Welcome

Celebrate our chapter by participating in the In Stitches Challenges! New Name, was San Jose In Stitches!

To enter the contest, you must make the challenge of the month, take a picture and use the Submit Entry button and fill out the Form.  (Don’t worry the Form will get your photo to the Website manager, social media coordinator and newsletter editor.) A photo of a completed challenge gives you one chance to win a $100 prize. Your photo may appear in our newsletter, our website and our social media pages so that all can enjoy your projects. (The maker does not need to appear in the photo) The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries (pictures) received. The challenges are as follows: 

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              2024​​

• September       Use the color red in a project.  It can be any amount of red, from a small accent to the entire project. 

• October           Manipulate fabric in a project.  Fabric manipulation is playing with the fabric to change its  appearance or is modified in how it looks or feels.   This can include tucks, couching,  shirring, scrunching, pin tucks, smocking, ruffles & more.   The fabric has changed its texture or has more of a 3D effect.

• November       Use plaid &/or stripes in a project.

• December       Make a gift.

                 2025

• ​January.      Its cold outside! Use a warm and fuzzy fabric such as  corduroy, fleece or flannel in a project

• February      Use the color turquoise in a project

• March           Special or Fancy Fabric project.

       Do you have a special fabric that you have been saving?  Or  use a fancy fabric like  satin, velvet,                   brocade, etc. in a project.

• April              Use a vintage pattern &/or vintage fabric in a project. The fabric doesn’t have to be vintage, but needs to have the look of vintage.  Vintage is usually defined as 20 to 99 years old.

• May               Make a container. It could be used while traveling or for storage.   

• June              Embellish a T-shirt, sweatshirt or shirt.

• July            Make any type of Bag.

• August         Creative Closures. Use a treasured button(s), try a new fastener, decorative zipper, new clasp on a bag, create your own loop closures,  or add a new twist to a closure on a project.  Below are some places for inspiration.  All Dunn Designs - Creative closures E book

       Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/lpeters98/garment-closures/ 

        https://www.pinterest.com/mashamc/creative-closures/

      Opening & Closing by Lois Ericson with Anne Charles.  Book is out of print but you may be able to find        it on Amazon, Ebay etc.

It would be nice for your project/garment to be a part of the Informal Fashion show at the Annual Meeting in the fall. 

• September  Make a project with your Favorite Pattern. Please include the pattern company number and/or name of the pattern.

• October      Awareness month:   Sew Pink - Breast Cancer; Sew Purple - Epilepsy or for Domestic Violence Awareness; 

    There are multiple organizations promoting awareness for their group for the month of October, if you find one that means something to you, please let us know which organization that your project represents  - it just needs to be for the month of October!

• November   Make a project for Any Holiday

• December    Make a Gift

 

Let’s see how creative and productive we can be! Good luck and happy sewing! 

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The rules are as follows: 

1. Entries must be hand made. Sewing, quilting, machine or hand embroidery, knitting, crochet, beading, weaving, leather craft, and other handmade crafts are acceptable.      

2. Only entries completed in their respective months will be eligible for entering into the contest. 

3. One entry per month per participant. 

4. Must be a member of San Jose Chapter of the American Sewing Guild to participate. 

5. Each month’s project photo should be sent using the button “Submit Entry” and complete the form by 11:59 pm on the last day of that month. Please send just One photo as a jpg or jpeg format.  If you wish to show more than one view please use an app to create a photo collage and then submit the multi-view photo. Only one photo will be shown on the website/entry.

6. Winner to be announced at our Annual Meeting in the fall. You need not be present at the Annual Meeting to win, but we would love to see you there!

* The Challenge calendar year is September, 2024 to August 31, 2025.

if you have any concerns about photographing your projects please read this article Helpful hints for photographing your projects

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