Ever wonder what sewists use when tracing patterns or when they actually make patterns, whether it’s their own or a final copy of a favorite? We searched our membership and came up with these suggestions. Looks like there’s more choices out there than anyone knew! If you have another paper that you find works well for you, let us know.… Read the rest
Tag: Garment Sewing
Plano ASG Annual Meeting
by Mary Jo Forbes
11:30 am, October 22, 2022
Heard-Craig Center for the Arts
205 W. Hunt St., McKinney, TX, 75069
(Note: not to be confused with the Heard Natural Science Museum)
We hope you will be as excited about participating in the 2022 annual meeting as we have been planning it.… Read the rest
New group: “Upping Your Game”
by Davie Marie
Did your wardrobe slip into “too casual” during the Covid shutdown? Now that we’re getting out and about again, it’s time to up your wardrobe game!
This new neighborhood group is going to explore comfortable clothing suitable for going out or staying home. We’ll take a look at design details that can turn your garment into wearable art, how to copy a ready-to-wear look you’ve seen, explore new sewing techniques, and more!
Sewing Podcasts
Check out these podcasts for sewing wit and wisdom!
LOVE TO SEW!
Helen Wilkinson and Caroline Somos host Love to Sew, a fun weekly podcast about making clothes, sewing community, and small business. They talk (and laugh) about their passion for sewing a handmade wardrobe and their daily lives as creative entrepreneurs.
Organizing All Those Self-Drafted Patterns
by Debbie Bowles
I love drafting my own patterns. The idea of going from a concept, to drafting that concept, to sewing a garment tells my complete story of garment construction. I’ve been pattern drafting for several years, and I have a chunk of self-drafted patterns. So how do I organize it all?… Read the rest
2022 Plano ASG Retreat
By Sharon Merlo
The 2022 Plano ASG Retreat was one for the record books. I have been hosting the Plano ASG Retreat for a number of years now and this one is the most memorable to date.
We were scheduled for Feb 3rd through Feb 6th, 2022 (Thursday – Sunday) however, Mother Nature had different plans for us. … Read the rest
The Green Dress
by Debbie Reid
My all-time favorite movie has always been “Singin’ in the Rain.” I especially love the dance scene between Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly and thought that someday I should copy the green dress she wears.

Every New Year’s Eve we go to our friends’ party which is often a costumed affair.… Read the rest
Fur the Fun of It!
By Cindy Vance
What does one do with a little over a yard of luscious faux fur from Silhouette Patterns?
I decided to make a finger-tip length vest. The inspiration was Let’s Sew – The Fur Vest – Episode 193 from Silhouette Patterns YouTube channel. I followed Peggy’s suggestions on modifying a blouse pattern because it doesn’t have shoulder pads like a jacket pattern usually does.… Read the rest
Planning for Fall Sewing

I decided to try something different this fall, actually planning out more than one garment :). To start off I used my custom coquis from the https://www.mybodymodel.com/ app. I walked through Erin’s online class called “paperdolls for adults”. I was inspired to pull out some markers, patterns, fabrics and plan out an entire fall wardrobe.… Read the rest

I decided to try something different this fall, actually planning out more than one garment :). To start off I used my custom coquis from the https://www.mybodymodel.com/ app. I walked through Erin’s online class called “paperdolls for adults”. I was inspired to pull out some markers, patterns, fabrics and plan out an entire fall wardrobe.… Read the rest
The Curse of the Chanel-style Jacket
by Marie Barrese
Ever wonder why some sewists have a stash of beautiful bouclé’s and silks? And usually it’s not just one cut, but several. Some also have the trims and buttons that coordinate with the fabric, and they may even have the patterns needed to complete the garment. What garment you may ask, and why are these items still in their stash?… Read the rest
My “Duh!” Moment Finally Arrived
by Beverly Vance
For the past few years (since my retirement), and especially during our long seclusion while the pandemic wreaked its havoc, I’ve been so thrilled at having so much time to sew that I just kept churning out garments and buying more fabric. Unfortunately, too many of those makes are orphans – they don’t go with anything else.… Read the rest
Looking Back at Native American Heritage Month
November was Native American Heritage Month. Celebrating belatedly with Plano member, Debbie B as she shares her journey into her heritage and learning to make Choctaw apparel. Enjoy this 30 minute interview!
Learn more about the Choctaw heritage on their Main Website and their YouTube Channel. See more about the traditional dressmaking process here.… Read the rest