Neighborhood and Special Interest Groups

Our Neighborhood Groups are alive and well! One of our groups is truly “in the neighborhood” – in Urbandale. Other groups meet to share a common interest – One in Ames and another in Urbandale.

Surface Design & Embellishment -

The newest special interest group will meet quarterly and explore all the possibilities of surface design - that is anything that changes the look or character of a fabric, such as stenciling, stamping, imaging, dying, discharge dying, fabric painting, etc. and embellishments. If interested, contact Diane McCauley for details.

Sew Friendly

A neighborhood group that has a broad focus, depending on member interests, and do not meet in the summer months.
Meeting time: First Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Urbandale Library, 3520 86th St. They do not meet in the summer months.
Online:  The Sew Friendly Neighborhood Group maintains a moderated Yahoo!Group where members can share ideas, projects, event alerts, and questions.  It is open to any member of the Central Iowa Chapter of American Sewing Guild.  Sew Friendly is a group for sewing enthusiasts at all levels of skill and with a wide variety of interests in anything that involves fabric, needle, and thread.  

Gourmet Garments

The members of this group focus on the finer details of garment
sewing - fitting, construction techniques, marrying the fabric to the design, and couture details -that take their sewing passion from “ordinary” to “gourmet.”
Meeting time: They meet at 12:00 p.m.for an optional social hour with the meeting at 1:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Urbandale Library, 3520 86th St. They do not meet in the summer.

Pattern Testers

Each member of this group brings a garment made from an independent pattern company’s pattern. Each has an opportunity to share any problems encountered and any modifications made. Since members work on different patterns, they have the opportunity to audition garments (and often try on garments) as potential projects of their own.
Meeting time: Fourth Monday of every other month at 7 p.m. at the Creekside Clubhouse, 92 Lakeview Place (near entrance to Creekside on S. 16th) in Ames.

Interested in a different neighborhood or special interest group that's not listed?

Consider starting a new group! All it takes is someone to do a bit of organizing and some guild members interesting in participating. Contact a board member for some assistance in setting up a neighborhood group.