We’re busy sewing for Fashion Sewing Club at the Expo. We hope to see many of you Thursday at 9:30 or Saturday at 10:15. Wear your garments so you can model them on the runway. I registered for classes yesterday and some of them were full and the hotel is fully booked so it should be a great Expo.
If you want to see us before then or get a jump on some Christmas sewing, we’ll be at Eagle Creek at 1 pm on Saturday (11/5) for Cute Skirts or serging yoga pants/leggings at Treadle on Tuesday, 11/8 or napkins/scarves at 6 pm. A phone call will get you registered-Eagle Creek-952-233-3774 or Treadle-651-698-9690. Cute Skirts Class
October Fashion Sewing Club pictures are on the website-our first Saturday morning meeting at Treadle was well attended with 10 people and Dress Your Best was a packed house with 22 people! It was a great day and I’m trying to continue the momentum of managing my stash and sewing wardrobe capsules. Wedding was great-loved my dress. New display option-don't we look good?
Well, it’s back to my machines. I’m trying to get into a Project Runway frame of mind-they get their garments done quickly, right? and everything goes perfectly? I can always dream… Dress Your Best event
We need a few more people to make the Dress Your Best event happen on Saturday. If you are on the fence, please get off of it by 8 pm. today, Oct. 12, by calling Treadle Yard Goods (651-698-9690) and registering. Then look in your closet and find a favorite garment or winter fabric that you’d like to build a wardrobe around. Bring it on Saturday with any complementary fabrics in your stash and get started with a productive winter sewing agenda. We’ll talk latest trends, what not to wear, make up and image ideas….
And just in case you missed the Missoni at Target….
It’s at Treadle!! This is only one of them-they arrived after Club yesterday. Must have!! I hope there’s some left on Saturday when we’re back for Fashion Sewing Club and (hopefully) Dress Your Best.
OK, I’m really excited about it and hope many others will be. Two years ago we had a booth at the Expo but this year we get to do our Club presentations-twice-Thursday at 9:30 am (I think I’m going to stay overnight) and Saturday at 10:15. There will be a runway to walk so everyone that brings show and tell should wear it so you can walk the runway too. Come on, you only go around once, right? There will be no Fashion Sewing Club meetings in November at our other locations.
We’ll also have a booth right next to Treadle Yard Goods. We’ll have demos of our favorite techniques/notions/patterns, etc. Some of our garments will be shown by models at the noon runway shows.
Looks like the Expo website is all up and running. There are quite a few garment sewing classes-lots of fit and some serger classes to get you going. Click here to go there.
Club will be free for November because you’ll be paying to get into the Expo and all. Subscription for Sept.-Dec. is on the website for $25. This year the Expo moves out of downtown to the Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park.
Classes will be posted this weekend and maybe even a new look to the website as I’ll have some undivided attention from my web consultant.
Hope to see what you’re sewing next week-
Monday, Sept. 12-Make It Sew, Chanhassen at 1:30 and 6:30 pm
Tuesday, Sept. 13-Treadle Yard Goods, St. Paul at 10:30 and 6:30 pm
Thursday, Sept. 15-Bernina/Hancock/Southtown at 10:30 and 6:30 pm
If you need something fun and inspiring to do this Sunday, the fashion show at Eagle Creek featuring Amy Ordahl and company is at 1 pm and there’s still room. Should be fun to see what she’s creating and the fabrics she uses. Call 952-233-3774 to reserve a spot. It's a Girly Thing
We had 14 Girl Scouts at Hancock/Bernina on Tuesday. They each made an infinity scarf and a wrist pincushion. It’s always inspiring to see small hands working so hard at something new. Because there were so many, I was trying to think of things to entertain them if they finished early (one never knows) and I remembered a button toy from my childhood. Anybody remember a large button on a loop of string and then you spin it and once it gets twisted enough you can gently pull and release and the button spins and the string hums? I experimented with several different strings and yarns. A fun toy to keep in your sewing room for distraction ( who said anything about children-I need a diversion every once in a while! It gets the creative juices flowing 🙂 There are lots of you tube videos showing this toy so I guess I’m not alone. Google “spinning button toys”– evidently the erotic world has a corner on “button toys”. (Now you’re curious aren’t you!)
So this is what the process of wrapping people in duct tape looks like: The first layer The next layer The finished product The tie dye layer looks so nice Barb's finished dress form Fun, fun, fun Second layer and still breathing Laurel in silver Laurel in leopard! Waiting for stuffing
I made it to the Junk Bonanza down at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. My registration for Creative Connection got me in free and a nice person gave me her $2 discount ticket for my friend. We wandered through on Friday morning. Three buildings of old furniture, stuff, jewelry, vintage everything. I find that it feeds my creative spirit. Seeing things that others do, their unique displays and some of the genuine characters who move from junk market to junk market across the US. I wish I would have taken pictures of a few of them.
So here are a few pictures of things that may feed your creative sewing spirit-the first one is of the treasures I picked up-cordial glasses and vintage button/jewelry from the junk market and the owl and headband from Handmade Market downtown. Handmade Market is over at 3 today and the Junk Bonanza is open till 5 today for $8. Today is the last day.
My Treasures *************** **************** ****************
Have I convinced you that wandering/shopping can be part of the creative process?
Lots of things going on here, trying to winnow the things we do and try to do only what we do best. There was some talk of going to the sewing expo in Novi, Michigan. It’s supposed to be the best for fashion sewing. After looking at the vendors and classes, I’ve decided that it looks alot like the Original Sewing and Quilting Expo that will be here in November so I’m going to pass. I’m taking it off of our calendar.
The event I’m really looking forward to is the Creative Connection. It’s September 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. Amy Butler and Mary Jane Butters (do you know who she is? I’d call her the Martha Stewart of the back to the farm movement-she’s got a great mag but, come ‘on, who could possibly do all she does and look that good-my main complaint about Martha-like we all need another perfect woman to emulate!) Where was I? Oh, yes, wonderful creative women will be speaking; there’s a handmade market that I’m guessing will look like something out of a Somerset Studio/Stampington & Co. magazine. The part I am personally excited about is “social media and your business” speakers and panels. There are also classes that look like fun but are mostly handwork as far as I could tell. If you live in the Shakopee area, the Eagle Creek Quilt Shop is taking a bus downtown on Friday and Saturday. Too bad the Sewing and Quilting Expo people can’t see what’s going on and change their focus a bit.
Peggy Sagers (Silhouette Patterns) has a new set of 4 patterns for fall. I’ve ordered them and especially want to try the cape pattern. There are so many in the fashion magazines for fall but they’re not that great for a pear figure. Check out her version. The set of four sale ends today (Wed.).
After a frustrating jacket fitting, I’ve decided to take the plunge and get a dress form. Any advice out there? Uniquely You was recommended as I was searching for answers to my jacket fit problem. Bernina has one. What do you have?
On the subject of fit-check out The Fashion Code. It’s a $30 option for getting your perfect neckline, hemline, sleeve length. You take your measurements and upload them on the website and get your perfect measurements, based on the Golden Proportion, and a pdf file of a 30 page book to explain your best look further. The measurements are taken from the floor and are a bit tricky to do alone. If you’d like we’ll do them before or after Fashion Sewing Club for you.
My sons just spent their last days in my house as single men(!). We had a great family potluck shower at my sister’s and now the weddings are becoming a reality. Decisions need to be made, etc., etc., etc.
July Fashion Sewing Club will reveal a few dresses as options for the mother of the groom but I’ve got to admit that Nordstrom’s is my fall back. Club meetings begin this Thursday at Associated Sewing in Bloomington (10:30 and 6:30) and Saturday at 10:30.
You may want to take in the Eagle Creek Garage Sale in Shakopee on Saturday (9 am-2 pm) after Club. I haven’t been for a few years but I remember some great vintage notions and fabric. Click here to go to the website.
On Tuesday, we’ll be at Treadle Yard Goods (10:30 and 6:30). Their big summer sale goes from July 8-18. Some of their dress silks are on my MOG dress list.
We’ve had a few requests to hold Fashion Sewing Club at The Sampler (551 W. 78th St.) in Chanhassen, so this is our trial month. Wednesday, July 14th we’ll have our meeting at 6:30 pm only, but we will have it no matter what. We’d like to see eight people to continue the meetings into the fall. Email us or call The Sampler (934-5307) to let them know you’ll be there. Bring your friends-first timers are free (at any meeting). The store is starting to carry more fashion fabric so support them if you want great fabric in a west metro location. Pics of some of the fabrics are below.
Remember Kathy’s scarf from last month? Here is a picture of it laid out. It’s a 32″x22″ rectangle and 7″ wide until it goes down to the points. Hopefully we’ll see a few from the serger class at Club meetings this month.
And then there’s the half of an oak tree that fell on my deck last night. No one woke up, no holes in the roof or broken railings-at least as far as we can tell at this point. Someone is coming later this afternoon to get the tree off so we can look more closely. Life is never boring!
One last clean up detail-last month Sarah Tufford told us about a group in the Madison, Wisconsin area. New homes are found for sewing machines that still work, and in the process gives new hope for the future to poor people. They sew for themselves, their families, and to make a little money to live on. Here’s the website: thesewingmachineproject.org. Some of us have been thinking about a trip to Gayfeathers in Madison and a trunkful of donated sewing machines would be a great impetus! Any takers?
Other calendar details (listed on the website)-Join us Tuesday, July 27th for a trip to SR Harris. Imagine the treasures to be had when a bunch of us start looking! We’ll car pool up to Brooklyn Park and have lunch because it will be hard work 😉
If you’re looking for a sewing related getaway, you may want to consider the Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan. What if we got a group going together? Novi is supposed to be THE expo for fashion sewing. Here’s the link to the registration: americansewingexpo.com. The dates are Sept. 24-26.
Well, that’s all for now folks. I better get back to my sewing. The tree is being removed piece by piece (and distracting me just a wee bit). Every once in a while everything shakes as it falls more and more! Glad I slept through it.
Seven Material Girls drove all the way to Chanhassen on March 12 to listen to Christopher Straub, a Shakopee resident, of Project Runway-Season 6 fame. He entertained about 30 of us with an informal question and answer format and had a great drawing for two of his handbag designs. None of the Material Girls won 😦
Christopher is now designing bags of all kinds and will also have a new line of garments to show at MN Fashion Week.
The Sampler will be hosting Valori Wells, a fabric designer for Free Spirit, on May 19th from 5-7 pm. Cost is $30 and they’re promising more great giveaways.
This Thursday, March 25, is our Love Your Serger Class day. The project will be Total Serger Tee Techniques and Tips. A mouthful and two hours full of how to put a tee together with your serger. We’ll bring a pre-cut American Girl Doll size t-shirt for you to work on or you can cut out a tee of your own and bring it to class to sew together. This means an opportunity to use your coverstitch if you’ve never done that before (you know who you are) or if you don’t have coverstitch, we’ll use the rolled hem lettuce edge to finish edges.
The class is held at Associated Sewing in Bloomington, March 25, from 2-4 or 6:30-8:30 and the cost is $15. Click on the class name to register and pay through PayPal or send an email to kristin@materialgirlsewing.com
Here’s a picture from the February class where we made a ruffled pillowcase. Ruffled Serger Pillowcase
Material Girl Sewing 