Set Time Aside for DAR Symposium on "Making - Meaning - Memory: Sewn in America"

 If you love the history and details behind garments or sewing of any kind, the upcoming symposium at the DAR Museum may hit all your interests! This event promises to dig deep into the rich tapestry of textile history, showcasing intricate techniques and the evolution of fashion. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore rare and exquisite pieces from the museum's collection, participate in hands-on workshops, and engage with experts in the field. Whether you're a seasoned sewist, or simply someone with a passion for the craft, this symposium offers a unique chance to deepen your knowledge and appreciation for the art of sewing. 

Link to Registration and Tickets.

The DAR Museum has a number of programs for the crafter, including creating fabric flowers, finishing UFOs, and a special Halloween event. 

The current exhibit will be available until December 31, 2024.

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. 

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.