And goes out like a lamb

Or at least it feels quiet and peaceful and the temperature is warming up!

April is a new month and the flowers are on their way. I watched Peggy Sagers on her YouTube channel last night and was, as usual, inspired to get sewing for spring. She had a good overview of what the world says we should be wearing this season along with some sage advice on whether or not we need to wear it 🙂

Here’s our calendar for April. Hancock Fabrics will most likely be open for most of the month. We’ll keep you updated.

April 2016 Fashion Sewing Club Dates:
Saturday, April 9, 10:30 at Treadle
Tuesday, April 12, 10:30 at Treadle
Thursday, April 14, 6:30 at First Sewing Bloomington Hancock

Classes:
Treadle Yard Goods: 651-698-9690,www.treadleyardgoods.com
Design And Sew:
Saturday, April 9, 16 and 23, 1:30-3:30

Fit That Matters:
Tuesdays, April 12, 19 and 26, 6:00-8:00

Kids After School Sewing Club:
Tuesdays, April 12, 19, 26 and May 3, 4:00-5:30

Serger Workshop:
Saturdays, April 16 and 23, 10:30-1:00

First Sewing, Bloomington Hancock Fabrics
*Please register in advance with Material Girls on their website or call us at 952-201-3863
Sew Studio:
Tuesdays, April 5, 19 and 26,12:00-3:00
Thursdays, April 7, 14, 21 and 28, 1:00-4:00

Beginning Sewing:
Thursdays, April 7, 21, and 28,6:00-8:00

Beginning Serger:
Thursdays, April 7, 21, and 28,6:00-8:00

Kids After School Sew Club:
Thursdays, April 7,14, 21 and 28, 4:30-6:00

Here are a few photos that have been waiting to be posted. So much creativity out there. Thanks for letting us be part of it!

First project :)
First project 🙂

Repurposing dad's jersey
Repurposing dad’s jersey

Not only did she learn to love sergers but she completed the Disney 5K in her Princess creation!
Not only did she learn to love sergers but she completed the Disney 5K in her Princess creation!

The family that sews together...
The family that sews together…

Some of my mom's old things...
Some of my mom’s old things…
..with all the embroidery silks still in the holder.
..with all the embroidery silks still in the holder.
Why we love our sergers!
Why we love our sergers!
Rub-a-dub-dub, four grand boys in a tub.
Rub-a-dub-dub, four grand boys in a tub.
The last snowstorm and who I spent it with :)
The last snowstorm and who I spent it with 🙂
Using up knit scraps
Using up knit scraps
Snowed in and happy to be
Snowed in and happy to be

Happy Spring Sewing!!

The Younger Set is Sewing!

We’ve been having fun and meeting some wonderful girls and parents in our after school classes in Chanhassen and at Treadle (we’d love to do it at Southtown Hancock too, just haven’t gotten much interest yet…)

There are a few more opportunities before the end of the year-
Chanhassen-Thursday, Dec. 4th, 4:30-6-we’ll be sewing holiday stockings
Southtown Hancock-Friday, Dec. 5th, 4:30-6:30, holiday stockings or bags
-Monday, Dec. 15, 4:30-6, learn to sew or holiday sewing

IMG_3021

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Log Cabin Pillows
Log Cabin Pillows

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Holiday Sewing
Holiday Sewing

Serious Learners
Serious Learners

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.

KwikSew 3764

Linda's inspiration after Katherine Tilton's class-several colors of this knit at Treadle

Kids' Jackets

Children's Jumper

One of a large family of dolls

Beautiful Jacket

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.

McCall's 6169 and Straight Skirt

Modified Vogue #8582 and Silhouette Patterns #2010 Yoga Skirt

Debbie was inspired by the August/September Threads’ blouse variations and an idea in Quick and Easy Sewing With Your Serger.

Zen Shirt with Inserts

Designer Details

Embellishing a cardigan

Short Version of McCall's #6169

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.

Shocking, Laurel, shocking!

Sewing Workshop MIxit Shirt and New Look 6598 Blouse

Boutique Blouse-McCall's #5138

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.

Detail of Debbie's variation on KwikSew 2993 and tee from Sew Stylish Fall 2010

Debbie's Dress Up Blouse Kwik Sew 3620-not shown Silhouette #3400 Yoga Pant

Debbie's double collar variation on Butterick 6085

Wedding Dress #3-KwikSew 3735

Kristin's Sewing Workshop MixIt Tank Detail

Half finished using PaintStiks to highlight fabric weave

Variation on Vogue 8454

Laurel's Indygo Junction One Button Swing Topper

Laurel's shirt after alterations-Burda 8368

Close up of Kathy's Sewing Workshop Urban Tee-trim all seam allowances as much as you can

Cheri's variation on Sewing Workshop MixIt Tee

Trench Coats and Fabric Snobs

As I was listening to my fellow Material Girls at the March Fashion Sewing Club I wondered if we were becoming fabric snobs. Most of the fabric we purchase is from Treadle Yard Goods-but not everyone shops there or even knows of the store. Christopher Straub of from Project Runway fame hadn’t even heard of it, for goodness’ sake!

Anyway, in defense of our exclusivity, or just plain love of so many Treadle fabrics, it takes time to shop and since we mostly find ourselves at Treadle, that just happens to be where we buy our fabric. When we were teaching classes and holding Club at Hancock we also found fabric there.

However, an email from a frustrated Trench Coat Class student was the final nudge I needed to make a special trip to Hancock Fabrics at Southtown. That and the niggling feeling of fabric snobbery and hearing that the store had undergone some rearranging.

So here are my happy finds for trench coat fabric at Hancock. I’m not including prices because I didn’t write them down or even look in some cases. Most of the fabrics are in the upholstery section but the last picture of the solid color fabric is in amongst the regular fabric and is labeled as jacket or outerwear. The colors-a gold/brown, silver/gray and blue/black are especially distinct and appealing (to my eye, anyway). Let me know if you want more specific directions to the location of it.

There’s still room in the Trench class-see the class listings at the top of the site.