Upping Your Game – Spotlight on a Neighborhood Group

By Davie Marie Hurlbert

For their first year as a neighborhood group, Upping Your Game (UYG) has been exploring embellishing our garments to take us out of our super causal staying at home routine. 

A few of our members have shared their expertise and challenged us to consider how to transform a plain garment to one with some interesting embellishment.

We have been exploring everything from using the little accessed stitches on our sewing machines to

• trimming necklines
• adding design features
• creating cutouts
• dyeing and painting fabric
• purse making
• reverse and straight applique

We also spent a couple of months considering what enhances our best features and body types and what color combinations work for our skin and hair colors.   There’s been lots of teaching of new techniques, plenty of laughter as we consider what colors we’ve been wearing that everyone agreed are ghastly on us and sheer terror as we dyed fabric in Angela’s new, all white kitchen. 

The pictures are a few samples of garments and purses created during the last year.

Some of us learned just how much we love handwork when we explored Alabama Chanin’s slow stitching and applique techniques. 

This coming year we plan to continue tackling techniques to improve our garments, but are branching out to making an autumn or winter jacket that can reflect some of our new skills.  You’re always welcome to join us the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm.  Please go to the ASG Plano website for current location information. 

by Davie Marie Hurlbert