January Meeting Summary

 If you weren't able to join us, please read on for a short recap. Members are welcome to request the full minutes by e-mail.

Workshops

• January 18th: recreate a ready-to-wear knit garment - Confirmed to Run!
• Jan/Feb bodice block making workshop at Assela’s home in Barrhaven - SOLD OUT
• Feb 15: Leather Mitt Workshop

Sew-Ins & Events

• In Person - Jan 18 - Confirmed to Run!
• Virtual - Jan 12, Feb 16
• Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CsQbMIYt4b0vViXN8VH61RCnknsjnias64BOJzwFlyA/edit?ts=67808da6
• Hintonburg Fabric Flea Market - May 3, email us you'd like to sell

Community Events

• Stitch, Hook & Knit Social - Tuesday evenings at Old Town Hall Community Center, 
• Mayfair Theatre Crafter’s Movie Afternoon - Feb 8
• Toronto Frocktails - April 26

Meeting - Sewing Space Tours

• This month we were invited into the homes of three members who gave us tours of the spaces they sew in. We learned about how they organize their supplies and work spaces, the challenges they face in their space and the creative solutions they’ve come up with to get the most out of the space they have. It was lovely to see the special moments like thoughtful gifts from family, a custom desk made by a father and artwork by beloved family members that make the spaces more than just functional.
  

Sewing SOS

• A member was looking for suggestions about how to get started on a new serger. The overwhelming suggestion was to take a class either by the retailer because some offer classes for free when you purchase a machine, or at one of our local fabric stores. 

OGGPOM - Hey, Look What I Found! 

• Take some time to tidy, re-assess, re-organize, or just admire your sewing space and see if you have any treasures waiting to be used in a project this month. Maybe you have a special set of buttons, a perfect lining fabric, a witty or heartwarming tag, a pattern you forgot you had, or fabric you really want to sew up!

Next meeting - online only February 13, 2025

December Meeting Summary

If you weren't able to join us, please read on for a short recap. Members are welcome to request the full minutes by e-mail.

Workshops

• January 18th: recreate a ready-to-wear knit garment
• Jan/Feb bodice block making workshop at Assela’s home in Barrhaven

Sew-Ins & Events

• In Person - Dec 21, Jan 18
• Virtual - Dec 16

Community Events

• Ecoequitable Fashion Show - Thursday, Dec. 19

Meeting - Wrapping it Up with Laura Lee

• This month we heard from Laura-Lee about the history of wrapped garments, the designers that popularized them and the traditional garments from other cultures that inspired and influenced many style that remain popular to this day.
  

Sewing SOS

• A member was looking for help with a pattern adjustment for pants she was making for her husband. Many members recommended she try other patterns they had used successfully in the past for men’s pants.

OGGPOM - Wrap It Up 

• Wrap dresses, wrap tops, wrap skirts, wrap jumpsuits or wrapped baby clothes. So many choices!

Next meeting - January 6, 2025

November 2024 Meeting Recap

If you weren't able to join us, please read on for a short recap. Members are welcome to request the full minutes by e-mail.

Workshops

• Workshops are now available on the website via the Store tab.

• January 18th: recreate a ready-to-wear knit garment

• Jan/Feb bodice block making workshop at Assela’s home in Barrhaven

Sew-Ins & Events

• Tickets for in-person can be found on the Square store, via the “Store” tab on the website

• Virtual - If members sign up, they will receive a link to Zoom by email.

• FREE Movie Night @ NAC November 23

Announcing the Tool Library

• We now have an industrial Snap Press, dies and hardware for jean rivets, jean button and 24L snaps 

• It can be used before/after meetings or during in-person sew-ins. Members can also send an email to the President if they want to use it

Community Events

• Days for Girls - make reusable pads for girls. Same day as OGG meeting, but email address provided for the organizer to be added to mailing list for future events. 

• Mary Johnston: nepeanontario@daysforgirls.org

• Cavadelo Flax Garden - previous speakers at an OGG meeting that grow flax to make fabric are renting Gardens in 2025 to those interested in giving it a try. 

• Mayfair Theatre hosts Crafter’s Afternoon where they play a movie, keep the lights on so people can craft. The next one is Feb 8 at 12:30, showing Chicago

 

Meeting - Care and Feeding of Fancy Fabrics with Vicki

• This month we heard from long-time member and talented sewist, Vicki all about fancy fabrics and how to care for them. We learned how to select the right fabric, how to preserve its beauty, and keep final garments looking fabulous for years to come while oogling the many stunning samples of fabrics and finished garments that Vicki brought to share with us.
  
  

Sewing SOS

• Some members had questions about Discord. It was noted that Discord can be easier to read on a desktop.

• “How-to” video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBCAvQNkK6M&t=5s

OGGPOM - Enchantment! 

• Consider using the tips from Vicki to make something spectacular!

• Make something for an enchanted evening, whether at a fancy party or lounging in style.

Next meeting - December 12, 2024

October 2024 Meeting Recap

If you weren't able to join us, please read on for a short recap. Members are welcome to request the full minutes by e-mail.

Workshops

• Workshops are now available on the website via the Store tab.

• January 18th: recreate a ready-to-wear knit garment

• Jan/Feb bodice block making workshop at Assela’s home in Barrhaven

Sew-Ins

• Tickets for in-person can be found on the Square store, via the “Store” tab on the website

• Virtual - If members sign up, they will receive a link to Zoom by email.

Community Events

• This is be a new addition to the regular meeting slides. Members are invited to submit fiber related events happening in the Ottawa area to let other members know. 

Meeting - Sew Smart - Apps!

• The first presenter was Leah, showing My Body Model, which is an online service that creates custom digital croquis based on one’s measurements.

• Bonnie followed, giving a presentation on Trello, an app which she uses to organize her sewing.
  

• Lastly, Kallie gave a live demo of Threadloop, a new sewing organizing app that has recently taken off in the sewing world.

Sewing SOS

• Kallie was looking for tips and tricks for pressing belts/ ties/ etc. to make sure seam allowance is fully turned out.

OGGPOM

• My Favourite Make. Several options to participate:

• Re-post and re-wear a favourite thing you’ve made. Log it into some new software or app you’ve learned about tonight.

• Make a new version of a TNT (Tried n’ True pattern to show off and see if something you learned about tonight can help you track how you changed it.

• Learn about a new way to store, organize, and sort your stash digitally and find a beloved pattern to match you freshly rediscovered stash to!

September 2024 Meeting Recap

If you weren't able to join us, please read on for a short recap. Members are welcome to request the full minutes by e-mail.

• Welcome Back another season of the Ottawa Garment Guild
• Housekeeping & Updates
• Call for Volunteers
• We are looking for volunteers to help with the snack committee. 
• We are looking for a volunteer to help the executive committee run and manage our technology that makes our hybrid meetings possible.
• We need more volunteers especially if as a Guild we want to put on special events like Frocktails. 
• Please email us at ottawagarmentguild@gmail.com for more information on any of the volunteer opportunities. 
• Name Tags 
• We are bringing back the name tags from last year. We will keep hold of them in-between the meetings. This meeting we had some temporary ones and we asked members to let us know their pronouns and instagram handle but those are optional.
• Tool Rental Program
• We're beginning a tool rental program with a snap press. As soon as the press is acquired we'll share how members can use it.
• Special Events
• Upcoming: We're planning now so stay tuned for announcements
• Past: review of the Billings High Tea on Sept 1. 
• Workshops
• Nov 16 - Photographing your makes with Stéphanie - tickets are on sale now
• January 18 - Rubbing off knitware with Coco Yang - look for details in an upcoming email
• Jan/Feb - Block Making with Assela - 4 week workshop held in Barrhaven, details to come in upcoming email
• Sew-Ins
• TBD October & December
• Feb 15, April 19, June 21
• each sew in is $15, meet at St Marks and sew from 10-4, we provide pizza
• OGGPOM
• Twinsies! - link up with a new or old friend and make the same pattern. Fraternal Twinsises with different fabrics or pattern views or hacks are encouraged to make sure you're making something you love. 
• Activity 
• Instead of a guest speaker this month we spent the main meeting segment getting to know each other better. 
• Discord
• Members have been enjoying connecting between meetings on our Discord channel. A link will be sent out in the September meeting recap email to join if you haven't already.
• Kallie gave a brief tutorial about how to use Discord but if you missed it, Stéphanie has made this helpful video you can access here.
• Sewing SOS
• none this week but please email if you have any in the future