February Member Update

February is a special month for me because two of my kiddos have birthdays and it’s going to be a banger of a month on the personal side with some family work changes and a new semester for my oldest.

NEW SPACE

For Winnipeg Sews we’ll also see a NEW SPACE. I’ve reflected long and hard on what I would like WS to be/stand for/be known for and I just can’t convince myself that opening up a retail location is it. Between a retail place that was almost twice the size of the current studio (and 3x the rent!), I have opted to actually size down a bit and take an east-facing studio on the other side of the hallway in the same building. No change for you really except turning left instead of right as you walk down the hall. During February I’ll be slowly moving all the shelves, tables etc over to the new space across the hall. We’ll still have tons of natural light with the same amount of windows, but since it’s east-facing (and has an AC unit), we’ll be much more comfortable in the warmer months.

Workshops will now be hard limited to 4-6 people. Community Sews will be having a bit of an overhaul as I move it to members only as well. As your memberships turn over, they’ll be transferred to TeamUp for payment and the membership here on WS website will move behind a password (don’t worry, it’ll be in each email if you forget!). Team Up will automatically populate free classes like the monthly sew and zoom class in your dashboard, and I’m hoping to have it show a package with your 10% community discount already applied to specific classes.

TUTORIAL

Your tutorial this month will be out on February 20th and it’s all about weaving! I’ve been spending a bit of time making different weaves on my loom and it’s been so interesting taking that macro as I think about different fabrics and why they act the way they do! That’ll come out in a newsletter like normal.

DISCOUNT

Your Discount of the month is $10 off a $50 purchase! Whether you come in store and find some beautiful fabrics, stock up on notions, or get a sweet deal on some new shears, this is a great time to spend some time in store! You can also use it online for pattern printing if you use the code 10FOR50.

Books & Things

I’ve been reading The Art of Gathering as I think more about how we gather as a sewing community and I’m very excited to put some of it into practice with the Fabric Swap and Frocktails. Yay sewing parties! Let me know if you pick it up and find a nugget that resonates with you. Priya’s website is also chockful of useful tidbits.

For a personal read, I’m about halfway through Kantinka which follows a family of Jews from the Ottoman Empire (yes, I had to google it), through their lives. The cultural heritage is beautiful and woven deep into the story about safety and social acceptance. Rebecca, one of the children, finds first skill then deep satisfaction with sewing and dressmaking as she begins to make her living from it. Her ties to sewing and needlework are reflected in both the age (1907-1924 so far) and her appreciation for a finely sewn garment. The details, the lace, the placement of the pleats all earn her notice, and I think most of us can say the same! Once you start sewing, the curiosity about how things are made becomes REAL!

zoom meeting

Reminder that our zoom meeting will be on Saturday February 10 at 4pm! As you are changed over to Team Up, you’ll see it pop up as a class for you. Obviously no problem if you can’t make it or choose not to attend!

Thank you so much to each of you spending time each month at the studio or following along online!

Katherine