Sewing – Page 56

May 3, 2019

Cancer Caps

The Boston Chapter of ASG shares their passion for sewing by making chemo caps for cancer patients. A true gift of love, these hats provide comfort to patients who have lost their hair after undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Cancer knows no borders, so they are encouraging chapters and other sewing enthusiasts to make cancer caps to donate to organizations or hospitals in their local community. Here they share the pattern they use to help each of you spread your love as well.

Fabric

To make 8 caps, you will need 1- 1/4 yards of knit fabric
The knit fabric you choose will need to stretch width-wise on the hats; however, a 4 -way stretch is not required
If the fabric has a wide selvage edge of a different design or color, it should be cut off

Cut Pattern Pieces

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise so that it is 1-1/4 yards long. For each cap, you will need to cut the following 3 pieces.

Crown: One piece of fabric cut to 6″ x 22″
Band: One piece of fabric cut to 5″ x 22″
Top: One piece of fabric cut in a 7″ circle

You should be able to cut 8 sets from 1-1/4 yards of fabric.

Project Notes

All seams are 1/2″ – it helps to place a piece of tape on the sewing machine bed to mark 1/2″
Straight stitching should be used throughout until the final step of joining the band to the crown when a zig-zag stitch should be used
Since you are using knit fabric, no pressing is needed
When you pin one piece to another at the center seams, put the pin to the left of the seam so it holds the seam open

Assembly Instructions

The best way to assemble these hats is to use the factory production method:

With right sides together, fold the crown in half and stitch the center back seam.
With right sides together, fold the band in half and stitch the center back seam.
With wrong sides together, fold the band in half lengthwise.
With right sides together, pin the top (circle) to the upper edge of the crown and stitch. When you sew the crown to the top, have the top (circle) on the bottom and gently hold the midway points between the pins with your finger.
Turn the cap right side out.
With right sides together and matching seams, sew the band to the crown using a zig-zag stitch with a 2 width and 2 length and keeping a little bit of tension to help with the stretch.

~The Boston Chapter of ASG is sharing this pattern that they use and encourages chapters and other sewing enthusiasts to make cancer caps to share in their local communities.

April 26, 2019

A Creative Journey into the Land of Koos

Koos Coat - Marla Kazell — Marla Kazell / Koos Coat

In 2017 I decided to set a goal of growing my creative skills. I am a process/rows-and-columns kind of thinker by nature so these skills do not come naturally to me. As I set out to look for ways to achieve my goal, I decided to sign up for Marla Kazell’s Koos coat workshop using the ASG member discount. In September, I packed my fabric and sewing kit and set off for Portland where I, along with three other classmates, spent four fantastic days learning, designing, and sewing together.

I used the Clare coat pattern from independent pattern designer, Closet Case. The base fabric for my coat was from my stash, a wool cashmere blend that was an end of bolt 6-yard remnant at the great price of $12.50/yard. The embellishment fabrics came from a variety of places – a local fabric store, Puyallup Sew Expo, a sampler pack bought at a market in Cape Town South Africa, and from one of the ladies in my class.

I went in with lots of preconceived ideas…

It’s a coat. I need to take along lining fabric. No lining?
It’s a coat. I need the right interfacing. No interfacing?
I pre-fit my pattern before going. I should just cut it out to save time. Nope! Need to cut it with estimated (did she really say estimated?) extra seam allowance to allow for shift as the design is applied.
I will need to re-cut the pattern pieces before sewing to true up the cut. Nope! It’s an oversized coat anyway so let’s just go with it.
Let’s follow the pattern instructions. Nope! We had to completely rethink the order of construction to allow for designs to be applied. Some designs crossed over seams, some went into seams. My design dictated the construction order and sometimes it was just plain awkward.

My four-day Koos workshop experience was a real stretch, but it truly opened my mind to all sorts of ideas about how to “break the rules” and still end up with something I could be happy with and would stand the test of time and wear. In fact, I have now been wearing my Koos coat for 2 years and it is my absolute favorite coat of all time.

Fast forward to 2019

I am reading the Inland Empire chapter newsletter and what do I see? Member Lynda Gravesen sharing about her journey into the Land of Koos. Another Koos coat maker! I was so excited that I began searching around for additional ASG members who had also made this journey. To my delight, I found several and have included the pictures they sent me so you can enjoy a little journey into the Land of Koos as well. And if you decide to take the creative Koos plunge, I hope you will send me your pictures. What a fun journey we can share!

~Sheryl Belson

April 19, 2019

Me Made May Challenge

Depending on where you’re from, May brings to mind the smell of spring, the taste of mint juleps while watching the Kentucky Derby, or the colors of Cinco De Mayo. But when you’re a sewing enthusiast, it might remind you of something else: Me Made May!

If you haven’t heard of Me Made May before, it’s a challenge created by Zoe of the So Zo, What Do You Know? blog. She launched the project in 2010 as a challenge to herself to see if she could wear an original article of clothing each day of the month. As it turns out, it was a pretty appealing challenge! When she brought the idea up to her readers, she had 80 challengers sign up to join her. Since then, she’s added hundreds more.

This year’s challenge will actually be the 10th challenge that Zoe has hosted. There were two “Me Made” challenges in 2010: One in March and one in May. Zoe found it challenging to do the challenge in the cold weather, so she tried again when the weather got better.

So, what are the challenge rules?

The beauty of the challenge is that there aren’t any rules. In general, the challenge is meant to help you appreciate your handmade garments and think about the goals you want to achieve when it comes to your sewing. The most common “rule” that challengers follow is to wear a self-made or repurposed garment every day of the month. But if you only have a small collection of clothing you’ve made for yourself, you may instead choose to style one item differently each week or to share one amazing item you’re creating and document your progress. It’s a challenge that works with your skill level or your personal collection of handmade clothing.

While many challenge participants choose to share their progress on social media, it isn’t a requirement.

Those who do wish to share their challenge on Instagram can used the hashtag #MeMadeMay2019. When you add this (or any) hashtag to your post, it is included in a feed of Instagram posts with other creatives taking part in Me Made May.
And while you’re hashtagging your challenge, remember to tag the American Sewing Guild headquarters at asguildhq on Instagram. We’ll be reposting some of your progress all month long!

To officially take part in Me Made May, you can share your pledge on Zoe’s blog. It’s simple, and Zoe gives more ideas on what to do for your challenge.

Now it’s time to brainstorm what YOU will me making this May!

April 12, 2019

Culture and Creativity Collide at Fashion Exhibit in Israel

During a trip to Israel, I visited the National Museum in Jerusalem. The museum was having an exhibition featuring 150 costumes which combined to form a historic display of the vibrant and complex tapestry of Israeli society. The exhibit, titled “Fashion Statements: Decoding Israeli Dress,” opened in June 2018 and will close in April 2019.

The exhibit showed that fashion belongs equally in domains of art as well as consumerism and is a rich source of information about the culture from which it stems. This can be gleaned from the artists’ choice of material, colors and designs. The exhibit sets out on a journey to share the advances in Israeli fashion during the late 19th century and how these works affect Israel’s piece of the global fashion industry today.

The Designers

While all of the pieces in the exhibit represented Israel, the work of each artist was unique to them.

A featured designer, Liora Taragan, creates designs that blur the line between clothing and jewelry. She draws inspiration from history of fashion, Jewish symbolism, and Victorian and Palestinian embroidery. Worked into her pieces, you’ll find feathers, coins, seashells and many other unique materials.

Also featured was Maskit, a legendary Israeli brand that played an important role in integrating traditional crafts into fashion design. It was founded by Ruth Dayan, its first and most prominent designer, in 1954. She launched the brand to create job opportunities for immigrants who were experts in a variety of handicrafts. It connected experienced designers with traditional embroiderers, weavers and silversmiths who collaborated on producing attractive modern items. Dayan also hoped Maskit would ensure preservation of the international crafts.

One of the collections was called the Keffiyeh Collection after the checkered black and white scarf that is worn around the neck or head in Palestine. The designer, Roju Ben-Josep, featured dresses made of red, white, and black keffiyeh fabrics incorporating Bedouin (a group of nomadic Arab people) embroidery and Hebron (a Palestinian city on the West Bank) glass decorations. Her collection symbolized hope for peaceful coexistence between the cities that inspired her work.

The clothing plays off of the traditions and atmosphere of Israel. Tali Kushnir found her inspiration in the work clothes of British and Jewish workers in Palestine at the beginning of the century. The tents of the Bedouin and the colors of the Negev (a southern region of Israel) were the sources of inspiration for an iconic coat she created, featuring a large flowing shape made with handwoven wools and knitted coils.

These designers were able to find inspiration all around them and feel a deep need to preserve their culture, as well as its artists. Whether pulling from their religion or the local materials available to them, the designers featured in Fashion Statements were able to come together to present a united view of what fashion means in Israel. It was wonderful to get a glimpse of the country and its history through fashion.

~ Kendra Mochel, past president of the Princeton Chapter, also served as VP

April 12, 2019

Finding ASG on Social Media

To regularly see our social media posts on your feed, which is your customized daily news list, you can follow us on social media. If you would prefer not to set up social media accounts or choose not to follow us, our accounts are public and you can still view our social media Facebook or Instagram pages without logging in just by clicking the links.

To follow us on Facebook:

Log in to Facebook and go to our Facebook. If the link doesn’t work for you, just search inside Facebook for American Sewing Guild – Headquarters.
Once you’re on our page, click on the “LIKE” button to follow us and see our posts in your personal feed.
Need help navigating around Facebook? Check out this Youtube video tutorial.

To follow us on Instagram:

Log in to Instagram and go to our Instagram. If the link doesn’t work for you, search inside Instagram for asguildhq.
Once you see us, just click on the “FOLLOW” button to see us in your feed.
You can also follow any post flagged with our hashtag by searching for #americansewingguild and clicking the “FOLLOW” button. Many chapters with Instagram accounts use this hashtag so, if you follow it, any post using this hashtag will also appear in your feed.
Need help navigating around Instagram? Check out this Youtube video tutorial.

Not on social media yet?

If you don’t have Facebook or Instagram accounts, it’s simple to set them up. Here are a few tips.

Facebook

Desktop/Laptop: If you’re using a desktop or laptop computer, go to https://www.facebook.com/ and use the Sign Up function. You will need to enter a first and last name, mobile phone number or email and set a password. You will also need to enter a birth date and check the appropriate Female/Male box. Click the Sign Up button and you’ll be ready to go.
Mobile Device: To use Facebook on your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app. Go to the app store on your device and search for Facebook to download the app. If you have already set up your account, all you will need to do is log in to use the app. If you have not yet set up an account, follow the same directions noted above within the app.
Need some help? Facebook provides easy-to-follow tips for setting up your account.

Instagram

Desktop/Laptop: If you’re using a desktop or laptop computer, go to https://www.instagram.com/and either log in with your Facebook account (Facebook owns Instagram) use the Sign Up function. If you need to sign up, you will need to enter a first and last name, mobile phone number or email and set a password.
Mobile Device: To use Instagram on your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app. Go to the app store and search for Instagram to find and download the app. If you have already set up your account, all you will need to do is log in to use the app. If you have not yet set up an account or don’t have a Facebook account to use to log in, follow the same directions noted above within the app.
You can only post to Instagram from a tablet or smartphone, but you can browse other users’ photos on your computer as well.
Need some help? Instagram provides tips for setup.

Social media participation is a personal choice. There is no one-size-fits-all decision. But since we have begun using it to share news with current members and attract potential new members, we want to help anyone who has the interest take that step. We hope these tips help any of you who would like to make the choice to follow ASG on social media.

~ Sheryl Belson