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2024 - 2025 Workshops

September 10, 2024

Welcome Back! 

 

We are disappointed that our September lecture and workshop have been cancelled due to unforeseen events, and we hope that we might be able to revisit the topics at some future date. But we are nothing if not resilient and flexible, and our Program Committee has a wonderful day planned to celebrate the new NTGM year.


• Enjoy an opportunity to visit and catch up with each other as we reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
• The library and flea market will be open for business.
• A summer Show & Tell will inspire us all.
• Launch of the “Sew Powerful Purse Project” which will be an ongoing community service project through the year.
• Old-fashioned potluck lunch.
• Other surprise activities!

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Look for more details in the September newsletter.

October 8, 2024     12:45p – 3:45p
October 9, 2024     9:30a – 3:45p
October 10, 2024     9:30a – 3:45p
October 11, 2024     9:30a – 3:45p

Charlie Patricolo

 

“Making the ‘Little Lady’ Doll”        

Workshop Fee - $195

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“She has arrived at a place in her life where she realized that making someone else feel special is … EVERYTHING!”

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Make this cloth doll to brighten up your space, as she takes her place in the room on her wooden base. Participants will construct the body of the doll, needle-sculpt her face, use pens and pencils to create her features, and cut and sew the clothing using the patterns provided.

 

No doll-making experience is needed. Students must bring a working sewing machine and know how to sew.

Supply List

Kit Fee: $20

Kit Includes:

  • A resource sheet

  • Choice of flesh-colored fabric in a light or darker shade for the face and head, ears, torso, arms, hands, and legs

  • Stuffing

  • Good wool felt for the hat and shoes

  • Knit fabrics for the t-shirt

  • Hair options

  • Pom poms

  • Pipe cleaners

  • Wire

  • A wooden base for the stand with a tube and rod

  • An assortment of beads, small buttons, ribbon, yarns, perle cotton

  • Paper toweling

  • Freezer paper

  • Parchment paper

  • Pens, pencils, hemostats, and drill for use in class


Hemostats, (pristine) pens/pencils, and extra kits will be available for purchase.

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Student Supply List: 

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There are three different outfits you can choose from: a dress OR a skirt and top OR pants and a top. They are not interchangeable.

 

  • A variety of fabrics for the clothing with an optional print fabric for the legs

  • Pants: 8”x17” cotton or similar fabric

    • Skirt: 10”x20” cotton or silk fabric

    • Knit top: 6”x6” cut from tights, thin knee sock, or thin knit fabric

    • Dress: 12”x18” cotton or similar fabric

    • Optional for legs: 10”x10” cotton fabric (Charlie will have some black and white striped fabric available)

  • A basic sewing kit

    • Scissors (big, little, and pinking shears, and scissors for cutting papeR

    • Straight pins, including small applique pins

    • Sewing needles and embroidery needles

    • Thread for machine, hand-stitching, and embellishing thread for the clothing

  • An easy to use sewing machine, in good working order, that you are comfortable using

    • Power cord, extension cord, needles, and an open-toe foot or a clear plastic foot

  • Optional:

    • Beads, small buttons, ribbon, yarns to add to the clothing, hat, shoes

    • Small iron and pad

    • Wire cutter

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Updated supply lists will be sent to participants prior to the workshop.

Click for Registration Form

November 12, 2024     9:30 am – 3:45p
 

NTGM "Housekeeping"​

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See details on Calendar page

December 10, 2024     9:30a – 3:45p

Seminar Day

(Members Only) 

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Choose ONE workshop.

NO workshop fee.

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Three great classes to choose from.

Bring your lunch and come prepared to learn a new technique.

 

Workshops

Beaded Rope - Sharon McKenna

A versatile herringbone stitch necklace using beads of various sizes and shapes.

Kit fee TBD

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Rattail Coiling Workshop - Susan McCarty

Coil rattail and attach to felt, canvas, or fabric to create abstract designs.

Kit fee TBD

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Knitted Purse - Claudia Scroggins

Knit a clutch small enough for a quick project but big enough to hold essentials.

Kit fee TBD

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Sit & Stitch

Not interested in taking a workshop but still want to join us for the day?

Sit & Stitch space will be available. Bring whatever you want to work on.

January 14, 2025     12:45p - 3:45p
January 15, 2025     9:00a - 12:00p

Beth Ross Johnson

 

“Sashiko”

Workshop Fee - $50

 

Sashiko is a versatile Japanese stitching and embroidery technique primarily used to mend, reinforce, and embellish garments and decorative and utilitarian household items.

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In the workshop, participants will be introduced to two styles of sashiko, and learn how to design, transfer designs to cloth, and stitch to repair, reinforce, and embellish cloth.

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The workshop includes two sessions, and a follow up Show & Tell session a few weeks later (actual date TBA).

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On TUESDAY: Hitomezashi Sashiko: a geometric style of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal stitching based on a grid.

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On WEDNESDAY: Moyouzashi Sashiko: a simpler form of sashiko that is made of straight or curved lines of running stitches. Patterns can be geometric or more freeform.

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Supply List

Kit Fee: $18

A kit is required for this workshop.

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Kit Includes:

  • Small samples of different fabrics that are perfect for stitching Sashiko.

  • Needle

  • Thread

  • Handouts

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        Updated supply lists will be sent to participants prior to the workshop.


Click for Registration Form

February 12, 2025     10:00a – 4:00p via Zoom

David Owen Hastings

 

“Inspired by Architecture”      

Workshop Fee - $75

 

Explore a creative process for developing dynamic and unique quilt designs to add to your own modern abstract quilts.

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Working from photos of architectural elements, David will guide you through the steps to design a mini modern fabric quilt… inspired by architecture! You will learn the quilt-as-you-go method, sewing the top pieces, batting and backing simultaneously. You’ll then add texture and complexity with David’s unique approach to walking foot machine quilting where the quilting lines become a major design element. Learn to connect multiple quilted units with a great gusset join technique, then add a simple face binding for a modern finish.

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Supply List 

 

  • MATERIALS

    • 3 photos of architecture that you like: Please have color hard copies of the images you like best, we may cut them up. Think about simple, graphic images: detail shots work well. You may use the photos included in the provided PDF if you prefer.

    • 6–8 solid neutral fabrics: fat quarters work well. Choose solid quilting cotton in black, tan, grey, and white. Neutrals only. Very subtle textures are OK but no strong prints, please. You do not need to match the colors in your photos.

    • 3–4 solid accent fabrics: small scraps of solid accent fabrics. Choose strong, bright, modern colors. Subtle textures are OK.

    • 3 pieces of backing fabric: cut into 14" x 14" squares. A dark quilting cotton (like black or grey) with an open weave works great. Have extra fabric if you’d like to try facing your mini quilt.

    • 3 pieces of cotton quilt batting: cut into 13" x 13" squares.

    • Design wall: if you don’t have one set up, cut a piece of quilt batting about 24" x 24". Tape this up so you can experiment with your composition, and step back to see the results. Have your phone/camera handy to take pictures of your progress!

    • Cotton sewing thread for piecing in a neutral color (like medium grey) plus black, white (or off white) and a bright color to go with your accent fabric. I prefer 40 or 50 wt. thread.

  • TOOLS/EQUIPMENT

    • Domestic sewing machine with walking foot plus a 1/4" seam allowance foot (or standard foot)

    • Fresh machine sewing needles: I like to use Klasse’ Quilting needles 80/12

    • Rotary cutter with a fresh blade

    • Utility knife or X-Acto knife

    • Scissors for paper and fabric shears

    • Seam ripper (just in case!)

    • Pins

    • Cutting mat (medium size, about 12" x 18" or 18" x 24")

    • Quilting ruler (6" x 18" or 6" x 24")

    • Add-A-Quarter ruler (optional)

    • Chalk pencils and/or Chaco Liner

    • Black Sharpie and a pencil with eraser

    • Masking tape or blue painter’s tape

    • Iron and ironing board

    • Paper for sketching: copy paper will work, cut into quarters

    • 2 sheets of white copy paper + a stapler

    • Tracing paper: 14" x 17" size, or a 15" roll of baking parchment paper works, too

    • 12" x 12" thin cardboard for pattern making: a flattened cereal box or file folder is perfect for this, but any thin cardboard that you can cut easily with scissors or a utility knife will work. Tape together smaller pieces if needed to make a 12" x 12" square.

    • Smart phone with camera or digital camera to take photos as you work

 

Note: This workshop is a 6-hour live-stream event, conducted on Zoom, consisting of live
instruction (no recording, please). You should have the current version of Zoom installed
on your computer or laptop. Guidance for getting started will be sent in advance of the
workshop.

      

  Updated supply lists will be sent to participants prior to the workshop.


Click for Registration Form

March 11, 2025     12:45p – 3:45p
March 12, 2025     9:30a – 3:45p

Sue Walton

 

“Weaving Texture on a Frame Loom”        

Workshop Fee - $75

 

Participants in this workshop will learn to make a frame loom and put on a warp, incorporating yarns, fabric, ribbons, and fun objects to add color and texture to your piece. Sue will demonstrate a variety of different weave techniques and stitches to enhance your project. Learn how to take your project off your loom so you can turn the weaving into a wall hanging, table mat, or perhaps a pillow.

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Supply List                                                           

Kit Fee - $15

Kit Includes:

  • Warp yarns

  • Lots of basic weft yarns

  • Nails (for making the loom)

  • Instructional handout

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Student Supply List:

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  • Painter’s stretcher strips (found at art supply store, Dick Blick - 28878 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067 and on-line.) Suggested sizes are 9” x 12”, 12” x 15”. Strips can be square or rectangular.
    OR prepared painting canvas (found at Michaels, Joann’s, Hobby Lobby). You will be cutting off the canvas.

  • Hammer – either a regular carpenter’s hammer or tack hammer

  • 1⁄2” Round dowel rod

  • Scissors, paper, pencil, and ruler

  • Stick shuttle (passes yarn from the right to left hand and back again)
    AND/OR a Pick-up stick which is like a stick shuttle except have rounded ends or a point
    OR a weaving sword (a single edge shaped wooden stick used to pack down weft threads and in doing so separates and increases the size of the shed to create the woven fabric. Some will be available to use at the workshop.

  • Tapestry beater, designed to go around the warp threads and push down your weft threads OR a heavy dining fork.

  • Extra yarn, strips of fabric, leather, feathers, etc.

   

 Updated supply lists will be sent to participants prior to the workshop.

Click for Registration Form

April 8, 2025     12:45p – 3:45p
April 9, 2025     9:30a – 3:45p

Sue Screws

 

“Polymer Clay - Buttons and Beads”      

Workshop Fee - $75

 

The workshop will be centered on Mokume Gane, a Japanese metal technique that translates as faux wood. Participants will create a color pallet, make a billet of clay, distort the clay, and shave bits off to apply to a background. This veneer will be used to create buttons and beads.

 

If you plan to create buttons for a specific fabric or yarn, I suggest bringing a sample for us to match or coordinate.

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Supply List 

Kit Fee: $40

​Kit Includes:

  • Work surface

  • Acrylic roller

  • (5 or 6) 2 oz. blocks of clay

  • Flexible tissue blade (super sharp)

  • Assorted tools and texture sheets will be available for use during the workshop

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Student Supply List: TBD

      

  Updated supply lists will be sent to participants prior to the workshop.


Click for Registration Form

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