Bali #3 Foreword

Markita loved to travel and to share her experiences. Even though she is no longer with us we wanted to share this post that she wrote for us.

Bali #3

by Markita Hall-Gumble

To recap, in July 2023 I visited Bali Indonesia for textiles.  This post is about a side trip organized as part of the Wacky Jacky Bali class. … Read the rest

Double Ikat Bali

by Markita Hall-Gumble

The last stop in Bali is the ancient village of Tenganan on the east side of the island of Bali.  The villagers are called Bali Aga or original Balinese.  To visit the village, you take a car to the outside gate of the village.  There is an entrance fee, which provides you with a local villager as a guide. … Read the rest

Summer Sewing Inspiration

Are you thinking about summer sewing?  We are!  We reached out to a few of our members and asked if they had any summer inspiration to share.  Whether you are looking for machine embroidery, quilting, garments, bags or even beading and weaving, we have a few ideas to get your summer creative juice flowing!… Read the rest

After the Masks

When COVID sent us all inside, our minds were consumed with questions like

WHAT NOW?

We needed something to combat all kinds of feelings.  Fear.  Boredom.  Lack of purpose.  And we had to find the solution to those feelings within the confines of our own homes.

Because we sew, many of us found the solace we needed right inside our sewing room. … Read the rest

State Fair Sewing

Plano ASG member, Debbie Reid, tells us her story of entering Texas State Fair sewing competitions over the years. We were so impressed and think you will be too.
Debbie wearing her 2019 winning entry

I have loved the Texas State Fair since childhood but it never occurred to me to enter a contest until a colleague at work encouraged me to give it a try.… Read the rest

Indigo Dyeing Seen Wandering a Museum in Budapest

Submitted by Markita Hall-Gumble

Plano ASG member Markita, recently had the opportunity to spend some time in Budapest, Hungary.  And in typical ASG fashion, she found “all things fiber” the city had to offer!  Enjoy a virtual walk through history of indigo dyeing as Markita takes us on a tour of the Goldberger Textile Museum. … Read the rest

Dallas Fort Worth Area Fabric and Fiber Shopping Map

 

 

We are excited to announce the first ever Dallas/Fort Worth Fabric and Fiber Shopping Map!!!

Susan Annand from www.DesignSynse.com  in conjunction with the Plano TX Chapter of the American Sewing Guild invites you to enjoy all of the shopping opportunities in our North Texas Area!!!  Please feel free to link to our map, be sure you credit DesignSynse.com… Read the rest

Preparing to Sew – What you need to know

images of bolts of fabric

It is January a new year, I am sure you have lots of sewing projects planned for 2016.  Before you sew here are a few tips of preparation.

When shopping and you fall in love with a fabric but you are not exactly sure what you will create.  Here is a general guideline that several of our members use when buying fabric for misses sizing (especially for coordinates) :   3 yards for 1 garment; 5 yards for 2 garments  and 7 yards for 3 garments.… Read the rest

Textile Conservation

TPST bannerWhat comes to mind when you think about preserving our history?

We’re familiar with preserving famous paintings, architecture, furniture, and historical documents, but where do textiles fit when you think of history?

Because textiles are thought of as utilitarian, they rank at the bottom when conserving history comes to mind.

But, how can you think about your personal history without including memories of your wedding dress or your child’s christening gown?… Read the rest

Podcast with Folk Fibers

Sheryl sent me a follow up on our previous blog about Thread Cult podcasts.

The creator of the Thread Cult podcasts and the Daughter Fish blog, Christine, just had a baby, but she’s back with new podcasts.

Thread Cult’s January podcast is with Maura Grace Ambrose:

“Maura Grace Ambrose is an Austin-based artist and founder of Folk Fibers.Read the rest

January Group Schedule Online

The new Neighborhood Group Schedule for January is online and can be downloaded from this page.

Our special events committee has been working hard organizing many exciting events for 2014! Read more about it in the newsletter and keep an eye on this blog.

Scheduled are the Annual Retreat January 16 -19, A Sew Along and Show Off in March (more info soon!),… Read the rest

An Unexpected Gem in the Wilds of the Pacific Northwest

(Sheryl sent me this to share with you all:)

I just got home from a wonderful trip British Columbia.  While we were wandering the area we bumped into this awesome studio/gallery/workshop housed in a cluster of yurts!  The owners were so friendly and loved showing us and telling us about all the work both in progress and displayed. … Read the rest