Linda Griepentrog

This past weekend I had the pleasure of presenting an all-day workshop for the Salem, Oregon American Sewing Guild group–the topics were Inkjet Fabric Printing and Needle Felting by Hand or Machine.

I LOVE teaching (OK, I might have mentioned this in an earlier post)! It’s not just the sharing of the skills, but also the energy that develops when sewers are together–in this case 45 of them in one room. You can see from the photos that the students were intent on their felting work, as their samplers had to be done before lunchtime because another presentation was coming their way.

On the flip side, I also love going to classes, no matter what the topic (I try to avoid exercise classes, but almost any other subject is fair game). This year I’ve taken classes on jewelry making, chocolate truffle making, CSI and creative closures for sewn garments. No matter how smart you think you are, there’s always something to learn from the teacher and other class members. Between my two ASG classes was a wonderful presentation on apron history.

Perhaps you too love teaching, and you also love going to classes. If your not sure about selecting classes, check out this Sewing & Craft Alliance Guideline How to Find a Sewing Educator for some great ideas on where to look and questions to ask before you get there. Thorough research will assure that you get the information you expect. If you’re a teacher, check it out as well as it offers some helpful hints for class preparation.

The ASG event where I taught also had a “craft market” where members could rent a table to sell their wares–from scraps and fabric “overstocks” to patterns and finished projects. I actually had two tables to sell some of the projects I’ve made for magazine stories and then they’re returned to me. They pile up in my storage room with no future use, so many of the guild members did some early Christmas shopping. If you’re a guild member, think about this idea as a group activity–everyone benefits from the sales and things go to an appreciative home.

If you have ideas for other successful sewing events, send them my way and I’ll share them in future entries.

In August, my husband and I went on a trip to Sydney, Australia to celebrate our 20th anniversary. When I go to any new city, especially in another country, I like to do two things–visit a grocery store and walk the aisles to see the foods and packaging of the destination, and of course, check out the fabric stores. In Sydney, I was able to do both, and managed to visit 15 fabric shops during my week there. In addition to writing an upcoming article for Threads about Fabric Shopping in Sydney, I also think it’s my professional responsibility to visit fabric resources wherever I am. After all, I’m in the business!

Before I went to Sydney, I researched the Internet with diligence to find all the possible stores in the area, and especially those I could access with public transportation or by walking. I also posted a request for information on newslists, and received an answer from someone named Alison who lived just outside Sydney. We e-mailed back and forth during the weeks before my trip about various resources I’d read about and about a Sewing & Craft show that was happening during my visit (hmmm…amazing how that happened).

Alison, who is active in the Australian Sewing Guild,  volunteered to meet me and take me to some of her favorite stores while my dear husband climbed the famed Harbour Bridge. I don’t do heights, so had no interest in that adventure! Keep in mind I’d never met Alison, but that didn’t matter to me. We learned later that both husbands had posed the question, “What if she’s an axe murderer?”

However, we both knew we’d be fine–after all, we were both sewers, and what better commonality to share. We had a marvelous day!

Today I was able to take Alison, her mom and her daughter, around to Portland’s fabric stores, as they’re here on a West Coast visit. Once again, we had a great time, and she learned about Portland, as I had about Sydney under her tutelage.

There’s something that bonds sewers together, no matter what the cultural differences, the accents or even thousands of miles of separation. Isn’t that great? Enjoy your sewing friends.