The World of Sewing Literature – Part IV

Looking for something to read?  There are many fascinating books revolving around sewing.  Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Add a comment below if you have another book to suggest.

The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow. It is 1910 and Maria, a talented young girl from the East end of London, is employed to work as a seamstress for the royal family.

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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.

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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

Spring Fling!

We started out at the Schimelpfenig Library and quickly moved to the Renner Frankford Library in far north Dallas when we found that we had the reservation that never was! Whether it was real (our view) or fictional (their view) somebody really scrambled to find the new venue and no one seemed to have trouble getting there.… Read the rest

The World of Sewing Literature – Part III


Looking for something to read?  There are many fascinating books revolving around sewing.  Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Add a comment below if you have another book to suggest.

My Name Is Resolute by Nancy E. Turner. The year is 1729, and Resolute Talbot and her siblings are captured by pirates, taken from their family in Jamaica and brought to the New World.… Read the rest

State Fair Contests Are Open for Registration!

The Creative Arts Handbook for 2022 is now available at:

There are four departments that might interest our members and you should check the classes for all of them, beginning on page 31 of the handbook.

Holiday Corner
Needlepoint, Crewel, and Counted Cross Stitch
Needlework and Sewing
Afghans, Rugs, Quilts, and Bedspreads

I was surprised to notice that the Holiday Corner included classes for Christmas and Halloween wearing apparel.… 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 World of Sewing Literature – Part II

Looking for something to read?  There are many fascinating books revolving around sewing.  Here are a few to whet your appetite.

Add a comment below if you have another book to suggest.

The Golden Thread by Kassia St. Clair.
From colorful threads found on the floor of an ancient Georgian cave to the Indian calicoes that fueled the Industrial Revolution, The Golden Thread illuminates the myriad and fascinating histories behind the cloths that came to define human civilization―the fabric, for example, that allowed mankind to shatter athletic records, and the textile technology that granted us the power to survive in space.… 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

Saving a Quilt with a Past

by Jane Dempsey

When I graduated from high school, my grandmother gave me a hand-pieced quilt. Since Grandma Ann didn’t have the money for new fabric, my mother bought the fabric. My grandma and mom didn’t have a wonderful relationship, so their cooperation with each other was noteworthy. In the past, Grandma made all quilts out of pieces of dresses that had worn out, and my mom knew I would like a pink quilt.… Read the rest

Fireside Chat with Ann Williamson

Creative inspiration Alert! Our newest Fireside Chat with Ann Williamson is sure to get your creative juices flowing full force. Watch our 30 minute chat with her to learn about her creative process, her love of kimono silk, and her fun interaction with Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Follow Ann on her blog and Instagram.… Read the rest