the urban sewing blog

We've moved -- new book, new look!

2007-10-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day for the Stitch family! We welcome our second book, Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture and have launched a pretty, new website! Now our blog, events, classes, and books can be found in one central location. All future blog posts will be located here:

http://www.stitchlounge.com/site/?s=blog

Thanks for your continued support and we'll see you on the new site! (This site will no longer be monitored.)

xoxo

Two Melissas and a Hope

Otis Lounge Event, 9/13 from 3-5PM

2007-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

From Jenny Wong:

To celebrate my birthday, I'm putting on a party that will support local indie
designers and a good cause-V-day's latest campaign to stop the mass rapes that
are occurring in Congo. A portion of the proceeds from door donations, designer
sales and drink sales will go to V-Day (vday.org).

More Spreading of Aforementioned Sewing Gospel!

2007-09-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

As the first sewing lounge, Stitch is always delighted to hear of so many like-minded folks opening sewing lounges around the country! We'll do our best to keep you updated about where the sewing gospel is being spread!

Sew LA (Los Angeles, CA) -- www.sew-la.com
Kitty Kitty Boom Boom (Durango, CO) -- www.kittykittyboomboom.com
Stitch Cleveland (Cleveland, OH) -- www.stitchcleveland.com
Bobbin's Nest Studio (Santa Clara, CA) -- www.bobbinsnest.com

And of course, our other friends around the country that have been rockin' the sewing and crafty gospel for quite a while should get a shout out too:

Stitches (Seattle, WA) -- www.stitchesseattle.com
Sparks Craft Studio (Boston, MA) -- www.sparkcrafts.com
First Samples (Austin, TX) -- www.firstsamples.com
Make Workshop (NY, NY) -- www.makeworkshop.com
The Sewing Lounge (Minneapolis, MN) -- www.sewinglounge.com
Quiltology (Chicago, IL) -- www.quiltology.com

Hurray for spreading the sewing gospel! (If you know of other places, please let us know!)

Bazaar Bizarre seeks DIY workshop artists

2007-09-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Bazaar Bizarre will be producing an inaugural holiday event for the Northern California branch of this nationally renowned indie craft fair. It will take place from 11 am to 6pm at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco on December 15th 2007. They are looking for any local SF Bay Area Planners who might be interested in offering DIY workshops. They have a dedicated classroom space for demos and workshops.

Contact Jamie at bazaarbizarresf at gmail for more details!

Happy Sewing!

Prototype this!

2007-09-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

This program "Prototype This!" is constructing airbags that will be secured to a harness as a safety device. They are wondering if they could comission some extra hands to construct the bags.

If you are interested in helping, please contact Jaqueline Marker at jaquelyn_marker@beyond.com.au

Happy Sewing!

SF Craft Mafia wants YOU to Get Made

2007-08-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

The 2nd annual San Francisco Craft Mafia's Mafia Made trunk show is coming up in October and they are still accepting applications for vendors! This is gonna be a big one -- it will be held at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park!

If you make stuff, you should apply to vend at this shopping extravaganza! Check out all the deets and find the application on the SF Craft Mafia website.

http://sfcraftmafia.com/mafia-made-2007-winter-trunk/

totally stitchin'

2007-08-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

We just caught wind of a cool contest that our peeps may be interested in. Baby Lock puts it on and it's called Take This Craft and Sew It. Participants can enter one of three projects (a clutch, and MP3 player cover, or a misc. project) to win a Baby Lock Creative Pro. Check out the details on www.totallystitchin.net.

Oh, and send us a copy of your entries so we can post them on our blog and show off your goodness!

xox,
Stitch

Calling All Remnants!

2007-08-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Have a bag full of woven fabric scraps? Donate them to Stitch! They'll be used in our beginning classes to help new seamsters get their sew on, so you can clear out your sewing stash AND feel good about helping a new generation of sewing enthusiasts get started! Please, nothing smaller than 1/2 yard pieces, please (or else it gets a little out of hand). :) Thanks everyone for your continued support of the Stitch community!!!

More crafting studios... All the time

2007-08-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

A friend of Stitch Lounge, Erin McGee just announced her plans to open a store offering supplies for sewing, knitting, crochet, and embroidery in Santa Clara California! The Bobbin’s Nest will also offer a range of classes, packages, parties, and sewing machine rental/studio time by the hour! The store’s grand opening is scheduled for September 22, 2007, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out! Congratulations Erin and Best of Luck to you :)

With the Bobbin’s Nest in the South and Stitch Lounge in the North, we’ll have the whole Bay Area crafting before we know it!

Bobbin's Nest Studio
1171 Homestead Road, Suite 130
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Biz Phone: TBD
http://www.bobbinsnest.com
http://bobbinsnest.blogspot.com

Burn, Burn, Burn - The 4th Annual Stitch Lounge Playa Wear Sale

2007-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Stitch Lounge will be having it's 4th annual BURNING MAN PLAYA WEAR sale this Saturday, August 4 from 3 to 6PM and again on Friday, August 17 from 4:30 to 7:30PM.

We'll be featuring the super hot wares of Paula from Dumb Clothing, Retro Diva (8/17 only), and the fabulous Silver Lucy, to name a few!

Stop on in for some booty shorts and rockin' faux fur action.

Stitch is located at 182 gough @ oak | 415.431.3739.

xoxo

faux fur fo sale!

2007-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

I was at Stitch Lounge yesterday to do some sewing and man o' man is there some pretty fur there! We've got a bunch of colors to choose from and it's only $29/yd!

And this is the good stuff people, the nice thick and yummy, warm and cozy stuff! And there is the sweet green color that I've never seen before :)

Get it while its hot (i guess its always hot though, huh?)...

burn on yo!
MA

Craftcast in the House!

2007-07-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking with Alison Lee from CraftCast. for her most recent podcast that was posted this week. Alison has a great thing going and I was honored to be one of her guests. Some of her other guests include Project Runway stars like Daniel V!

Alison, who hails from The Big Apple, had some great questions for me about Stitch Lounge, Sew Subversive, and sewing and fashion in general. Thanks to Alison for bridging the gap between east and west coast crafters!! We look forward to having her back in San Francisco soon!

xox,
Melissa A.

You can (and should!) download the podcast here: http://cache.libsyn.com/craftcast/CRAFTCAST40_stitchlounge.mp3

For more info on what Alison and CraftCast is all about check out her website:

CRAFTCAST~ Listen, Learn, Create

Event: A Family Affair - August 12, 2007, 2-6pm @ Stitch Lounge

2007-06-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Come join us for:

A Family Affair: Tips and Treats with the SF Craft Mafia

August 12, 2007, 2-6pm @ Stitch Lounge
182 Gough Street (@ Oak in Hayes Valley)

Free to the public. $1-2 donations gladly accepted

A Family Affair: Tips and Treats with the SF Craft Mafia offers local businesses and designers the perfect chance to network as well as fabulous opportunities to gain new, crafty skills.

Stitch Lounge—a member of SFCM—will sponsor and host, A Family Affair on August 12, 2-6pm, and feature a number of work stations to pick up jewelry-making tips, work on selected patterns from Stitch Lounge’s published guide to clothing customization, Sew Subversive, embellish and bedazzle garments with an assortment of buttons, beads, and sequins, and decorate delicious cupcakes. Business owners and designers can mingle over treats and exchange their own business tips and experiences.

The San Francisco Craft Mafia (SFCM) is a collective of San Francisco-based small business owners and artists committed to the promotion and growth of the independent handmade business community of the Bay Area and beyond. SFCM provides focused support for growing business ventures, a viable space and forum to network and share ideas and experiences, as well as exceptional community and shopping events. SFCM models itself after the first Craft Mafia in Austin, Texas, where a small group of crafters joined together in 2003 to support one other in their crafty business endeavors. SFCM is one of 47 active Craft Mafia chapters across the country and in Great Britain.

www.sfcraftmafia.com

Asian Americans are so Excellent

2007-06-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

As part of a profile on Evelyn Dilsaver, the Chair of the board for Women's Initiative, Hope will be on ABC7 this Saturday, June 23 at 7PM during "Profiles of Excellence: Asian Americans", in honor of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month. The show will air again on July 1 at 10:30AM, so set your Tivos!

Women's Initiative is an awesome organization that helps low income women receive entrepreneurial training in the SF Bay Area. Without WI, Stitch would not exist! So tune in and check out Evelyn, WI, and Hope!

Thanks for celebrating with us!

2007-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

We had a most lovely time celebrating Stitch's 3rd birthday this weekend! Thank you to everyone who joined us, either in person or in spirit! Here's to three more great years!

Design Competition for Aspiring Sewers/Designers

2007-06-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Babylock sewing machines contacted us about a design contest they are promoting with the American Sewing Expo called Passion for Fashion! The B*tches attended the ASE last year on our book tour promoting Sew Subversive, and though it definitely targets a different sewer than Stitch, everyone was really excited about what we were doing and they welcomed us with open arms. Anyway, if you're in the Detroit area and plan on attending the Expo this year, the Passion for Fashion contest is going to be a Project-Runway like competition--judged by Chloe Dao, the season 2 PR winner! Check out more details here:

http://www.americansewingexpo.com/contests.asp

Stitch turns 3!!!

2007-06-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, we opened the door to Stitch Lounge and a vibrant, wonderful, supportive community. We've come a long way since then and we have YOU to thank for it! We're celebrating this week by offering a 10% discount on all the wonderful items in our local designers' boutique, as well as 10% off all sewing machines and discounted studio time! And if that isn't enough to get you down here, please join us this Saturday afternoon from 4 to 6PM for a little party to celebrate our little gal growing up!

STITCH TURNS THREE!
Party this Saturday, June 9 from 4 to 6PM
Drinks and munchies

Plus, all week long, enjoy:

10% off all sewing machines
10% off boutique items
discounted studio rental rate of $5 per hour

Thanks to everyone for their continued support of the Stitch community! We love you!

Women's Initiative Honors Stitch Lounge

2007-05-30T16:47:00.001-07:00

Women's Initiative for Self Employment honored Stitch Lounge owners, Hope Meng and Melissa Alvarado (both graduates of the WI program) as Entrepreneurs of the Year. Here they are giving a speech at the annual gala alongside very large projections of the cover of Sew Subversive! Congratulations Hope and Melissa!

Women's Initiative for Self Employment provides a one-stop shop where high-potential, lower-income women receive training to start and grow their business.

Get free time in the studio for sharing your opinions!

2007-05-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

We were recently contacted by the sewing machine manufacturer, Bernina, to see how they could better serve YOU*, the hip, urban sewing market. :) Click here if you'd like to complete a short survey:

SURVEY

*And of course, there is something in it for you! In exchange for your time, Bernina will send you a a free Stitch card, good for 1.5 hours of free studio time at Stitch Lounge! What a deal!

Coupons for Local Designers @ Maker Faire

2007-05-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

If you're heading to Bazaar Bizarre @ Maker Faire this upcoming weekend (and why wouldn't you -- it's only the coolest creative fair for all types of creative folks in the Bay Area!), you should know that when you make a purchase from any member of the San Francisco Craft Mafia, you'll get a sheet full of great discounts and offers from all of us members! Look for us in red. We'll be the ones with the cool stuff and great discounts!

Familia of SFCM:
Craft Gym
CraftyBitch
Feisty Elle
Future Momo
Maryjane's Attic
My Windup Bird
Saints & Sinners
Stitch Lounge

From Mom Jeans To Fab Skirt (a Sew Subversive Project)

2007-04-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Stacy, the self-proclaimed fabric junkie, (of stacysews.com) took a drab pair of tapered (gasp!) jeans and used Sew Subversive techniques to turn them into a really fabulous skirt!

Before:

After:

Great job, Stacy!

Sew Subversive Reader Project -- Honey I Shrunk The Shirt

2007-04-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Campbell (a Subversive Sewer), received a really cool shirt from China that was too small for her. So, she (and her crafty mom) applied a Sew Subversive technique from "Honey, I Shrunk the Shirt" with great results!

Before:

After:

Great job, Campbell!

Modern Seamster - look it up!

2007-04-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Stitch's B*tches had dinner last night with the Ladies of Modern Seamster (Devi, Linda, and Tula). This new magazine due out in the summer is gonna rock your world! It picks up where all of the other sewing mags for our generation have left off and inlcudes more than just projects for your making. Modern Seamster is the magazine for, well, the modern seamster. We can look forward to reading about the lifestyle and cultural of today's sewer and if the product is even half as cool as the editors, then we are in for a treat! --MA

We wrote a book!

2007-03-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Our book is called: Sew Subversive: Down & Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista

The story is that we are three sew-positive ladies who want to spread the sewing gospel to the next generation of sewers. In our sewing lounge, we see lots of cases of potential new DIYers/seamsters completely intimidated by learning how to sew. No longer! Sew Subversive was conceived with the aspiring sewer/DIYer in mind. We break it down to the very basics of sewing (starting from the beginning with hand sewing) and provide a variety simple, low-risk projects using the clothes sitting in the back of your closet to encourage you to get out there and get your sew on!

Sew Subversive is not a book of fancy, precision sewing techniques or elaborate formal wear- quite the opposite! We encourage sewing in its easiest of form. You don't need to know your weft from your waft or how to make a perfect princess seam to start loving sewing. Mistakes are inevitable and imperfections will happen, but don't let that stop you! Grab a needle and thread and give it a whirl!

http://www.sewsubversive.com/

Stitch's B*tches - Who We Are

2007-03-01T06:26:00.000-08:00

We (Two Melissas and a Hope) are the founders of Stitch Lounge in San Francisco. Stitch is a women-owned business providing an inspirational, supportive environment for people to express their individuality by creating their own clothing and clothing accessories. Tools, supplies, resources, and advice are provided in a professional yet comfortable workspace that encourages the free exchange of ideas between all skill levels.

We are three self-taught sewers that want to spread the sewing gospel to the world of inspired crafters! We created this urban sewing blog to help foster the crafty community, provide inspiration, and to get the word out about new and cool crafty goings on!

Give us a shout! We'd love to hear from you!