The Chicago and Wisconsin chapter members got together for a weekend retreat on January 18-21, sewing for themselves and trying new patterns such as Angela Wolf’s knit top. Knowing these members, I’m sure there was great food along with the great time spent together fitting one another and solving sewing problems for each other.
The Chicago chapter has had a busy month, as they also held their first meeting of the year on January 6, revealing the results of their “Out of the Wild” competition and who won the wildest? We’ll have to get someone from the chapter to let us know! I’m sure it was a fabulous show.
Elections held recently in the Baltimore Chapter yielded a new board of directors. Blondell Howard is the new President, Debby Spence (who most recently served the chapter as President) takes over as Secretary, along with retaining her position as Chapter Representative, and Carrie Emerson is one of the Directors-at-large. These members join Jane Backert (Treasurer), Edye Sanford (Program Chair), and Jean Harris (Director-at-Large), who are partway through their terms in office. Congratulations to all of you, and thank you for your continued commitment to your chapter.
In February the New England chapter presented a two-day workshop, the Perfectly Fitted Shirt. Jennifer Stern-Haseman, who is the chapter’s VP of Programs as well as instructor and owner of J Stern Designs, took participants through the process of fitting a torso sloper that will become their perfectly fitted shirt.
Speaking of New England, chapter members had a fabulous opportunity in mid January to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with a behind-the-scenes look at some amazing couture garments from the museum’s costume collection. Pam Parmal of the Textiles department gave us an in-depth look at garments from Dior, Mainbocher, Chanel, plus a gown attributed to Vionnet. The seven of us struggled to keep our hands to ourselves, gesturing and peering into the understructure of the garments to try to determine how and why seams were sewn the way they had been. The Mainbocher gown was a bias confection of floral lame with a deep circular flounce attached by intricate appliqué seams. Diane Martin pointed outt that the Chanel boucle suit had vertical stitching in the hem at certain seamlines, a mystery to us until Pam realized she had the skirt aligned incorrectly. The zipper was actually in a side-back seam of the 6-gore skirt, and the seaming in the hem allowed the hemline to softly fold at the side front seams, as if it were a pleated panel. For some of us, the piece de resistance was being able to examine an outfit still under consideration for purchase for the museum’s collection, a Dior wool skirt and strapless bodice with a taffeta shawl. Where else can we get the chance to be part of something like this? The event made me so thankful to be part of the New England Chapter of ASDP.
Here’s a suggestion for chapters in locations near cities where the Original Quilt and Sewing Expos take place; after ASDP’s very successful service project sewing garments for Michigan Dress for Success at the 2012 conference, the organizer of OQSE has expressed interest in having the association do a similar project at their shows. One of our chapters is looking into the possibility for this year. Is your chapter interested? Contact me for more information. Giving back is one of the things we do.
Written by Janee Connor
