Vol. 5, No.3, February 1, 2020 |
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Hello! Welcome to this edition of Notions. February is a short month, and packed with lots of good things. It is Black History Month. Our feature article in this newsletter highlights a couple of quilting and sewing contributions made by African American women. Read about Harriet Powers, Gee's Bend Quilters, and Ann Lowe. Click on the links within the articles for even more information about these amazing women. Valentine's day is on the 14th, and the school kids have a winter break for a week starting on February 17. SewGreen is open all month (except on Sundays) so stop in for a class, or a free club and create something with us. We have an addition to the February Calendar - On February 15, from 2-4 Susie will be back to offer her Knitted Mitten Class! Take this class if you want to finish up the mittens you started in her previous class, or start a new set of mittens if you missed the previous class. See our Website for more details. |
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Contributions to Sewing and Quilting by African American Women |
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The Quilts of Gee's Bend have been well documented, but it's still an interesting and continuing story about how the women in a small plantation community surrounded on three sides by the Alabama river used scraps of fabric and old clothes to patch together quilts. Gee's Bend represents a lot of small slave communities in the south. Then there is Harriet Powers who created beautiful story telling appliqué quilts, and Ann Lowe who designed dresses for high society. This is a very short description of their contributions: Books, movies, and museums around the country have more information and tell more deeper stories about the accomplishments and struggles of these women, and others. |
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Harriet Powers Harriet Powers was born a slave in October of 1837 in rural Georgia. She made quilts in the "story quilt" style, quilts that tell a story through sewn images and embroidery. Although most of her quilts have not survived, two of them have. The two quilts that exist today were created using the appliqué method where scraps of fabric are shaped into figures and sewn onto background fabric. She exhibited her "Bible Quilt" at the "Cotton Fair" in Athens Georgia in 1886 and people were astonished at its beauty and detail. After the Civil war, Harriet fell into financial hard times and sold the Bible Quilt for 5 dollars, although she asked for 10. | | |
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The Bible Quilt, made in 1886, is now in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, and the Pictorial Quilt, made in 1898 is in the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. |
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Quilts of Gee's Bend Gee's Bend represents a lot of small slave communities in the south. It is a story about women from a plantation community in Alabama who used scraps of fabric, old clothes, and feed sacks to patch together quilts for comfort. Most of the quilt designs are abstract and do not follow any specific 'quilt block' pattern. The community is currently made up of less than 1000 residents, and its name has been changed to Boykin, Georgia. But the women of the community continue to quilt today and hold retreats each year to share their stories and quilt together with others. Story of Gee's Bend Quilters. Quilting Retreat |
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Ann Lowe Ann Lowe was an acclaimed African American dress designer. She designed the wedding dress for Jacquline Kennedy. Her dresses were beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. The fit would be perfect to the person and the seams lined in lace. She was segregated from her 'white' colleagues in design school in NYC, and had her own room. However, her designs were often used as exemplars for the other students. Read more about her. | | |
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The Girl Scouts visited SewGreen and made scrunchies with the help of our volunteers! It was a busy and fun Saturday. Here they are showing off their finished projects. |
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They earned their sewing badge by learning how to follow a simple pattern to cut their chosen fabric, and sew it together on the sewing machine with an elastic insert to create their very own "scrunchie". |
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Our volunteer Deb made this is a little bag for her sister. All the fabric and trim is from SewGreen. The handles are a little velvety fabric from ties she clipped off a dress purchased at the Goodwill. She loved the dress, didn't like the ties, so they found a new home. Anne, our shop manager, made this beautiful Crocheted Cowl using the Linen Stitch. The Noro yarn for this project was purchased at Sew Green. Anne is here on Wednesdays for Crochet Club at 11:30. We'd love to see what you make! Send a picture to sewgreenrochester@gmail.com |
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Good-Bye to Plastic Bags Are you ready? Starting March 1st all shops in New York State that collect state taxes are not allowed to distribute single use plastic bags. (Produce, Meat, Deli etc plastic bags will still be available.) You will need to bring your own bag, or perhaps purchase a paper bag. Stop in to one of our Open Sew times and make yourself a reusable cloth bag! Click on the image to read all about the NYS plastic bag law. |
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Thimbles Thimbles are used for pushing a needle through fabric or leather as it is being sewn. They are generally worn on the middle finger of the sewing hand. As you are hand sewing you hold the needle in your hand similarly to the way you hold a pen or pencil. Using your index and thumb you push the needle through the fabric, then if the fabric is a bit heavy and the needle needs a little effort to get through the fabric, push on it using the thimble. The little nibs in the thimble will hold onto the needle and the thimble protects your thumb from getting poked with the back of the needle! OUCH! Thimbles come in all sizes so be sure to get one that fits the finger you'll wear it on. Most of us that sew have lots of thimbles, you can put one on a thumb or other finger if you are hand quilting or embroidering. Some are metal, some are plastic, some are leather. Now you know what a thimble is. We have lots at our shop. They are quite inexpensive! |
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Upcoming Classes and Events |
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Knit Mittens February 15th 2-4PM This is a late addition to the calendar! Susie will be back to help you knit up a pair of mittens or finish up the mittens you started if you took her class in January! |
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Sewing Machine 101/201 Tuesday February 4th from 11-1 and again from 4-6 you can take this very popular class to learn to use your sewing machine. Or use one of ours at the shop. If you sort of know how to sew but it's been a while, this is also a great place to get back to sewing and gain the confidence to continue on. |
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Dress Form Boot Camp Take your measurements, pad a dress form to fit, begin working with fabric over the form to make patterns. This 4 hour class gives you the opportunity to go from measurements to a pattern. February 8th, 1-5 |
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Microwave Bowl Cozy You know how the bowl gets super hot when you heat up your food in the microwave? How about using a cozy, made by you, to hold the bowl? Here is your chance to create a microwave bowl cozy. (they make great gifts too) February 10th, 11-1 AND 4-6 |
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Important Information and Links |
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We accept a lot of things, but not everything. Click the button below to get Information on Donating to SewGreen@Rochester. |
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Some winter days in the Rochester area are just too dangerous for driving. Please watch our Facebook and Instagram accounts for announcements of shop closures. When in doubt, choose to be safe! |
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