ASG Convention

I am home and what a wonderful time I had. My brain is spinning with all the new information it has absorbed in the last few days. Lack of sleep might play a role in the spinning also. Anne St. Clair (Needle Nook Fabric) was my roommate and we had an adjoining room with the rest of her group. Needless to say, we chatted late into the night but it was so worth it, I can catch up on my sleep this week!


Lindsay T is so correct her in post. The instructors were trying to have us rethink our sewing, what has been drilled in our heads for years. Try new techniques, work on fitting, pressing is so important. I new that part, but some of the wonderful pressing notions I didn't have. I do now.


Some of the highlights:

• Meeting Lindsay, Robyn, Teri, Emily, Johanna, Judy, Monica, Deila, Jennifer and Grace, to name a few.
• Taking a workshop with Mary Rayand finally mastering the Hong Kong finish. Doing a technique is always an easier way for me to learn. This was a hands-on class and I left with a bag of samples. Mary's garments are so beautiful and she has such an eye for detail.
• A class with Patti Palmer, "20 Tips to Improve your Fashion Sewing" gave many great tips and one great one was matching stripes. Turn one seam allowance under, then use fusible tape on the non-folded side. Match the stripes, press and fuse. Then stitch the seam allowance, stripes are perfect, no shifting.
• I heard this at Rosebud's seminar and Patti Palmer's, always press enclosed seams open first. Collars are a great example.
• Nancy Nix-Rice spoke on wardrobing, colors and accessories. She had wonderful pictures on wardrobing and how to get the maximum impact with fewer pieces. Nancy also pointed out 12 pieces can yield you 96 outfits, you do have to have a core of solids - 2 key dark neutrals, 1 light neutral and 1 accent.
• Rosebud's class on "Perfect Shirts" was phenomenal. I learned so much and her teaching style is relaxed with a way of providing so much information. Rosebud is part of Islander Sewing
• One point from Rosebud's seminar, don't clip wedges in the princess seams. Especially if you are going to topstitch these seams. Your topstitching will look so much nicer if you always have the seam allowance under the presser foot while topstitching. The wedges don't allow this and your topstitching will not have even stitches. I would love to take more classes with Rosebud.
• Christine Jonson is a delightful teacher with a wonderful sense of humor. I took two classes from her, one was "Simple Shaping" and she demonstrated fitting a muslin. The second class "Creative Habit" was full of tips to keep you sewing and inspired. Christine's patterns are wonderful and I brought home one new pattern from her booth. Here I am with Christine, thanks Lindsay for sending this picture.

• My last class of the conference was with Peggy Sagers and it was fabulous, just as her clothing samples are fabulous. I learned so much on fitting as Peggy would bring volunteers to the front and demonstrate on their clothing how to alter with pinching out extra fabric, adding darts, subtracting length. It was such a visual seminar, I left with a much better understanding of fitting. If Peggy is ever close to me, I am heading to her seminars or workshops, they will be worth every penny.
• I was suppose to take one more class this afternoon with my buddy, Anne St. Clair, "Changing Necklines on T-shirts". I saw the class literature and samples in the room and I know it was fabulous, Anne is such a dynamic teacher. Why didn't I take it? I was missing my family too much, so I headed to the airport, checked in stand-by for the first available flight. I made the flight and was home before my scheduled flight was to take off. A plus as I would not have been home before midnight otherwise.

I would encourage others to attend the ASG convention at least once. It is such a good experience, not only can you learn so much but you are with 900+ women who understand why you love to sew.

Next year is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so if that is in your area, start making plans.

A parting shot, Anne's daughter, Monica, modelled a dress she made from Anne's bra pattern. It was a darling little black dress and she looked so beautiful.