Monday, 21 April 2025

April Meeting Summary

Introduction

  • Leah opened the meeting with a land acknowledgement.


Housekeeping

  • Leah provided a brief overview of the calendar of meetings.

    • Next meeting May 8th and final meeting of the season, with our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and board elections, and a fabric, garment and pattern swap on June 12th.

Workshops

  • Two workshops coming up - both up on the square store for registration: 

    • April/May: Bodice Block Workshop with Assela - running another session of the popular workshop. Wednesday Evenings: April 30, May 7, 14, 12  6-9pm at Assela’s home studio in Barrhaven

    • May 17:  Moccasin Workshop w/ Colleen Nolan - follow-on to the mittens workshop, this one will be held 10am - 4pm at St. Marks. 

  • Similar to last meeting, Natacha showed members the knit top she recreated as part of Coco’s workshop in January. She chose a top with a square neckline with a side seam as a design feature. It turned out wider than the original as the fabric she used was less stable. Overall, she enjoyed the workshop and thought Coco was a great teacher.


Sew-Ins & Events 

  • The Hintonburg Fabric Flea market

    • Event is on Saturday May 3, 9:30-3:00. Set up Friday 6-8pm & Sat 8-9am.

    • Entry fee is $3.

  • Billings Estate High Tea - OGG has booked Sunday, June 22 from 2:30-3:30 for high tea at the Billings Estate (one of our best attended events)

    • Gluten free options available.

    • Members asked to reserve by June 1st. 

  • Two in person Sew-ins coming up - first on Saturday, April 19 and last one on June 21.

    • Both are open for registration on the Square store. 

  • Zoom sew-in coming up on Sunday, April 13 and May 11.

    • Free registration, available on the “events” page of the OGG website.


Community Events

  • Leah gave an overview of the events on the Community Calendar

  • Stitch, Hook & Knit social on Tuesdays, run by member River. 

  • Ottawa Queerly Sewing Circle is holding a silent auction to celebrate their first anniversary, which will support the Ottawa Trans Library. The Auction will run from April 17th - 24th. 


2025/6 Executive Elections

  • Leah announced that OGG is looking to fill three executive positions for next year, which all have two year terms. Leah gave an overview of each of the roles:

    • Secretary - takes notes at the General monthly meetings for the post-meeting summary emails; prepares the Agenda for Executive Committee meetings; and takes notes at Executive meetings and prepares meeting minutes

      • Leah noted that this position is not good for someone who travels a lot, as the Secretary is required to attend all the meetings to take the notes. 

    • Treasurer 

      • Maintains the bank account for the Guild, and presents a summary of the state of the account for Executive meetings;

      • Manages the membership fees, and workshop & special event fees;

      • Prepares an annual budget for the Executive’s approval;

      • Aids the Vice-President, Workshop & Sew-in Coordinator, and Events Coordinator in the preparation of event-based budgets;

      • Pays outstanding invoices as required;

      • Files any required paperwork and tax returns in a timely manner;

      • Has signing authority on the bank account.

      • Manages Square Store.

        • Leah also noted that Kallie, who is currently occupying the Social Media Position, is intending to run for the Treasurer position. 

    • Social Media

      • manages the Instagram account, public Facebook page, and Discord;

      • Keeps track of the passwords document for all accounts;

      • Can solicit members for content for these pages;

      • Takes photos at monthly meetings, to be shared on the various social media accounts;

      • Establish and maintain a schedule of posts, across platforms, fostering the ongoing engagement of Guild members and the broader Ottawa sewing community, in ongoing programming, and special events;

      • Works with the Vice-President, Workshop & Sew-in Coordinator, and Events Coordinator in the preparation of content for use across platforms, as determined on an event-by-event basis.

  • Leah also gave an overview of the election process, noting that an email formally announcing Elections will be sent out, aiming for Monday, April 14.

    • Interested members were asked to email their nominations to ottawagarmentguild@gmail.com by May 5th

    • Then at the May 8 Meeting, the candidates would be announced and members would have a chance to hear from Candidates

    • Between May & June meeting: Anonymous Google Form ballot sent to all members 

    • Winners would be announced at the June AGM Meeting.


Meeting - Zip it! All about Zippers

  • Laura-Lee opened her talk by recalling that she previously spoke about wrap garments - the oldest ways to close garments - and now she was going to talk about zippers, which are one of the newest.

  • Zippers are frustrating! So she will include some tips and tricks to inserting them, in addition to the history.

  • Laura-Lee gave an overview of the zipper’s beginnings, highlighting the patent illustrations on the slide, noting how many parts go into a zipper and there is a lot that can go wrong. 

  • The very first inventor of the zipper was also the inventor of the sewing machine.

  • In 1893, at the Chicago World Fair, an inventor demonstrated their clasping closure for footwear and created the Universal Fastener Company. However, the design was flawed and it didn’t take off.

  • Fast forward to 1913, a Swedish engineer in Philadelphia came up with the zipper we know today. He increased the number of bits and improved the closure.

  • BF Goodrich used to make boots and used their design for zippers on their boots and bags. They came up with the name zipper, which is an onomatopoeia for the sound it makes when closing.  

  • Laura-Lee then went into how the zipper entered the fashion world. In the 1930s, zippers started appearing in clothing but they were not widely adopted. In the 1950s, it was more widely used but predominantly in kids’ wear - ironically with the intention of getting kids to dress themselves. But separating zippers didn’t appear until much later. 

  • 1954 was the first time Levi’s used a zipper in their overalls, and it was only in the 1970s when they started to use zippers in jeans. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that it was the default. 

  • Laura-Lee also described some controversies related to zippers. One story - that cannot be confirmed with citations, so might not be true - is that people were destroying stores in NYC when zippers first started appearing in men’s clothing, people were destroying stores because people thought it was too easy to get undressed. 

  • In the 1950s, motorcycle jackets - with their many zippers for practical reasons - became a symbol of rebellion. Lastly, Laura-Lee described the limited edition of the Rolling Stones April 1971 album “Sticky Fingers” that was designed by Andy Warhol that featured a men’s jeans fly zipper that actually opened. But they switched to a picture after people reported the zipper scratching the record. One OGG member present mentioned they owned a copy of the limited edition record.\

  • Laura-Lee pointed out how she was wearing her Closet Core Jo jumpsuit - for which she included a long zipper pull so she could zip herself up even with the zipper at the back. She pointed out how zipper placement is a feminist issue - only fancy ladies who had servants to dress them had zippers at the back of their clothes. The people who were servants had clothes that zipped at the front or side. 

  • Zipper placement is also an accessibility issue. 

  • Laura-Lee then explained what the most common YKK zipper stood for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha (which roughly translates as Yoshida Company Limited). Started in 1934 by Yoshida, YKK now makes 1.5 billion zippers per year.

  • Laura-Lee mentioned a 1962 video produced by Ontario Agriculture that said “so many people would sew their own clothes - if only someone else put in the zipper” - but is a helpful resource video on how to insert one. It also underscores that frustration with inserting zippers is longstanding.

  • Laura-Lee then went over the types of zippers, starting with pants zippers. Metal teeth are best for denim. 

  • As zippers are usually the first thing to go, it’s best to go with the heaviest duty zipper you can even if you do not need it. 

    • Heavy fabric with no stretch need a heavy duty zipper.

  • Zippers come in different lengths. A longer zipper than you need is easier to use than a shorter one. Extra metal teeth can be removed with pliers, while plastic can be snipped to the desired length and then have a few stitches over the end to create a new stop. 

  • Double-ended zippers are used in coats. It can take time do get it right as you may need to do each side separately and then hope it works together. Basting is key!

  • Invisible zippers don’t show on the right side of the garment. Getting the invisible zipper foot is really worth it!

  • Zippers by the yard are another great option. The Sallie Tomato zipper by the yard is available at Fabrications - it’s not cheap but it works well when the exact length of zipper is important. Using a zipper-jig will help get the slider on/back on, acting like a third hand. 

  • As a final tip, Laura-Lee emphasized that it is COMPLETELY worth it to buy the appropriate zipper foot. For example, the invisible zipper foot helps get the stitches close enough. 

  • During the discussion, members offered several tips of their own, including:

    • Iron invisible zippers to help the zipper slide right into the foot.

    • Zipper Shipper is an online zipper store with a big selection of zipper lengths - a member found a specific length of zipper for a baby onesie they were sewing here. 

    • When sewing a bag, it’s better to leave a bit of space between the fabric and the zipper teeth to give more space for the lining.

    • If adding a zipper to a hand knitted item, it’s better to hand sew the zipper in due to the difference in tension. 

    • North Face will replace zippers on their products free of charge. 

    • One member noted they liked to start sewing their zippers in the middle to get a more accurate placement. It was easier than trying to start at one of the end which they found to be bulkier. 

    • Sticky zippers can be fixed with zipper grease, soap, candle wax, or crayons to match the colour of the zipper. 

    • Zippers can be pre-shrunk by hand washing in hot water (though might not be necessary for polyester ones). 


Resources to be shared with members (Via meeting summary email):


Sewing SOS

  • Chloé asked for advice on how to reuse a hand-embroidered panel/yoke on a button up shirt that is now too small - it cannot be buttoned up and feels too small across the back/shoulders even left open. The fabric is wool. She put a lot of time into the embroidery and would like to still use it. Members offered the following ideas:

    • Colour block with something of the same weight

    • Reuse the yoke for another project

    • Applique - for example, for a bag

    • Insert a giant sized panel under the arm and down the waist to create more room - like an underarm gusset.

  • Leah also gave an overview of the questions posted on Discored over the past month - where to find buckles (including a tip to check thrift stores!) and printer settings for printing patterns at home. 


OGGPOM - Zipping right along 

  • Inspired by this month’s talk, try a zipper! In a bag, as a major design feature like the Juniper Dress by Tiana Herring Patterns, or a more straightforward sew like the Bernadette skirt by Friday Pattern company (which has its zipper on the side!)

  • Members are also encouraged to share their tips and favourite videos on Discord. 


Sew & Tell 

  • Leah kicked off Sew and Tell by showing her quilted jacket, which also was the OGGPOM for Spring Sewing. She made it from an old handmade quilt thrifted from Facebook Marketplace. It is the Coast Coat from a pattern found on Etsy. She used bias tape on the inside and made it cropped. 

  • Laura-Lee brought her OGGPOM (Spring sewing!) to show. It was a vintage Butterick shirt pattern that she found at the Almonte Fabric Festival. The pattern has a cute pocket and winged collar. She made a size 14 with no alterations from a cotton fabric from Blackbird Fabrics. 

  • Jessica wore her pants she sewed as part of the Sewing Slacks Support Group - she made the BF Patterns Taylor Trousers in vintage fabric she found at EcoEquitable. It has an elastic in the back. She ended up grading from a 14 to a 16 and back to a 14 as the pattern is very high waisted. 

  • Chloé showed the latest version of her pants pattern, which was made from orange corduroy fabric from Simplifii Fabrics in 100% cotton. In this version, she played with the stripes of the corduroy, particularly on the pockets. She used buttons from her stash and incorporated the side adjusters with the buckle to give more room when sitting. 

  • Katie wore her Anna Allen Pomona pants, which she hacked into a straight leg. She also brought a WIP of a tulip top that she was making from a thrifted apron that has a cow on it.

  • Bonnie brought her House of Kotor jacket, which she made from four pairs of upcycled jeans and a thrifted blanket. She really like the big hood feature. 

  • Kimberley wore her Cashmerette Miriam trousers, which she worked on as part of the Sewing Slacks Support Group over the past 1.5 months. After getting feedback from Paddye Mann, she took 2 inches out of the rise and the back and slimmed down the leg. Kimberley used khaki twill. 

  • Zahava used 0.7m of fabric printed with butterflies to copy an existing shirt.

  • Natacha showed her Mimi G coat, made from fabric from Club Tissu in Quebec. While the pattern is not lined, she lined it with flannel to make it a transitional coat. The hood is also removable, being attached with a zipper. 


Next meeting - May 8, 2025
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