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

Mr. B and the Bean Bag Chair

by Pam Walker

Well, I have been asked to write a short something for our blog.  As my life has gotten extremely complicated, my passion for sewing and crafts has been sort of put on hold.  However, my family, God bless them, run to me with all the mending issues.

Thanksgiving day I was honored to put Mr.… Read the rest

Dollmaking in the time of COVID

By Jami Roux

The Covid lockdown gave me an opportunity to practice my doll making skills. When the lockdown began my first thought was to make a doll as I didn’t need to sew more clothes for myself. I also knew everything to make a doll was in my stash.

With all the time to sew, I have made fourteen dolls for gifts, group challenges, tested new patterns, and just because I wanted to try something different.… Read the rest

Want expert needle knowledge?

The Hoopla Sisters will host a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 10:30 am with Rhonda Pierce, spokesperson for Schmetz Needles and Grabbit.

Rhonda will be speaking about needles for piecing/quilting, sewing with knits and machine embroidery… something for everyone. More information about Rhonda and her presentation can be found here.Read the rest

March Madness and March Sadness

Plano ASG member Melanie Fredrickson has three great loves – family, sewing and sports … March Madness basketball in particular.  But time is at a premium so how could she bring all three of her great loves together? How could she get quality time with all three? 

The perfect answer to this question emerged when Melanie’s son gave her a surprise birthday gift in 2017. … 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