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

 

Contest Ideas for Neighborhood Groups

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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?

Who Knew There Was So Much to Learn about Buttons!

Who hasn't had a family member with a jar full of buttons? Some of them are practical, just plain white shirt buttons, but some might be fabulous masterpieces featuring enamel, rhinestones, and specialty materials. The Martha Washington Button Club is a great resource for those interested in learning more about these special buttons and the history and beauty of these miniature pieces of art. 

While buttons are utilitarian objects of our everyday life, they can also be valuable historical objects. You can learn more about the unique qualities of the buttons in your collection and develop a deeper appreciation for the buttons you see in the wild!

The Martha Washington Button Club meets in Fairfax, VA on second Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You can learn more about their upcoming meetings and details of the meeting location by visiting their website or checking out their Facebook page. They're also on Meetup. 

March Roundup, Make 9 Progress, Spring Fling, and More Sewing Randomness

I have promised to blog my sewing adventures to help cheer you along in your sewing journey.  First off, I know everyone says this, but, can you believe it is April? We have already blown through the first quarter of the year.  Jeez, I guess I better actually start thinking about starting my resolutions!

Spring Fling

The Spring Fling is a couple of weeks away and we are planning a fun one!  Have you sent in your reservation yet? Michele Parker is emceeing the event.  Austin McDonald from Fabric Place Basement is giving a speech titled “Some Assembly Required”.  A little birdie told me that Austin will also be bringing a couple gifts from the store as door prizes.

I will be filling you in on all of our plans for 5th Saturday events, and the 2019 challenge “Jacket Attack”. We will have our Spring Fling fashion show. Come ready to share your latest make! We will also have a table for a fabric swap, so bring in that piece of fabric in you stash that makes you ask yourself “Why did I buy this?”.

Make 9 Progress

I have now completed one garment in my make 9 fabric and am well on my way with the second fabric.  Fabric number two will be my Easter dress! It is a beautiful African Print wax fabric that I bought at G Street in my Spring fabric buying spree.  I am making the Cashmerette Upton dress. I have run into some problems with the bodice. The same problems I always have. I have a petite frame, with a big bust.  So I end up having to size up the bust, but size down the back and shoulders. In a sleeveless dress I also have to raise the armscye. I have had some issues, but I am getting there!

5th Saturdays

If you missed the 5th Saturday in March where Adrienne Bennett demonstrated embroidered buttons, you missed a fun time!  It was so surprising how truly unique and beautiful buttons can be constructed so quickly, and with not a lot of work. If you are not into hand embroidery, Adrienne also showed us some ideas for using an embroidery machine and flower foot on a regular sewing machine.

I hope that you can join us on June 29 for the Classmate Pouch Sew-a-long.  The class will be held at the Centreville Regional Library. Be on the lookout for a flyer coming to your inbox soon!

I am sure you have heard, but make sure you keep your calendars open for August 31 for our Quilts of Valor quilting bee.  We plan to have a grill out and lots of snacks to keep you energized as we make a quilt for a Veteran!

Sewing Randomness

The ASG will hold their Annual Conference in Danvers, Massachusetts on August 1-4.  Registration just opened up. Are you planning on attending? Let me know, maybe we can have a NOVA ASG dinner while we are there.

Stitch Sew Shop in Alexandria has moved to a new location at 1219 King Street.  I know Kalle is planning to load up that bigger space with lots of fabric and plenty of room for classes.

I know many of us follow sewing blogs.  Sadly, Vatsla Watkins from Fashion Behind the Seams passed away after having been missing for over a week.  I am not sure of all of the circumstances, but I do know that she has two small children.  My heart just breaks for the whole family. If you could, would you please send your prayers and good energy to her family?

Happy Sewing!

Rachel

Upcoming Sewing Events in NoVA!

 SPRING FLING. Save the date Saturday, April 13.
 This event will be held mid-day at the Springfield Golf and Country Club.  More details will be shared in a flyer soon.   

• FIFTH SATURDAY. Saturday, March 30. Couture Embroidered Buttons.
  Adrienne Bennett will share ideas for making couture embroidered buttons using hand embroidery with a covered button kit. This is a follow-up from the annual meeting last fall.
  Time and Location: 2-4 pm, Montclair Library 5049 Waterway Drive, Dumfries.  More details in the upcoming NOVA ASG newsletter. 

• GROUPWORKS/MYGROVE.
  
  If you are not receiving emails from GroupWorks, it may be because your preferences are set to receive notifications on M, W, F only. Currently, there are programming issues with this setting, so change your preferences to Daily or Weekly. 

Halloween Costume Consulting Service - Sunday, September 9 at the Pohick Regional Public Library

The Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Sewing Guild is partnering with the Fairfax County Public Library for National Sewing Month! 

*** Halloween Costume Consulting Service ***

Have a great idea for a costume but need help sewing it?
Learn basic stitches that take you from concept to reality!

Have a costume but it doesn't fit?
Learn how to lengthen or shorten sleeves, pants, or dresses.

Have a costume, but it needs embellishment to bring it back to life?
Learn how to securely sew on decorations with minimal effort and maximum effect!

The expert sewists of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Sewing Guild are ready to help you have a ghoulishly good time practicing sewing skills to take your costume from an ordinary get-up to sartorial splendor suitable for any Halloween Ball!

BONUS! You'll learn techniques that will last longer than the Halloween candy in your secret stash.

Details: Sunday, September 9, 2018 from 1-5pm at the Pohick Regional Public Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Rd, Burke, VA

What to bring: Your costumes or even regular garments that need hemming, buttons, or repairs! If you have sewing tools or notions, please feel free to bring them and we'll help you learn to use them better.

Sew a Chanel-Style Jacket with the Kingstowne Clothiers

Over the next 6 months, the sewists of the Kingstowne Clothiers will be working on a Chanel-style jacket sew-along beginning in July. Joann's frequently features sales on sewing patterns, so here is an opportunity to mark your calendars for good deals (Simplicity is on sale May 25-28; Butterick is on sale May 30-June 2; and Vogue and McCall's are on sale June 1-4). Alternatively, you may purchase them online (good deals for Club BMV members).

Suggested patterns include:

• Burda 6465
• Simplicity 8604
• Butterick 6382
• Vogue 8804
• Vogue 7975

Additional supplies you will need for this sew-along include:

• Muslin for a test garment
• Buttons
• Curtain rings
• Shank buttons
• Trim
• Thread (silk is preferable)
• Chain (optional)
• General sewing supplies

The sewing calendar and details are listed below. All meetings take place at the Franconia Government Center Community Room, 6121 Franconia Rd, Alexandria, VA. The meeting location is approximately 2 miles from the Franconia-Springfield Metro for those who use mass transit. The Moovit app provides more detailed instructions.

All meetings start at 10:30 am and end at 12:30 pm. Many times, the room is not booked after 12:30 so we may have the option to remain longer to finish up our sewing tasks.

June 16: At this meeting, we will discuss patterns, fabric and lining selection, and any supplies needed. We will compare measurements to the pattern, and make any adjustments to create our muslin. Please bring swatches of your potential fabric and lining to this meeting. Your homework will be to purchase the fabric and lining and any additional sewing supplies.

July 21: The focus will be on fitting the muslin and thread tracing the pattern onto the fashion fabric. At this meetings, sewists should expect to complete the shell tracing. They should also cut out the shell and lining fabric.

August 18: At this meeting, the focus will be on quilting the lining to the shell pieces and quilting the sleeves. Home work will be completing any remaining quilting tasks.

September 15: The focus of this meeting will be on assembling the shell and hand-sewing the lining. Sewists should expect to complete the shell and any remaining hand-sewing at home before the next meeting.

October 20: At this meeting, the focus will be on completing the sleeves. If not accomplished at the meeting, homework will include sewing the sleeves and sewing in the sleeve lining.

November 17: The focus of this meeting will be on making buttons and sewing the bound buttonholes. Sewists should complete the buttons and buttonholes for the coat prior to the December meeting.

December 15: The focus will be on the final details: trim and pockets as well as adding the jacket weights to make it hang nicely! At this meeting, sewists should expect to apply trim, stitch the  pockets into place, and sew in the chain. Anything not completed should be easily finished at home!

January 19: Everybody should be ready to model their Chanel-style jackets for the January meeting and be prepared for runway modeling at the Spring Fling!

References include:
Craftsy Class: The Iconic Tweed Jacket
The Couture Cardigan Jacket: Secrets from a Chanel Collector by Claire Shaeffer
Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer
Couture Sewing: Making Designer Trims by Claire Shaeffer
Creating Couture Embellishment by Ellen W. Miller

Other resources:
Threads magazine (Part 1-3 series)
The Jacket
Tweed and Boucle: The Classic Cardigan Jacket

Is sewing a Chanel-style jacket on your bucket list? What other sew-alongs would you suggest?