The San Diego chapter of the American Sewing Guild (ASG) has been busy planning our projects for 2025. San Diego ASG Annual Sewing Retreat: Monday-Thursday June 16-19, 2025 at Vina de Lestonnac Retreat Center in Temecula. Sewing classes: September 4, 2025 from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Judy Kessinger, a nationally known instructor, will conduct a pants construction class. Planning for additional classes (in person and via Zoom) is underway. San Diego ASG Annual meeting : October 11, 2025. Each year we feature a guest speaker to provide inspiration, new skills and ideas to our members. We are in the process of selecting from several potential speakers who are widely known for their expertise and excellent teaching. Our neighborhood groups exhibit displays of the projects undertaken throughout the year. Members’ contributions for community service sewing projects are collected. We exchange fabric and notions from our personal collections. Neighborhood Groups (NG’s) In addition to plans for our chapter, our neighborhood groups are setting up programs and projects to keep our members busy and connected throughout the coming year. Below are highlights from two of our NG’s . Please go to the Neighborhood Groups page on our website to learn what each of our groups will work on this year and when/where they will meet. The Fit & Sew Neighborhood Group plans to spend 2025 working to perfect a blouse pattern. At their January 6th meeting, each member brought their pattern and fabric to show to the group. They will use the tissue fitting method to make adjustments so that each member creates their own well-fitting pattern. For the additional meetings of 2025, members will present methods for different aspects of blouse construction: cuffs, tower placket, collar and collar stand, darts, etc. Come join the Fit & Sew NG and create your own custom blouse pattern. The North County Coastal Neighborhood Group ’s January meeting was titled “Sew Your Valentine”. Members brought Valentine themed items they had sewn, in an effort to inspire each other on items they can sew for Valentine’s Day. The group also had a show and share with members showing their current creations. Member Pat Stilwell displayed the capsule wardrobe she sewed after attending the “Sew…. A Fashion Retreat” offered by Judy Kessinger last fall. Pat created two pairs of slacks, several tops, a vest and a jacket. Member Julie Pinell showed off several bags she recently completed. Julie is the go-to person for all things bags. All the bags were adorable, but one in particular, a cross body sling, the Mini Traveller bag by Kandou Patterns, caught everyone’s eye. Julie has agreed to lead a class on sewing the Mini Traveller bag later this year at a North County Coastal meeting. Link to Mini Traveller bag: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1719208463/sling-pouch-sewing-pattern-mini-traveler Community Service Like many sewing guilds, our chapter has actively participated in community service projects. For detailed information visit our Community Service Projects and Opportunities page. Highlights include: Act of Sewing Kindness: “Gently Hugged” is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) organization entering its 13th year of operation. They acknowledged and thanked the San Diego Chapter of The American Sewing Guild for their support this past year in helping to clothe local newborns who would otherwise go without. Donations from the Guild were processed, packaged and delivered to hospitals and social service agencies throughout San Diego County and ultimately made their way to newborn babies in need. In 2024 contributions from the Guild totaled 403 beautiful hand crafted items. Making a Difference one Sewing Machine at a time: We began partnering with Bridge Builder’s Network in January 2022 to provide sewing classes and sewing machines to women our refugee communities. To date, we have provided 118 working sewing machines which were donated to the SDASG. Through fundraising efforts and occasional cash donations we pay to have the donated machines repaired and serviced, ready for use by the recipients. For 2025 our chapter is seeking additional Community Service Projects through non-profit organizations that are local to the San Diego area. Please visit the Contact Us page with ideas you may have for community service projects. County Retailers and Organizations Our Neighborhood Groups are grateful to the following retailers and organizations for providing meeting space: Sewing Machines Plus, San Marcos Paradise Sewing, Poway El Cajon Sew and Vac, El Cajon Mira Mesa Library Vista Library New Song Church, Carlsbad Please visit our County Retailers page to see a list of new and existing businesses who offer fabric and sewing equipment/notions. I NTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

Thank you to all our members for your participation and creativity throughout 2024. We hope that 2025 brings continued connections with family and friends, the joy of creating with fiber, color, and form, and sharing your creations with others. A big thank you to our retiring Chapter Advisory Board (CAB) members Barbara Malebranch, Nancy Stringer, and Rhoda Keegan, and Neighborhood Group (NG) Leaders Denise Blanton and Mary Curry. We appreciate your service and leadership to San Diego ASG. We welcome Terra Stuart to CAB and Madeline Rodriguez as the leader for #Fit and Sew NG. Contact ASG President if you are interested in leading the #Happy Hoopers group whose focus is on machine embroidery email: president@sandiegoasg.org #Neighborhood Groups are currently planning their projects and field trips for the new year. More info will be coming in February or check the Neighborhood Groups Page for updates throughout this month. #Summer Retreat ​​ Monday, June 16 to Thursday, June 19, 2025 You choose! This year members have the option to attend the retreat for 3 days (Monday-Wednesday) or for 4 days (Monday-Thursday). Spend time in a supportive community of fun-loving sewing friends. Eat meals made fresh for you. If this sounds like a dream, come join us at the San Diego Chapter’s Summer Sewing Retreat in the beautiful hills of Temecula wine country. A Registration Form for the summer retreat will be sent out in the February 1, 2025 Newsletter. INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

BLOG #34 December 2024 #Gratitude and Giving The winter months seem to be a time when people everywhere reflect on their many blessings and express gratitude for what they have. Feelings of gratitude inevitably lead to a focus on giving to others. The San Diego Chapter of the American Sewing Guild is involved throughout the year on giving to various community partners. You can learn more about these organizations on the “Community Service Projects and Opportunities” page of our website. Our president, Lisa Moallemi, attends many of our Neighborhood Group (NG) meetings, often bringing kits of donation items that members can take home and sew up. These include baby blankets and quilts, burp cloths, bibs, and soft toys that are just the right size for a baby to grasp. Our Annual Retreat in June found many of our members sewing items to be donated, in addition to projects they brought to work on. #San Diego ASG Neighborhood Groups The North County Coastal neighborhood group conducted a sew-in on August 10, 2024 to make kitchen items for a local church that has generously provided a space for the group to hold their monthly meetings. On October 9, the Poway NG held a mini-sew-in to create bibs and burp cloths to be added to the tables of donations collected at our annual meeting on October 19. The El Cajon Sew Crazies do community service individually and record their hours monthly. During the 3rd Quarter members donated to the following organizations: Door of Hope-12 towels and 3 quilts. San Pasqual foster Academy -4 quilts and 4 pillowcases. East county animal shelter -42 dog beds. VA- La Jolla -27 walker bags. Stitching Sisters -charity quilt. Pregnancy Care Center- baby quilt. Grace Covenant Church-large cart cover. VFW women's Council-tote bag. In addition, they provide hours of volunteer sewing classes: Bridge Builders- Sewing lessons 34 hrs. Salvation Army - Sewing lessons-5 hrs. Public Library - Sewing lessons- 4hrs. At our Annual Meeting in October, tables were filled with items that our members had sewn for donation to our community partners. #Sewing Machine Donations San Diego ASG is proud of our successful Sewing Machines Donations Project. ASG outreach began in January 2022 with a goal to provide 15 sewing machines to the Afghan women in East County. As of October 2024, we have delivered 100 machines. All of them are serviced and ready to be used. Women in the sewing class at Bridge Builder’s Network in El Cajon are very appreciative of all these machines. Students take the 8 session sewing class and then are placed on a waiting list for a sewing machine to take home. Many know how to sew, they are just getting used to the machines and learning new skills. The teachers for the class include Andrea Towle, one of our NG group leaders. ASG has collected 108 machines as of this date. We are always looking for sewing machines, thread, needles and fabric (3 yard lengths in dark colors). Cash donations to ASG can be used to supplement our sewing machine repair fund. INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

The San Diego Chapter of ASG members held their annual meeting on Saturday, October 19 at North Oaks Community Center. Guest speaker Judy Kessinger of Fit Nice System discussed sewing garments made to fit and entertained her audience with humorous anecdotes about her teaching and sewing preferences. She claimed she doesn’t like buttonholes and most of her jackets are made with zippers, preferably shiny, silver ones. She loves to use glue to attach some of her buttons and trims. ASG members learned many new tips for garment sewing from her talk. To illustrate her points, Judy modeled numerous tops and jackets that she had constructed. The community center was a comfortable venue and the catered lunch of sandwiches or salads was excellent. Long tables were covered with a variety of fabrics. Our ASG chapter calls this the “What was I thinking?” fabric exchange. Members bring fabrics they don’t need and take what they like. Then on October 29th ASG San Diego held an in-person sewing class with Judy Kessinger. There were 15 members and 2 non-members in attendance. Using her Master top pattern, Judy drew a pattern for each student. Students were then instructed to use their personal pattern to cut out the T-shirt from their fabric. Next, only shoulder seams were sewn and Judy assessed the basic fit of the shoulders, arm holes and neckline. Depending on the neckline the student chose, they were given specific instructions for cutting the neckline piece. Once necklines were attached, sleeves were sewn in using the flat method. Then side seams were sewn up and adjusted, if necessary. Examples of some of the T-shirts made during the class are seen in the photos below. ASG San Diego is considering hosting Judy in 2025 to teach her Master Pants pattern. More info coming in early 2025. INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

# Machine Embroidery Neighborhood Group Happy Hoopers meets at Sewing Machines Plus in San Marcos on the second Monday of every month (except March, June, September & December) from 1 PM – 3 PM. We discuss everything embroidery: embroidering tile scenes, embroidery on rope bowls, stitching on cork and vinyl. We have a show & tell with projects that have been done. Upcoming Meetings- Come join the fun! October 14 Embroidery patches November 11 Embroidery on hats December 9 Dark Sewing Machines Plus 713 Center Drive San Marcos for more info- happyhoopersmachineembroidery@sandiegoasg.org # Sewing machine donations top 100 !! Our outreach started in Jan. 2022 with a goal of providing 15 sewing machines to the Afghan women in East County. Now we have delivered 100 machines! All of them are serviced and ready to be used. They are delivered to Bridge Builder’s Network in El Cajon for a sewing class every Friday where Afghan and Syrian women learn to sew. At the end of 8 sessions, ladies are put on a waiting list for machines to take home. San Diego ASG is proud to have initiated this donation and delighted to see it continue . Thank you to all who donated machines over this 2 & 1/2 year period. Thank you also to one of our own members, who is a sewing teacher there. New Fabric Store in town- Fringe Fabrics 3457 El Cajon Blvd SD 92104 619-230-5442 Specializes in sustainable and organic apparel fabrics and Indie patterns.

#El Cajon Sew Crazies This month’s featured Neighborhood Group (NG), El Cajon Sew Crazies, is a diverse group of people who enjoy quilting, machine embroidery, construction sewing and serger projects. A unique feature of this group is that participants can attend every meeting on Zoom or in person at El Cajon Sew and Vac on 1077 Broadway in El Cajon. With the aid of a multiple-camera setup, Zoom participants have a great view of the meeting demonstrations and presentations. Each meeting is planned with the exciting and informative program first, followed by a short ASG business meeting. Finally, members share projects that are completed or “under construction.” In August, Carolyn Baker showed the group how to make tassels from construction thread. The El Cajon Sew Crazies found this very informative and they love learning new things. Because the members are involved in such a variety of sewing activities there are always new things to learn. In September, they will share their expressions of “Michael’s Challenge.” Are you curious to see how each member of El Cajon Crazies transformed a length of scrubs fabric to make something useful and interesting? If you want to satisfy your curiosity, join them on Zoom or in person on September 4. Below is the contact information for this active Neighborhood Group: elcajonsewcrazies@sandiegoasg.org Zoom link available register online at: https://www.sewezr.com/module/class/17298/asg-meeting or call the store at 619 442-2585 # Fitting Class offered by ASG on October 29th in El Cajon Nationally known fitting teacher Judy Kessinger will be teaching an all day fit class, helping participants fit a blouse pattern. For more information and registration open the button at the bottom of this page: INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group Meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

#Savvy Sergers- Featuring our newest Neighborhood Group Meets: 3rd Friday 10-12 Mira Mesa Library 8405 New Salem St SD 92126 Leaders: Pat Stilwell & Andrea Towle Contact: savvyserger@sandiegoasg.org August 16 Neckline Clinic September 20 Neckline Clinic The Oxford dictionary defines a serger as a sewing machine used for overcasting to prevent material from fraying at the edge. Oh, but it is so much more!! Did you know that you can not only finish seams but you can gather, create wired ribbon, used decorative thread to embellish a garment, completely construct a garment and many more functional and fun techniques. Want to try your hand at all these techniques? The Savvy Serger Neighborhood Group explores these techniques through demonstration and projects to acquaint ourselves with the versatility of our machines using our machines to the fullest. Our project for August and September is to practice different T-shirt necklines using the serger as the principal sewing machine. Kits are provided with prepared fabric Come join our group for fun, friendship and Serger Savvy. We welcome all levels of expertise. We learn from each other – sewing friends helping sewing friends. # Sewing Machine donations continue. So far, 73 sewing machines have been serviced and donated to a class in El Cajon that teaches recent immigrants to sew. We are proud of our contribution! If you have an unused machine ready for donation, contact sandiegoasg.org . We also accept fabric and sewing supplies for redistribution to other charities. # Visions Museum of Textile Art in Liberty Station hosts its big Veranda Fabric sale on Saturday August 3rd. Check out their website for more info: vmota.org # Fitting Class offered by ASG on October 29th in El Cajon Nationally known fitting teacher Judy Kessinger will be teaching an all day fit class, helping participants fit a blouse pattern. For more information and registration :

Among the many benefits of being a member of San Diego ASG is the opportunity to participate in the annual retreat held at the Vina---Lestonnac Retreat Center in Temecula’s beautiful wine country. Imagine three days of sewing in a large, well-lit space with an entire table (or two, or three?) all to yourself and your sewing machine(s). There are ironing boards, cutting tables and dress forms along the perimeter for anyone to use. Other sewists sit on either side or across the tables; everyone works on their projects, focused, yet happy to share tips or give advice when asked. I am a passionate sewist who is still learning and felt privileged to listen to the stories of other women who have taught sewing at every level. Everyone is willing to share ideas and supplies. “How would you approach the quilting on this particular block?” “Would you like to use my chalk tool to mark that dart?” “Here’s that YouTube video about how to make this zippered pouch.” In addition to creating quilts, new garments and elaborately upcycled jean jackets, some members produced lovely items to contribute to Community Service Projects--baby blankets, bibs, burp cloths. Spread across a table near the door is an enormous variety of snacks. You can stand up, walk around and marvel at the work everyone is doing while munching on fruit or chocolate, crackers or chips, then return to your station refreshed. You dive into your work and suddenly it’s dinner time. Everyone walks up the fruit tree and herb-lined path to the dining hall. How wonderful to enjoy a delicious, healthy meal prepared by a chef and his team while you were sewing! No dishes to wash, just head back down the hill to the San Diego ASG’s designated sewing space. By 7:30 PM most people are ready to head up to their rooms for a good night’s sleep, but for those who want to stay and create there is no limit to how long you can sew. The San Diego ASG Annual Retreat is truly an inspiring experience of laughter, fun and learning. The retreat date for 2025 has already been reserved. If you’re not already a member, join ASG and mark your calendars for Monday, June 16- Thursday, June 19, 2025. Look for next month’s blog to find out what the “Savvy Sergers” Neighborhood Group has been up to, and learn what is coming up next for this creative group. INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group Meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org

North County Coastal Neighborhood Group (NG) meets the 2nd Saturday of each month at 3780 Pio Pico in Carlsbad, New Song Church, from 10-12am. Contact northcountycoastal@sandiegoasg.org for next meeting topic. The members quilt, sew clothing, handbags, knit and crochet, it's an eclectic group! They have charity sewing projects like Diana's Angels and Dress A Girl, dresses sent to Africa. On a recent Saturday, they had open sewing, where members bring their machines and sew their own projects. Several members knitted and crocheted baby items for donation. One member made gift bags and will teach them to the group soon. Another member did hand stitching on a designer jacket she is working on. Always there is "sew and tell" at the end of each meeting. COME VISIT US! Our upcoming Annual Meeting on October 19, 2024 will be held at Oaks North Community Center in Rancho Bernardo. Judy Kessinger will be the guest speaker. Her topic will be Fit to be Fabulous. Judy Kessinger will also offer a class for ASG members on October 29, 2024. In this class, participants will draft a top pattern from the measurements Judy takes and then create a test sample. Judy will then help fit/adjust the sample. Known as “The Fit Doctor,” Judy, through her classes, videos and website, has touched the lives of countless women, teaching them the tricks of looking trim and feeling fantastic by simply fitting themselves properly. As Judy says: “Sewing is the easy part but it’s the FITTING that makes garments come alive and compliment the body instead of just covering it!” Learn more about Judy at www.fitnicesystem.com. INTERESTED IN JOINING SAN DIEGO ASG? COME JOIN OUR SEWING COMMUNITY! We would love to invite you to one of our Neighborhood Group meetings. Contact membership@sandiegoasg.org