Many Interesting Presentations in the April Neighborhood Group Meetings--Check It Out Here!

Fairfax Seams Sew Fun
Friday, April 4, 2025, at noon, Ben Glass Law Firm, 3998 Fair Ridge Dr, #250, Fairfax, VA 22033. We'll be in the conference room.
Online Fabric Shopping
Emerica will help us get the most out of our online fabric shopping experiences, including demystifying some of the terms used to describe different types of fabric. Attendees may bring any information that will be helpful for online fabric shopping since Joann has closed.
As always, we will have sew and tell!

Woodbridge Sewcial Group
Saturday, April 12, 2025, 9:00 am-6:00 pm
Fredericksburg Expo Center, 2371 Carl D Silver Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA
Thrift Store Tour and Thrifting 101 
The WSC is doing our Thrift tour day! Join us at the Fredericksburg Expo Center for Thrift World (purchase your own tickets for entry) or join us later in the tour at any of the thrift stores on our schedule!  Send an email to the Woodbridge Sewcial Club Neighborhood Group Leader for the schedule. 

Sterling Sew N Sews
Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10:00 am
Sterling Substation, Loudon County Sheriff’s Dept, 46620 East Frederick Dr., Sterling, VA 
Buying Fabric Online  

Members are encouraged to bring information on where they have purchased fabric online.  We will also discuss local places to buy fabric. The goal is to create a list of sources that can be shared with members.

Springfield Sharing Threads
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 10:00 am
West Springfield Government Center, 6140 Rolling Rd., Springfield, VA
Sewing with Selvedges with Lisa Reidland

There are no rules here, just use creativity to turn trash into treasure! Anyone who has used selvedges in their projects is invited to share their projects and experiences!

Lansdowne Woods
Thursday, April 17, 2025, at noon
Lansdowne Woods, 19375 Magnolia Grove Square, 2nd floor clubroom, Leesburg, VA. 

Tell the guard you are there for the ASG meeting at the clubhouse.
Sewing with Leather

Linda Milburn will provide information on sourcing and sewing on leather with tips and tricks for success! 

Kingstowne Clothiers
Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 10:30 am
City of Fairfax Public Library, 10460 North Street, Conference Room 103, Fairfax, VA
Techniques for Successful Fly Front Zipper Insertion
Have you restricted yourself to sewing only elastic waists because installing a fly front zipper stresses you out? Inserting a fly front zipper can be one of the most challenging technical skills in a sewist’s arsenal. Marjorie will present several variations that will make this less intimidating, help you identify what might go wrong, and how to fit it.

As always, this is a hybrid meeting so you can join us via Zoom. Please comment below or RSVP for Zoom link. 

Alexandria Seamsters
Monday, April 21 at 7:00 pm 
Franconia Governmental Center, 6121 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, VA. 
Sew-in 

Bring your own projects to work on, including hand sewing, machines, problem projects, and UFOs! Take advantage of the collective sewing wisdom to get your projects back on track or make progress on current projects!

Shenandoah Valley Girls
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 10:00 am
Clarke County Memorial VFW Post 9760, Berryville, VA
Sewing For Boulder Crest

Wearable Arts Group
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 1:00 pm
8847 Olde Mill Run, Manassas, VA   

Stella Handbag or Wallet 
Attendees will begin work on the Stella handbag or wallet (sewist's choice).
The pattern is from Cool Cat Creations.

Swagger and Inspiration From Clothing in "The Gentlemen"

If you're a fan of British bespoke tailoring and appreciate exaggeration of traditional English clothing as well as the social class it might represent, you'll definitely want to put "The Gentlemen" on your "Movies to See" list. You'll see clothing styles adopted by wealthy drug-lords, nouveau riche mafia bosses, street gangs, and council estate boys. The ladies? They don't really figure here, except for Michelle Dockery's character, Rosalind Pearson, who exudes her own power and charm from atop Christian Louboutin 5-inch black stilettos while running a women-only auto garage.

In fact, near the beginning of the movie, there is a discussion between Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) and Matthew Berger (Jeremy Strong) where they discuss their suits at a dinner party. “Oh, I like to make a splash whenever possible,” says Matthew Berger. It would be so easy to say that the clothing stands as shorthand for each character, but that is wrong. Rather, the clothing become tribal threads and second skins.

But the real style that is exuded is Colin Farrell and his team of "good lads." Every time they entered a scene, I could not take my eyes off them! Custom suiting, check! Matched plaids, check! Exquisite tailoring, check!

It is over-the-top street style, and in interviews with the costumer, Michael Wilkinson, you see how exaggerating a traditional fabric and design can really create a bold style statement. Wilkinson explained that they used designs based on classic English suiting fabrics, which we enlarged, brightened and printed onto a modern quilted technical fabric.

Incidentally, if you're looking for more costuming by Wilkinson, check out "Seberg," starring Kristin Stewart.

If Colin Farrell and his "Toddlers" have you aching to pull out that bright plaid in your stash, you can check this blog post by McCall's for ideas and links to fancy zippers and rib knit to match or contrast that can add incredible flair to your project!