January Sewing Social Meet-up

Hello everyone!

Thank you again for all your wonderful comments on the Zoe Tunic I made! I'm sure you can all agree that sewing a garment you love makes all the effort worthwhile! I hope you have been getting a chance to sew some lovelies yourself!

Today I would like to share about the sewing meet-up I recently had with my neighbor. Somewhere before the beginning of the year, I began thinking about asking my neighbor if she wanted to get together and sew. I mean, it was a no-brainer to me. She likes to sew, and so do I. She doesn't ever get a chance to finish her projects, and neither do I. Our time and family commitments, while valuable, have kept us from making time for the craft we love.

So, I approached her about my idea: a sewing meetup where we would bring our already cut-out projects, whatever materials we needed, and some light refreshments in case we got hungry (sewing and snacking go together).  Invariably, we could chat as we worked, and (the best part) we did not have to bring any children!!!!!!!!!

Anyhow, you can imagine what my neighbor told me. She said that it all sounded WONDERFUL!!! In fact, she already had three projects cut out and waiting on her! Now all she had to do was bring them. So we got together last weekend, and had such a blast!

My hubby offered his office space for our meetup, so we got there early, set up our spaces, and started to get to work. We both brought coffee, had a light breakfast, and grazed on snacks while there.  While we originally planned to have one serger, she luckily brought hers too, so machines were always available for use. The only thing we had to share was the iron, and that worked out well according to our crafting personalities. As you may have guessed, I was a bit more obsessive about pressing when I sewed a seam, but my friend was much more laidback.

We stayed a total of four hours. Here is the outstanding dress that my friend sewed:

It is called the Ginger Dress, and I love the way it came out! She said this project was A YEAR in the making! She had the black fabric already, and another friend sent her the plaid for the bottom hem. Can you believe she had this amazing project in her craft room the whole time?

Here she is with the bottom hemmed, and all "dolled up" for a day out:

I think she even has plans for another one!  I told her she could easily make a different one to wear each day of the week!

For my projects, I was ambitious, as always, lol! I brought my Zoe tunic, an unfinished cardigan, a top I cut out, and my daughter's overall dress to cut out--if I finished all those items. Of course I didn't! I spent all of my time on the Zoe tunic, and had a few mishaps that required unpicking. Ah well! I learned a lot.

After we finished, we both were so giddy with excitement! It really does feel like winning the lotto when you are a busy mom who completes, or even nearly completes a sewing project!  My original thought was to have our "socials" every few months, but we both decided that a monthly meeting was necessary.

For the next meeting, we plan on inviting another lady, and maybe even having a pattern swap.  My neighbor embroiders, so she will be bringing her machine in case anyone would like embroidery done.

If you don't have a sewing group, and you can start one, DO IT! I was soooo nervous to ask my friend, and now I wish I would have done it sooner. It turns out there seem to be a lot of people who would love to get together and do something they love.  You don't even need office space like we used. You can use your home, or sometimes the library has space available too.  Whatever you do, find the time to pursue your passion--alone, or in the company of others.  You will not regret making that decision.

Stay sew-filled!