All hail to the cartridge pleat queen!!!

What you might ask is a cartridge pleat?  First popularized in the Elizabethan era, cartridge pleats are a means of gathering yards and yards and yards of fabric for a skirt.  Simple gathering could never accommodate the volume of material that was being used at the time, so tailors developed a method of sewing parallel lines of  stitches where every stitch lined up exactly.  When the threads are pulled, the fabric forms perfect accordion pleats that are then stitched individually to a waist band.

Our cartridge pleat queen is Paula Nigh.  Not only is she queen of the cartridge pleats, she is a tireless, talented and terrific volunteer.  See her work below.

Pretty in Pink

Kudos to Carol Habermaier for her spectacular work on the ball gown coverlet.  What a great surprise to find when I walked into the shop this morning.  It is just like the shoemaker's elves who worked through the night.  Isn't it beautiful?!?!

Please give a huge round of applause to one of our all star volunteers.  Kathy Saving has taken this project from start to finish and has done a terrific job.  Can't wait to see it on Sarah!

We are now full speed ahead on The King and I.  There are some sumptuous fabrics to work with and some simple stitching for the less adventurous.  Come on down.

Sorry, folks.  I have had to make a few schedule adjustments for this week.