Taste of Retreat Coming August 2015!

Save the Date! Friday August 14 -  Sunday August 16 for our Annual Taste of Retreat.

We have a new venue this year!  Our retreat will be hosted at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA.  This facility used to be the corporate training headquarters for the Xerox corporation.  It is now one of the largest conference centers in the nation on a beautiful campus.  http://www.conferencecenter.com

We have an enormous amount of space available to us so we can really be comfortable and can accommodate everyone that would like to attend.

The cost for the weekend is just $50 per attendee.  You can commute or book a room (available for $109 or $129 per night).  See flyer and registration form for more information.

Taste or Retreat 2015 Information

Taste of Retreat 2015 Registration

Karen Gilbert is taking the registrations now.  Registration is due August 7!

Looking forward to seeing you there!!

We "Stepped into Spring"

Spring Fling this year was held on March 21 – the first day of spring.  The room at the Springfield Hilton was brought to life with centerpieces of sparkling spring pumps and flowers on hot pink and lavender tablecloths.  The tables were graced with shoe shaped luggage tag favors that brought surprise and giggles to the attendees.  You won’t lose track of your suitcase with these! 

Before lunch we had time to visit and take photos, meet newer members, enjoy the speaker’s display of Victorian sewing-themed items, and look at the door prizes.  Then we enjoyed an elegant buffet with a selection of meats, cheeses, salads, breads, fruits, and dessert pastries for lunch.  Table conversation at lunch was fun and friendly.  We all had time to reconnect with friends from our own and other neighborhood groups.  

Spring Fling Program 2015

The Alexandria Seamsters invite you to attend Spring Fling on Saturday, March 21, 2015, and enjoy our exciting speaker program - along with lunch, social time with your sewing buddies, and our member’s show-and-tell. (Click here for the registration form.)

Caroline Cutrona Hottenstein is a self-employed artist, accomplished seamstress, and needlewoman. She has extensively collected antique textiles since 1976. Her textile programs provide a fascinating look at clothing and accessories that were stitched, worn, and used by women of another era.
“Stitches in Time – A Woman’s Handiwork,” is a program that relates a legacy of handiwork of past seamstresses. Caroline will present a selection of 19th century needlework tools and fine examples of linens, lace, and clothing from her antique collection that show needlework styles and techniques. She will also talk about the importance of the needle arts in women’s lives.

Oscar de la Renta Exhibit

Now through May 3
His Legendary World of Style
SCAD Museum of Art
Savannah, GA

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Trustee Andre Leon Talley has brought together some of Oscar de la Renta's iconic gowns in this, the first exhibition since de la Renta's death in October 2014. Featured are gowns worn by Laura Bush, Anna Wintour, Taylor Swift, and Sarah Jessica Parker as well as several bridal ensembles. Google "scad oscar de la renta" for more articles and photos.
This exhibit is a must-see if you are traveling south in the next couple of months.

Reporting from the road
Linda Wyman
Shenandoah Valley Girls NG

Turn Grosgrain Ribbon Into a Beautiful Pillow

By Lorine Mason
Sterling Sew n' Sews Neighborhood Group

Have some spare ribbon lying around your house? Here is a fun way to fold, twist and sew it into a pillow. I did this challenge piece for Offray Ribbon. Full tutorial along with step by step diagrams on my site.  http://lorinemason.com/sewing-projects-galore/pleated-ribbon-pillow/

Shenandoah Valley Girls Community Service – Doll Clothes

For the past couple of years members of the Shenandoah Valley Girls Neighborhood Group have been involved in making clothing for the 18” American Girl doll and/or dressing and donating a doll for the auction fundraiser held by the Henry & William Evans Home for Children of Winchester, VA.  All proceeds from the annual event go back to the Home, which provides an alternative environment for children who cannot live with their families and who would not thrive in a foster or adoptive family.

Members of Shenandoah Valley Girls, Sharing Threads and the Couture neighborhood groups contributed dolls and custom outfits to the recent auction held in December. These items raised $1,645 of the $10,000+ total and rated a mention of ASG in the local newspaper. The Evans Home Board sends a heartfelt thank you to all who made and donated the doll clothing.

Special mention goes to Anda Lind who provided a case containing an antique doll and wardrobe that sold for $110 and won 2nd place in her category; to Sheila Bohannon and Michelle Parker, who dressed a Hermione doll from Harry Potter that sold for $120 and won 2nd place in their category; and to Linda Wyman who made a trio of “Frozen” outfits that started a bidding war before selling for $275.

The 2015 auction will be held at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester and will be included in the museum’s fall calendar of everts. This should generate lots of additional publicity and attendees as well as a need for more items to auction.

Our annual doll clothing “sew in” will be held on Wednesday, June 24th at the Clarke County Memorial VFW in Berryville, VA. Please join us for a day of sewing and lunch. We’re collecting your donations for the auction until the first of November, but we would like to have them sooner than that if possible.

If you have any questions please contact Linda Wyman or Nancy Melkerson.

Well—Who Knew! Sewing Machine Maintenance

By Carolyn Harris

Robert Hines of Sun Sew Vac (7770 Richmond Hwy Suite E;  www.sunsewvac.com) presented the Alexandria Seamsters January program at Hancock Fabrics. He gave us “Tips for Sewing Machine Maintenance,” and I was really surprised by a couple of them. I’ve always felt like I do a good job of maintaining my machines, but I fail on these two items, but I won’t any longer!

• Oil your machine after every 2 hours of sewing (1/4 drop at appropriate places).
• Change your needle after every 2 hours of sewing (he finds regular needles work fine). 

The other tips were pretty familiar:

• Use a mini-vacuum attachment set to clean outside of machine and in bobbin area. (DO NOT use compressed air or blow into the machine.)
• Use a surge protector for each machine (don’t confuse with a power strip).
• Use best quality thread you can afford.
• Have professional maintenance every year, at least & maybe more often depending on the amount of sewing done.

Robert is busier now after he was mentioned in a July 2014 Washington Post article on “How to Repair a Vintage Sewing Machine.”