Category: Photos
Duct Tape Party
So this is what the process of wrapping people in duct tape looks like:
Are you next?
Beginning Sewing
The Material Girls have been busy the past two weeks teaching new sewists what we love to do. We had several girls who learned to sew or furthered their skills during their MEA break.
Our class of beginning adults consisted of a soon to be mother, a friend of mine from church working on her “bucket list” which included sewing and an 85 year old who had memory loss issues and wanted help remembering how to sew. Her 90 year old friend drove her to the class!
We love what we do!!
October Fashion Sewing Club
Thanks to everyone who attended! Another wonderful month of sew inspiring show and tell! I’m going to show you those pictures first. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.
The children’s jumper and doll can also be seen at TaDa Creations on etsy. Amy is cranking out dolls and clothes now that the kids are in school. She was a wealth of information-the quilt store knits (Michael Miller and maybe Moda) shrink. I confirmed that with Tracy at The Sampler. She said 5-6″ per yard. Amy recommended Chez Ami as a source for great kids’ knits. The site has clothing for sale but also sells the fabric used in her garments.
And now for the Material Girls’ garments:
Kristin played around with two versions of a brown ponte roma (at Hancock) skirt, a long vest and was also inspired by Katherine Tilton to make the most of a “design opportunity” while modifying one of Marcy Tilton’s tee patterns.
Debbie was inspired by the August/September Threads’ blouse variations and an idea in Quick and Easy Sewing With Your Serger.
Laurel flashed us with a bit of red-I wish I could have had a video of it. We all agreed she should wear more of the color.
Well, that’s it for October. Bernina is now carrying Swedish Monster paper for tracing patterns. The calendar is full of classes-check them out if you are interested. Let me know if there are glitches in the website as you are my proofreaders 😛
Enjoy the leaves and happy sewing.
September Fashion Sewing Club Photos
It was so good to see all of you again. I think we all missed getting together in August! We started out at The Sampler and had a fun group with a few newbies. The group that came to Hancock/Southtown seemed happy to be around fabric and notions and the Treadle morning group had no chairs to spare! There was so much creative energy we had to turn on the air conditioning.
Show and Tell was wonderful. Maybe the extra month gave everyone more time but I’m hoping we keep seeing all of your good work. There are a few pictures below and you can always send us a photo of your creation and we’ll post it.
A good source for outdoor fabric is Rockywoods-supplex, ripstop, etc. We also have a good place to donate fabric. Bring it to any classes and we’ll get it delivered.
Debbie wanted to show the versatility of the Yoga Pant by Peggy Sagers. They’re perfect for dressing up or down. We’ve changed the class to 2 hours and $20.
Laurel and I were reminded how important a muslin (or toile) can be. I was fooled into thinking I knew how a Marcy Tilton would fit me and Laurel figured Cynthia Guffey’s pattern would be error proof. We’ll both be stocking up on muslin 😛
So here they are with a bit more info than usual. The Club sheets are now included here on the website. Click on Club sheets in the top bar and September 2010 should show-click on that and you’ll find this month’s printout or find it in the far right column under Pages. We still think personally attending Club is the most inspiring and fun but it doesn’t always work into the schedule. This also makes it easy to find information you need when you can’t find your sheets. Is this helpful? Do you like the inclusion of pattern numbers?
The fall colors are coming out and the weather is cooling (but the sun is so beautiful today). Hope you are inspired to make yourself or someone else a warm garment.
Feeding My Sewing Spirit
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.
Have I convinced you that wandering/shopping can be part of the creative process?
The Weddings and the Dresses
My feet feel like they’re back on the ground and I think I could sleep for a whole day but, wow, what a wonderful month of weddings! Meeting new people, dressing up, going new places, watching life change before my very eyes… I am in awe of how full life can be.
So on to the pictures. The Colorado wedding was first so those pictures are first. This is also my youngest son-he proposed first so he got the earlier date. I wore the Vogue 1138 dress out of rayon from last month’s club (scroll down 3 posts to see Wedding Dress #2) to the groom’s dinner in Colorado but still haven’t found anyone that took a picture. The dress for that wedding was from Nordstrom’s and I really liked the neckline.
Then it’s the Milwaukee wedding and the eldest child. Can I still call him child? I double dipped for the groom’s dinner in Milwaukee because the cast of characters was mostly different. The dress for the wedding was KwikSew 3735 which is a copy of a Kay Unger dress that is carried by Nordstrom’s and also a Vogue pattern (but more on that at Fashion Sewing Club in September).
What we’re up to
The first day of kids’ camp went quickly. Here are the pillowcases and their proud creators.
And for those of you that may be interested in the serger class on Thursday, July 22 at 2 pm and again at 6:30-here’s the rough draft of the placemat using the flatlock stitch. Email us to sign up or go to the class listing, $15.
July could be a busy month
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.
Hello from Hangzhou
Alive and very well in China. I have eaten eighteen kinds of dumplings in one meal, climbed the Great Wall and seen more umbrellas (parasols, maybe) in the last five days than in my entire life. And the trip isn’t quite half over.
Wonderful people (my fourteen traveling companions are all wonderful) and beautiful placess to see. But enough words-here are some pictures.
Material Girl Sewing 