.com. I'm only asking for rsvp's so that I know:

1. Who is coming and delay the start of the tour, if needed, if anyone is running late, and

2. Have enough handouts for everyone

I think this field trip will make for a really fun meeting and I hope you can make it!

My hope is that this crash course in upcycling will set us up for a more in-depth upcycle challenge in 2024 AND . . . if completed before the Quilt and Sewing Expo in Fredericksburg, VA, in September, you can walk the ASG Fashion Show in your upcycled garment!

Pressing Matters

In one of the FB sewing groups, a poster asked if it would be okay to provide feedback on makes. Specifically, the poster wanted to know if it would it be okay to suggest that pressing the garment before posting would improve the appearance of the garment.

That ignited a hailstorm of responses across the spectrum from a horrified "Never!" to "They're adults, not five-year old children." A few Home Economics-trained sewists, a handful of degreed Textile specialists, and sewists in their sixth and seventh decades provided reasoned advice for pressing as one sews, even acknowledging that sewing only makes up about 30% of constructing a garment. The bulk of sewing is actually in preparation.  

As one sewist stated, pressing elevates your garment from "Look! I made this" to "You can't tell I made this." [And which camp do we want to be in?]

If you're interested in understanding more about the importance of pressing in sewing, check out Bernadette Banner's YouTube video discussion with tailor Barbara Pesendorfer of Royal Black: 

Ann Steeves wrote a blog post on Gorgeous Fabrics website about the importance of pressing and ends the article with a quote from Roberta "Bobbie" Carr: Pressing IS sewing.  She reinforces pressing as you sew and discusses using brown paper sacks as stand-in press cloths.

 

You can view videos and articles on pressing on the Threads Magazine site. Here is the link to an article on press cloths. 

I wouldn’t go out in the hot sun without sunscreen, and I wouldn’t put a hot iron on fabric’s face without a press cloth.

So, fire up your iron, pull out all your assorted press cloths from heavy-duty cotton to silk organza, repurpose your kitchen cutting board if you have to, and ask for a sleeve board for your birthday!

Threads of Sustainability

Microsoft is featuring a series on sustainability in clothing, textiles, and fibers. 

Cast-offs to Cutting Edge explores curated collections of unwanted clothing and deadstock. Details about this initiative can be found here in Circulate. 

Made in Bangladesh describes the journey of two unrelated women who seek to use their sewing and technology talents. Shimmy seeks to train those who are at risk of losing their jobs due to technology advances. This is called upskilling. 

Ever wake up, open your closet, and have absolutely nothing to wear? How about a digital stylist to give you a virtual kick in the pants to combine elements in your closet in unique and playful ways? It's also a way for designers to consider styles, textures, and colors that appeal to consumers. 

In this story of the Augmented Atelier, four London-based designers reimagine how they can design clothes more sustainably. There are some lovely designs here! 

Would you use any of these services? 

How would you support efforts to help people express themselves through their clothing?

Kingstowne Clothiers December Meeting TIme Changed (This Month Only)

 Because of difficulty with getting a meeting reservation at the Pohick Regional Library for December, we had to shift our meeting time to 8am (yes, I know this is early!). We will still hold a hybrid meeting for those unable to attend in person, and I know a lot of people will already be traveling and unable to attend in person anyway.

Our goals for this meeting are to:

1. Show off our fall projects. Hopefully you were able to make coats, jackets, shackets, outerwear, OR practiced some of the elements that we have presented over the past few months (e.g., a personal primer of welt pockets or bound buttonholes, interfacing experiments, or tailoring techniques, such as pad stitching or catch-stitching). 
2. Develop a sewing program for 2023. Not only do we need to know what our members would like to learn in 2023, we also need to know what our members know that they are willing to share with others (because to TEACH is to LEARN TWICE). Also, everyone has a sewing skill that that can be shared or learned, no matter how novice or experienced. 

This format works beautifully for both in-person and virtual attendance! Please take photos of your lovely garments and put them into some sort of presentation software such as PowerPoint so we can better appreciate the details of your projects AND so we can upload to web site and our social media channels. This can help with another technique---learning to use virtual technology better (e.g., Share Screen). 

Please take some time in the next week or two to review your personal sewing resolutions for 2023 so we can have a fantastic discussion on Saturday, December 19, 2022, from 8:00am to 10:30am, whether you attend in person at Pohick or dial in via Zoom!

Charity Sew for Dress A Girl Around the World on Saturday, July 23

 

Spring Fling Kentucky Derby Style!

It is time to celebrate, ASG Northern Virginia and it's a Kentucky Derby-style celebration! 

Spring Fling is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, from 9:45 am to 2:00 pm, at the Springfield Country Club at 8301 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA, Springfield VA 22152, featuring:

• Seated Breakfast 
• Parade of Projects 
• Derby Hat Contest and 
• A Featured Speaker 

Attached is your flyer and registration form for this year's Spring Fling. Cost is $45 per person after April 8th, and the deadline is April 18th. If you want to pay online, go to GroupWorks.

It's time to plan that party dress and make your Derby hat! 

We are pleased to announce our featured speaker, Mari de Jesus. Mari has her own YouTube channel and is a YouTube sewing influencer with 3.3K subscribers! Also, she is the creator/owner of Inspired Leather, a company that specializes in fine leather goods. 

Mari will offer an insider’s look into starting and sustaining a YouTube channel and what to expect after you begin. Additionally, she will share her favorite charity, Dress a Girl, and inspire us to participate. 

Start your Derby Hat Today! Watch Adrienne's video and make it from scratch---or not! Use a purchased hat and embellish! Wild and crazy are our watch words!

You still have time to order your hat-making supplies! Check out this tutorial for using supplies from local stores! 

Knitting or Quilting the Intervals

There are a lot of interesting projects on the innerwebs for documenting intervals, whether it's changes in temperature to waiting on mass transit. No matter which data you'd like to collect and record, the sewing and needle arts seem uniquely positioned to capture and beautifully display this information!

In quilting, it's fairly easy to create a temperature quilt. You simply assign a number or range of numbers to a particular color. If you do this for a year, you'll have 365 blocks, so draft your measurements accordingly! Darcy has an example of her temperature quilt here: Temperature Quilt Rachel discusses her temperature quilt here: The Life of Riley: Temperature Quilt: The Details (rachel-thelifeofriley.blogspot.com) and check out this collection on Pinterest! 

On this quilt, the triangles represent the highs and lows for each day, creating a different effect. The Quilt Show featured an exhibit of quilts devoted to climate change. 

If you're into knitting, there are many examples of capturing temperature changes. How about one that uses the time spent waiting for the train? This woman in Europe documented the number of minutes her train was delayed.

     

If you're interested in reading peer-reviewed literature, check out this article on using quilting terms to align data using art and science! 

If you'd rather read about the data BEHIND a quilt, check out this link!

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is sponsoring a sold-out virtual knitting workshop with Amy Wike, an artist who knits Morse Code, another version of intervals. 

Kingstowne Clothiers Neighborhood Group Monthly Meeting Plan

The Kingstowne Clothiers Neighborhood Group established the meeting plan for the upcoming year.

o Where there are blanks, there are opportunities for members to step up and present! If you don’t have experience or knowledge on the meeting topic, feel free to suggest another that you COULD present! If there’s a question mark beside a presenter/facilitator, that means you have volunteered in the past to lead a discussion on this topic and we need feedback on whether you can present.

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Spring fabric discussion - All natural fabrics translate to all season styles

PLUS discussion on our Annual Challenge! Use fabric from your stash, a pattern from your pile, a tool you have not used before, a technique you have not tried. Document your journey and be prepared to present in December for our Annual Challenge.

Fourth Saturday Event

Zoom: Measurements Workshop

CAB

Saturday, March 19, 2022

#MeMadeMay and #MakeNineChallenge– Wardrobe planning and capsule wardrobe discussion/presentation

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Fourth Saturday Event

Zoom: Let's Make a Hat for the Derby!

CAB

 

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Fabric Manipulation using tools from Muppin
Mary Parker

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Spring Fling

Springfield Country Club

Presenter: Mari of Mari Sews 

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Aprons, Vintage and Modern + Vote on ASG Video for Sewalong

Teressa Getz?

Saturday, June 18, 2022

ASG Video: Kingstowne Clothiers Sewalong with a sewing video from the ASG site!

June 30 – July 3, 2022

ASG Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Bias tape + making the inside of your garment as pretty as the outside!
Rachel Weir?

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Sewing Machine Presser Feet

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Tailoring Techniques

Linda Matt

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Bound Buttonholes

Linda Matt

Date TBD

Annual Meeting and Elections

CAB

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Bagging a Lining with Sleeves

Annette Young

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Annual Challenge - Members present their personal sewing challenges! Prepare to be amazed!

Right now, we plan to meet at the Pohick Regional Public Library as the Franconia Governmental Center has not reopened to the public. Hybrid meetings are available for those who desire to attend virtually. 

The CAB is considering an opportunity for a mini summer retreat. Interested?

o The Kingstowne Clothiers owe articles to the quarterly newsletter. Have a book or pattern review? A sewing project you completed? Lessons learned? Anything sewing related? Write it up and send it to me; I’ll make sure it gets into the newsletter! For example, I recently read the book, “Black Designers in America,” edited by Elizabeth Way, and available from the Fairfax County Public Library. If you’re a fashion historian, then this book will be a delight as you learn new facts about Black Designers from early American history through the current period. Fairfax County Public Library As we come up on Black History Month, here is another link: 31 Influential Black Fashion Designers You Should Know | Complex (Dapper Dan and Ann Lowe are included in the book, too).

2022 Virtual Sewing & Stitchery Expo: Tickets on Sale Now! Shop. Learn. Experience. – March 2-6, 2022 (sewexpo.com)

Did You Know Thread Has an Expiration Date?

You buy a box of thread spools at an estate sale or garage sale or you are gifted a tin of these from a family member or friend. How do you know if you should sew with this thread? Well, if this thread is several decades old and the spool is wooden, it's probably past its prime. For sewists several generations ago, cotton thread was more utilitarian and probably not stored under ideal conditions. The easiest way to determine if you should sew with this thread is to pull a long section and apply steady traction on the thread ends. If it slowly gives way or disintegrates before snapping, it's not good to sew with. However, if it snaps, then it's probably ok. All thread will snap at some point, given enough tension. Dr. Bob of Superior Threads demonstrates this technique. [There are many more videos on Thread Therapy here.]

   

 It can be distressing to look at all these spools. So, what can you do with them if you can't use them on your machine or in your garments or quilts? 

Deborah Moebes wrote a blog about expired thread and solicited possible uses from her readers. Some of the ideas are pretty ingenious. 

They include: 

• Knitting or crocheting (also known as "micro crochet" or "micro knitting"). Althea Crome is a master miniature knitter. 
  
• Bumble Bee 
  
• 100 Micro Crochet Motifs
• You could remove all the thread from the spools and use it as stuffing in pet beds and other projects requiring stuffing.
• Use in fiber art projects, such as felting or embellishing. 
• Since the thread won't be subjected to tension or possible seam failure, you could use the threads in embroidery decorations at hems, cuffs, and collars.
• Remove the thread from the spools and stuff into jars and vases as colorful decorations. Or if the jar or vase is large enough, just drop the thread spools in.
• Remove the thread from the spools and use a dissolvable stabilizer like Solvy to make a beautiful scarf. 
  
  

What if the thread is long gone and you can't bear to throw out old wooden spools?

There are plenty of projects online to use these and this list is only a small selection of fun ideas!

• How about a cute bracelet? I would totally do this!

• What about vintage spool drawer pulls? 
• Use stamps on your wooden spools (with or without thread) to create beautiful art.
• How about a sewing wreath to hang year-round?

Finally, if you want to know the value of your wooden spools, you can read all about it here:

Antique wooden thread spools 

*Create DIY Textile Arts Festival by Mancuso - June 10-12, 2021

 *Create DIY Textile Arts Festival by Mancuso, June 10-12

The virtual Quiltfest shows that have been presented by Mancuso Show Management have been really solid and impressive. Now they are selling tickets for an online textile arts festival, one in a series they started in January. The latest version of Create DIY will run from June 10-12. All the lectures and workshops will be Zoomed and the classes include not just quilting but also dyeing, crochet, paper collage, etc. 

Meg Cox wants to especially give a shout out for Liza Lucy's workshops, especially one on English Paper Piecing (EPP). This is for beginners and because she learned from her, she knows how passionate Liz Lucy is about EPP and that she's a terrific teacher. The workshop comes with a kit which is complete and thoughtful. She is doing two other classes as well you might enjoy. Go here for more info and to register for Create DIY in June.

What Are Your New Year's Sewing Resolutions?

 

What are your New Year sewing resolutions?

Common sewing resolutions include, but are not limited to:

• Altering and adjusting patterns for a personalized fit
• Learning tailoring techniques
• Practicing couture finishes
• Optimizing sewing time  
• Experimenting with various specialty stitches and presser feet 
• Using sewing tools such as hams, irons, and notions more effectively
• Sewing down a stash
• Creating a sewing plan

The Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Sewing Guild reached out to its members for ideas on what they'd like to learn in 2021.  Members of our various Neighborhood Groups voted on broad categories, including;

• Quilting and Ruler Work
• Accessories and Crafts (includes bags, purses, and aprons)
• Machine Embroidery
• Sergers
• Cutting Machines, such as Cricut
• Upcycling
• Home Décor
• Art Quilts
• Cosplay

Because we also do charity sewing, we discussed sewing projects that would  benefit our communities. Such sewing activities include creating fidget blankets, dignity scarves, wheelchair or walker caddies, and holiday-themed placemats and napkins for Meals on Wheels.

One of the strengths of Neighborhood Groups is the availability of hands-on expertise or access to subject matter experts to solve sewing problems, whether it's a fitting issue, an opinion, or a recommendation. Membership in the Guild builds relationships and connections to others with similar interests. Our Neighborhood Groups use Zoom to create virtual meetings where members present tutorials on select topics and share their sewing knowledge, so wasted time and driving are minimized. We do hope, at some point, to be able to meet again in person, and one of our Neighborhood Groups is doing hybrid meetings to meet the needs of its members.

If taking your sewing to the next level is one of your New Year's resolutions, consider attending one or two meetings. Or maybe your New Year's resolution is to meet new people safely----we're here for you!

What are your New Year sewing resolutions?

We'd love to hear what your sewing plans are for 2021!

Please comment below!