ASG Conference 2024

 

     I went to San Francisco two weeks ago for the last in-person American Sewing Guild Conference.  It was a mix of good and bad.  The flights are long, especially when in a middle seat.  On the way out I had two armrest hogs and on the way home I had someone that didn't know what deodorant was.  Getting to and from the airport was a breeze, my husband took me there and picked me up.  In San Fran, the BART system took me right to my hotel from the airport.  So easy to use, helpful people and clean.

       The classes were a mix also.  The two classes (Serger 101 and Intro to American Bojagi) I had with Katrina Walker were amazing.  She puts in so much effort into the handout, a booklet in a three prong folder, that you paste all your samples.  It is no wonder that she was inducted into the ASG Hall of Fame this year.  I had a class on the history of sewing patterns with Julianne Bramson that was very interesting.  My last class, Leather Sit & Sew, was not that great.  She had a one page handout with very little info.  It was hard to take notes and sew at the same time.  We did a bound pocket but I didn't know that I will be able to duplicate it because I couldn't take enough notes.  

     I was going to buy a classroom serger, it sewed like a dream.  When I went to get it on Sunday after the last class, my debit card was denied and when we called to get it corrected, there was going to be a long wait time to talk with someone.  I just didn't have the patience.  I had woken up at 4AM that morning and I was hungry because it was lunchtime plus they didn't have a morning break for us that day.  So sorry I missed out on getting it.

     The lunches were okay, except for the last one.  The lunchtime talks were good.  The fashion show had some amazing items.  One woman had made an anorak jacket from her mom's wedding dress.  A practical way to be able to still get some use from it.

     The last day I did the fabric shopping trip.  We first went to Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics.  I bought quite a bit there.  Then we went to a fabric discount warehouse where I bought a few more pieces.  Last stop was Britex where I bought one piece that cost about what I had spent at the two other places combined.  I was prepared for this fabric shopping trip.  I had looked through my Itch To Stitch patterns and written down the yardage I needed for each. That made shopping more enjoyable.  I also took photos of the pattern with the fabric so I would remember what I bought each piece for.  Now I just need some time to sew up everything I bought.