May, 2015

This Month’s Meeting

Our monthly meeting will be Tuesday, May 12 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Kit’s Korner

Hello ladies,
     I sent Susan a picture of a Bib Dress that I just completed for a customer. The original pattern came from an older Sew Beautiful Magazine. I must admit, I was somewhat surprised at the lack of instruction that came with the pattern. Now I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable sewer, but even this one threw me several times! It had no instruction for the skirt, so one just fumbles thru that part by oneself!! Finally complete, I was very pleased with the end results. Now in review, I do believe you could make this dress from a yoke pattern by merely extending the yoke down some about an 1 1/2 below the armhole. I also think the yoke can be a palette for a number of different ideas, from vertical Smocking with insertions, to heirloom techniques, embroidery to hand loomed fabric as I used. Even silk ribbon is an option. The original pattern is not lined, but I chose to do so. This dress is adorable, but only goes to a size. 4. Happy to answer any further questions on Tuesday night!! 
See everyone then! 

Program and Refreshments

Our program and refreshments will be provided by Kittie.

September Program – Special Request

Please start saving selvages for a program Debbie doing in September.  More information to come.

Wee Care Gowns – 4^th Tuesday of Each Month from  January – October

Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, May 26 from 9:30 – 2:00.

If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.  

Show and Share:

 DiAnne Oliver & s garden party dress size 8

Photo from Easter from Jane Soffos -  suits I made for my grand niece's boys for Easter

From Kit:

Something I recently made!

 Amy from Stitchers Playhouse Class

This is the dress we made in class.  We all had a wonderful time. Ann and Jeanie are so much fun. It is the Bonnie Blue Ashley pattern with Jeanie's own ruffle creation. Also, the lunch was worth the drive. Great!!!

DiAnne – Dress from Stitchers Playhouse Class

Happy Birthday!

Laura - May 14th

Debbie - May 29th

See everyone Tuesday night!

Susan

April 2015

April, 2015

This Month’s Meeting

Our monthly meeting will be Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Kit’s Korner

Happy Spring Ladies!!

Hopefully we have turned the corner from winter and are on our way to more great weather! I hope everyone had a great Easter and Passover. Along with the obvious at this time of year, I must say I still love to see if any little ones are wearing any of "our favorites" at church, brunch or egg hunts!!! 

I guess I still have too many fond memories of my own little ones on Easter morning, sometimes dressed alike, sometimes dressed nothing alike. Some years we had bonnets, some years they were torn off our heads in screaming fits! Nope, not gonna happen! Some years I can remember being too short of time, and Sylvia White or Florence Eismann came to the rescue!!! Now quite a few of you ladies from the old days will remember these brands, as well as Ance' K and Monday's Child!!! 

It was in these days our guild was numbers strong!! Our children were little, young mothers were smocking like crazy, sewers were plentiful! As often happens with a loved art, it comes, it goes and then it comes back again. While our guild right now is not as large as it once was, it's still great memories, great friends, and the love of the ART!

Keep Coming Back!

kit

Program and Refreshments

Vickie will present a program on pleating and DiAnne will bring refreshments.

Grace Knott Business Closing

Grace Knott's grandson is closing her business. Here is the web site http:glksmocking.com/index.html, if anyone is interested. Jane Soffos can bring her book and anything else she has from her to the meeting, in case we have some members who don't know about her.

May 1 – 2 (Friday – Saturday):  Trip to Stitcher’s Playhouse for Class

Join us for a fun trip to Stitcher’s Playhouse in Smyrna, TN on May 1 – 2. We will leave on Friday, May 1 and have lunch in Nashville. We’ll shop at Children’s Corner; then buy our supplies for the class at Stitcher’s. We will stay at Comfort Inn in Smyrna.

The class on Saturday will be from 9 am – 3 pm. The cost for the class will be $35 plus $10 for lunch.

To join others on this trip will be on a “first come, first serve” basis. The class size is limited to 7, and a few ladies have already made plans to go.

Feel free to contact Amy Johnson to answer any questions.

Wee Care Gowns – 4^th Tuesday of Each Month from  January – October

Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, April 28 from 9:30 – 2:00.

If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.  

Local and National Dues Reminder

Please remember to bring your local MASG dues of $15. Please make out checks to MASG. You can also mail them to Susan Batson at 7071 Riverwood Street, Germantown, TN 38138.

Also please remember to pay your National Dues by going to the Smocking Arts Guild of America website http://www.smocking.org/

Show and Share:

Marty Cobb: Here is an Easter dress that I made for a child at Sherwood Elementary. It was mostly sewn on my serger (not heirloom).

DiAnne made these for granddaughters Hazel and Clara (Australian Smocking issues 95 & 99)

Susan’s grandkids Emily and JJ wearing Easter outfits again this year

Amy’s latest creations

Miscellaneous

Kellie and a friend are having a massive yard sale May 7-9 to fund raise for their adoptions. They are collecting donations for the sale. If anyone is spring cleaning, Kellie would be glad to come by and take discards from you.

Happy Birthday !

Judy - April 4th

Meryl - April 5th

Cat - April 9th

Leslie - April 22nd

See you Tuesday night! 

Susan

March, 2015

March, 2015

This Month’s Meeting

Our monthly meeting will be Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Kit’s Korner

Dear Friends,

Just when we thought all the freezing weather might be behind us, it seems it's coming again! However, I do remember getting 12 in. of snow once in March, and I'm sure some of you do too! 

But one cannot help but think of spring around the corner, and with that seems to be softer colors and fabrics. I know at Lace Cottage the fabrics are lending themselves to that. It does inspire me to want to make the spring like garments, even the sweet baby things! 

Most of you know that I have a daughter getting married this year, and I don't expect the bride and groom to wait too long to start a family. This time I won't be short of time!!! I want to start putting the sweet little baby gowns away now. Is there anything sweeter than a blanket with hand embroidery on it? These are all garments that CAN be generic as we put them together all the time at Lace Cottage when some stubborn mother won't find out what she's having!!! Imagine! 

I'm sure it's the promise of warmer weather that inspires us to work on something sweet and maybe lacy. Even something little to put away for another time.

For those of you Moms and Grands that have Easter to work on, Good Luck! It comes early this year (-:

Can't wait to see everyone on the 10th and Hey! Bring a friend!

kit

Program and Refreshments

Judy Potter will present our program on practicing Counterchange.  The only supplies needed are: smocking needle, scissors, and white DMC floss. Judy will bring the rest and guide us step by step. Judy will also provide refreshments for our meeting. Yum!

May 1 – 2 (Friday – Saturday):  Trip to Stitcher’s Playhouse for Class

Join us for a fun trip to Stitcher’s Playhouse in Smyrna, TN on May 1 – 2. We will leave on Friday, May 1 and have lunch in Nashville. We’ll shop at Children’s Corner; then buy our supplies for the class at Stitcher’s. We will stay at Comfort Inn in Smyrna.

The class on Saturday will be from 9 am – 3 pm. The cost for the class will be $35 plus $10 for lunch.

To join others on this trip will be on a “first come, first serve” basis. The class size is limited to 7, and a few ladies have already made plans to go.

Feel free to contact Amy Johnson to answer any questions.

Wee Care Gowns – 4^th Tuesday of Each Month from  January – October

Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, March 24 from 9:30 – 2:00.

Kudos to those who helped at February’s workday: Amy Johnson, Regina Sanford, Jane Soffos, DiAnne Drennen, Jane Gross and Susan Batson


If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.  

Wee Care Gowns Deliveries – Memories and Celebrations!

February 19 – Baptist Women’s: Total: 48 Gowns, 16 Buntings, 10 Knitted Caps
 December, 2014 - Med NICU: Total: 31 gowns

Thanks to Jane and Regina for coordinating these deliveries.

Local and National Dues Reminder

Please remember to bring your local MASG dues of $15. Please make out checks to MASG. You can also mail them to Susan Batson at 7071 Riverwood Street, Germantown, TN 38138.

Also please remember to pay your National Dues by going to the Smocking Arts Guild of America website http://www.smocking.org/

Show and Share:

Here’s a cute design for Wee Care gowns to try – thanks, Amy!

Here’s a dress Amy made for Ryvers – check out the owls!

Mary De smocked in Baby Brown Owls by Crossed Cricket

Happy Birthday!

Chris  Dupuis 3/1

Dianne Morris  3/17

Glynda Whitlow 3/24

Victoria Thompson 3/29

See you Tuesday night!  Stay safe and warm!

Susan

February, 2015

This Month’s Meeting

Our February meeting will be Tuesday, February 10 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Kit’s Korner

Dear Ladies,

How wonderful to see everyone last month! Some members that have not been able to come, returned last month and it was GREAT seeing you again!! I hope we have even more members return this month. There is something so comforting about being with friends of like-minded interests. We just get so busy in our everyday lives and this short time we have together on this Tuesday, gives us the "me" time we so deserve. Please continue to bring your unfinished project that you started last month, or dig out another one, to have to keep your hands busy during this month’s meeting too. 

Our meeting this month will be a review of the feather stitch by Jane Soffos. I myself have done lots and lots of handwork, but for some reason this stitch ALWAYS eludes me! I have the most trouble keeping it consistent! Many handworkers have shared this same opinion with me and we have all been taught by many wonderful and expert teachers. So why the issues?? Anyway, I am always happy to learn at the knee of yet again, another expert to try to master this elusive beautiful stitch! 

Looking forward to seeing you next week for fun and fellowship!  

kit

Program and Refreshments

Our program will be on Featherstitching by Jane Soffos. Refreshments will be shared by Jane also.

Please bring standard sewing supplies – Jane will teach us the rest!

Wee Care Gowns – 4^th Tuesday of Each Month from  January – October

Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, February 24 from 9:30 – 2:00.

Kudos to those who helped at January’s workday: Amy Johnson, Regina Sanford, Connie Scott, Glynda Whitlow, Jane Soffos, DiAnne Drennen, and Susan Batson


If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.

Local and National Dues Reminder

Please remember to bring your local MASG dues of $15. Please make out checks to MASG. You can also mail them to Susan Batson at 7071 Riverwood Street, Germantown, TN 38138.

Also please remember to pay your National Dues by going to the Smocking Arts Guild of America website http://www.smocking.org/

Show and Share

Vivian with her new doll from Jane!

Happy Birthday!

Feb. 4 – Sara Schwab

January, 2015

This Month’s Meeting

Our January meeting will be Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Kit’s Korner

Happy New Year Ladies!!

I hope this letter finds each and every one of you healthy and happy for the new year! I'm also hoping your Christmas holidays were safe and not too weary!! Now that we began to put away our decorations away and clean up our homes for yet what feels like the hundredth time, I would like for you to take a minute to really look in your sewing rooms. If yours is anything like mine right now, it looks like a small funnel cloud has hit it! I often use my cutting table for wrapping presents, (as it is a nice height for me) and there are scraps of wrapping paper mixed in with the scraps of fabric on the floor, along with overflowing trash cans!! Time to do a serious inventory and major clean-up. But really? Isn't that what the new year is for? A jump start to get our house in order? Our life in gear? Our minds uncluttered? A resolution to start a new diet? Let's face it, it's a tall order!!!

So what I propose we do this year in our little Guild are Baby Steps (: For our January Meeting, we don't have a program on the books since it's our first meet, and we will discuss everyone taking a month as usual to fill our year. So I am asking everyone to go thru their sewing rooms and find an unfinished project that you have set aside, to bring in January to work on. Surely you have something that needs some handwork left on it, maybe a kit you have always wanted to start, but never got too, maybe something that just needs a hem and neckband, maybe even some embroidery on a baby dress that you've put down! I must have 50 kits or projects of my own, so I'm happy to share!! They do not have to be smocking related either.

Whatever it is, we are going to finish at least ONE unfinished project this year as our resolution!!!! It will be fun to watch the progress as a group and our work is always so much more appreciated when we do things together!! 

This is the start of our de-cluttering!! Baby Steps Ladies, Baby Steps!!

Looking forward to seeing what everyone brings!!

kit

Wee Care Gowns – Workday 4^th Tuesday of Each Month

Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! 

Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, January 27 from 9:30 – 2:00.

If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.

Local and National Dues Reminder

Please remember to bring your local MASG dues of $15. Also please remember to pay your National Dues by going to the Smocking Arts Guild of America website http://www.smocking.org/

Show and Share:

Here are the ladies who had such fun at the Christmas Party. Thank you Sarah for hosting this year!

See you all on Tuesday night!

Susan

December, 2014

This Month’s Meeting – Party Time!

Our December meeting will be Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 pm. (Note the earlier time.) We will meet at Sarah Schwab’s home at 2670 Brook Bridge Cove, Germantown 901-757-4361 or 901-490-3386.

Christmas Party Sign-up

Appetizer: Kristen, Jane

Salad:  Kittie (grape salad)

Vegetable: Amy, Regina

Ham: DiAnne (MASG)

Bread: Meryl

Dessert: Meryl (chocolate), Judy (coconut cake), DiAnne

Plates: Sarah

Drinks: Vivian

Wee Care Gowns
Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, January 27 from 9:30 – 2:00.

If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned.

Items of Interest

Organizing Your Handmade Holiday Gift List

http://www.marthapullen.com/editors-blog/organizing-your-handmade-holiday-gift-list

Children’s Corner Patterns Recently Retired – See attached PDF

Show and Share

This is the Avery Marie dress by Bonnie Blue that we made at the Stitchers' playhouse class. Ryvers worn it to Pre-K the first day. It is her favorite dress. The sizing on it is perfect.

Amy

National Dues

Please remember to pay your National Dues by going to the Smocking Arts Guild of America website http://www.smocking.org/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Susan

November, 2014

Our November meeting will be Tuesday, November 11 at 7:00 pm. We will meet at Panera's for dinner at 5:30. All are welcome! Please join us!

Program and Refreshments
Our program and refreshments will be given by Jane Soffos and Regina Sanford.

December Christmas Party Sign-up

We will be signing up for food to bring to the December meeting - our Christmas party.

Kit's Korner

Dear Fellow Members,

Whew, Halloween is now behind us and we can begin that arduous task of quietly sneaking that leftover candy into our daily diet!! Love those miniature butterfingers!!!

This is also the time we start thinking about the "Real" holidays with family and friends, projects to be done, and decorations to put up. It starts to get really hectic now for most of us. I can't help but reflect over the years of past smocking guild members that have come and gone, some because they have moved, some because their interest have changed. There were times our group was so big it was hard to find a place large enough to hold us all, and times we are so small, a few tables will do. Even tho it seems that is where we are now, we are no less important! Friendships forged through our group are important in ways we will never know, support in sewing and projects are valuable in those who have done these before us, and just knowing we can depend on our friends as sure as we can depend on that leftover Halloween candy.

In what may seem like an effort sometimes to get to a monthly meeting on that second Tuesday, just remember, someone else has put a lot of effort into their program and snacks for the evening. Your friendship may be the very one someone else is depending on to ask just a simple question or just someone to sit at your table. 

So as the holidays start in full force, remember our little group represents friendships through sewing, smocking, health, good times, not so good times. I know this for a fact as you ALL have been there for me when I needed it!!!

Thank you ALL for your continued support!!!

kit

Wee Care Gowns
Please bring in any finished Wee Care gowns and be prepared to take home some new ones! Our next Wee Care workday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Poplar Pike) will be Tuesday, January 27 from 9:30 – 2:00. (No workdays are held during November or December.)

If you can come for all or part of the day, it would be a great help. We need folks to bring sewing machines to sew the outfits that have been pinned. Kudos to those who helped at October’s workday: Amy Johnson, Regina Sanford, Connie Scott, Glynda Whitlow, Jane Gross, Jane Soffos, Sandra Peterson, Meryl Rosen, Susan Batson



Did You Know…….

History of Read Pleaters (link  from SAGA website/Facebook)

http://www.readpleaters.com/html/company_history.html

Show and Share:

Amy:  Parker shorts with appliquéd shirts I made this summer. I had to shorten the shorts.

Amy:  Cute idea for a Christmas dress I found on line. Lucy jumper.

Regina:  Christmas pillowcase

Happy Birthday!

Nov 23 – Susan

       26 – Amy

See you all on Tuesday night!

Susan