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The Bobbin's June Newsletter 2011

The Bobbin Slow Fashion + Sustainable Design June Newsletter 2011    Happy June Crafty friends, Whoa Nelly! what a spring it has been! Floods, Tornado's and Thunderstorms abound; while many of us have experienced personal and professional upheavals as well.  The Bobbin survived "The Great Move" and the extensive process of sorting, reducing, recycling and reusing all of the STUFF, stuff, stuff, stuff! Springtime cleaning has offered a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with my family and reconsider our collective material "needs". As summertime unfolds, I am excited for the next chapter of The Bobbin, and am currently stitching-up-a-storm in preparation for Saturday's Queen City Craft Bazaar. Yes, the rumors are true. The Bobbin has moved out of the Old North End retail space. After four years on the corner, the time has come for The Bobbin's next chapter. I truly appreciate all of the inquiries and support from folks wondering "where I've moved?" Let me assure you that The Bobbin has not closed, it is just in transition. It will take several months of planning, zoning, remodeling, organizing and beautifying before the new studio is open and ready for group classes. In the interim, Gyllian is happily working on Custom Design orders, Fiber Restorations and teaching private lessons.   Contact Gyllian at her studio 802-355-4264 or email [email protected]  for more information on lessons, events, slow fashion and custom designs.                                                                               The Spring 2011 Queen City Craft Bazaar will be held this Saturday June 4th from 10am-6pm at Union Station in Burlington VT.   The QCCB is different from most craft shows you will find in Vermont because it focuses on the indie craft movement.  It is a juried show which includes a diverse mix of indie crafters, artists and designers who produce unique handmade items created with the DIY spirit.    This event is FREE! There is metered parking as well as several paid lots in the area or you can  jump on the free College Street shuttle from uptown and get dropped off right at the front door.  Union Station is a beautiful building located near the waterfront at the bottom of Main Street.     Photo: Kirsten LaMonde Bobbin sez... Buy Local! Buy Handmade! Do you know who sews your clothes? New Name, New Website, Same great Bobbin!  The Bobbin Website: Home Page In celebration of The Bobbin's new incarnation, I have taken on a new name. As I am no longer operating a community "Sew Bar + Craft Lounge", it seemed appropriate to change that aspect of the name. The business is now known as "The Bobbin Slow Fashion + Sustainable Design" The new website was designed by Gyllian and all of the web programming was completed by Jason Horne of Hajus Productions. A huge Bobbin THANK YOU goes out to Jason for his continued support, dedication and tireless efforts. You Rock J-Dawg!   The Bobbin Website: Sustainable Page Under the blue bobbin, more information on Slow Fashion and clickable image links to The Bobbin's blog create a fun, circular experience for our friends on the web. The Bobbin Website: Community Page The Bobbin is fully committed to our local community of Burlington, Vermont. Under the yellow bobbin, the new community page allows our friends to learn more about the Bobbin's history and Slow Fashion events past and present. The Bobbin Website: Media Page. In our ever increasing social media age, The Bobbin's website has been redesigned with easy buttons to help our friends navigate to our Etsy store, TypePad blog, Twitter Feed and so much more. Check out the site and let me know what you think. Kids VT "The Art of...Sewing" The Art Of... Sewing Posted on April 29th, 2011 by Kids VT By Megan James Gyllian Svensson begins each of her sewing classes with a massive pile of repurposed fabric and a simple request of her students: Find something you like. Her adult students, in response, typically hem and haw. But the kids in the class have a completely different reaction. Almost immediately they start grabbing at everything, enthusing, "I love this! And this!"   Read more about sewing with 'tweens CLICK HERE  Governor Shumlin signs The Midwives Bill   As some of you may know, in my "other" life, I am a birth activist, doula, herbalist and proud Mama of 2 homebirthed children. In my twenty years of birth work I have watched the problems with our maternity care system spiral out-of-control. Recently, however, the tide has changed and my family and I were able to participate in an awesome event. After years of tireless effort from VPIRG, Midwives, social justice activists and families, Vermont's homebirthed children were able to look on while Governor Shumlin signed "The Midwives Bill" into law. Read more about The Midwives Bill:  CLICK HERE The Bobbin's Etsy Store has new listings!   EcoOwls, Swing Skirts, Art Jackets, ECHO tops and more! To learn more about The Bobbin, check out our Blog: The Bobbin Blogs On Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time you are in the Old North End! Sustainably Yours, Gyllian Rae Svensson The Bobbin Slow Fashion & Sustainable Design, LLC 802-355-4264 [email protected] thebobbin.com gyllian.com $5 off Queen City Craft Bazaar Coupon: Save $5 off any handmade Bobbin product at The Queen City Craft Bazaar on purchases of $25.00 and above. Saturday, June 4th 10am-6pm Union Station - 1 Main Street - Burlington - VT                  Buy Local! Eat Local! Dress Local! Offer Expires: 6/5/11

The Art of...Sewing

The Art Of... Sewing

Posted on April 29th, 2011 by Kids VT

By Megan James

The Bobbin Sewbar + Craft Lounge. Photo by Matthew Thorsen.

Gyllian Svensson begins each of her sewing classes with a massive pile of repurposed fabric and a simple request of her students: Find something you like. Her adult students, in response, typically hem and haw. But the kids in the class have a completely different reaction. Almost immediately they start grabbing at everything, enthusing, "I love this! And this!"

"Kids are fearless," says Svensson, and they tend to quickly grasp the joys of sewing. Svensson should know. For the past three years, she’s been teaching classes and operating a public drop-in sewing center called The Bobbin Sewbar + Craft Lounge. She recently closed her retail storefront, but she’s still teaching classes and doing sustainable design in her garage, which she’s converted to a work space called The Bobbin Slow Fashion + Sustainable Design.

Svensson sewed as a kid but dropped the hobby in her twenties to pursue music. She rediscovered it later in life and hasn’t been able to pry herself from the sewing machine since.

Now approaching 40, with two kids of her own, Svensson models herself after her grandmother, who raised a family on an organic farm in Down East Maine. "She made a living as a seamstress, clothed all her children, baked bread," says Svensson. In Svensson’s view, sewing is a sustainable, and timeless, life skill. "I teach slow fashion, which is really a partner to the slow-food movement," she says.

Svensson introduces beginners to hand sewing and basic mending. Really young kids start with a thick, dull needle threaded with yarn. Svensson doesn’t start anyone on the sewing machine until the age of 10. Before that, she says, their fingers are too small; they might easily sew over them. Plus, kids need a decent attention span to finish a project.

Once they’re a little older, attention span is less of a problem. The biggest challenge Svensson faces in teaching kids to sew is convincing them to take breaks. "It’s so addictive," she says. She recalls watching four typically chatty tween girls as they worked in silence on their projects. "All you could hear was the sound of the sewing machines," she says.

Sewing involves plenty of ironing and needles, so Svensson says covering basic safety with kids is important. For example: Don’t leave an iron face down on anything, and keep fingers out of the way of the needle. Then again, little nicks come with the territory. "Every sewer is going to prick their finger and make it bleed," she says.

Svensson gets a thrill watching kids break from the trends they see at school and on TV when they make their own designs. "There’s a lot of pressure for young girls to dress a lot older than they are," she says. Her young seamstresses let their imaginations go wild and realize they can "dress like a rock star" without dressing too provocatively.

Sewing isn’t just for girls. Svensson says she always has a few boys in her weeklong summer camps. This year she’s unveiling a Harry Potter-inspired Sorcerer’s Sew Camp, in which kids will make wizard caps and spell bags, as well as herbal potions from Svensson’s garden.

It was Svensson’s Harry Potter-obsessed son who inspired her latest creation: waterproof superhero capes. The little triangular capes have high, pointed collars and are emblazoned with stars, moons and question marks. She’s using the leftover, smaller triangular scraps to make matching capes for little dogs.
The possibilities for kids...and dogs, are endless.

What You’ll Need

Many classes provide tools and materials, but if you want to sew at home, here’s what you’ll need:

Fabric: When starting out, it’s best to use nonstretchy fabric, such as cotton or linen. Svensson tells her students to "think like a hippie" and aim for natural fibers. You can find new material at local craft and fabric stores. And you don’t always have to buy new fabric; use old bedsheets, or ask your sewing friends if they have any remnants they don’t need.

A sewing machine: Svensson recommends beginning with a vintage Singer machine. "If your aunt or grandma ever sewed, there’s a Singer kicking around in the attic," she says. Svensson also sells them. Alternately, head to Smitty’s Sewing Machine Service in Essex Junction. There you can buy a used machine for $75 to $125, plus the cost of a tune-up, about $50 to $70.

A good pair of scissors, a decent ruler, a seam ripper, an iron and an ironing board: The crème de la crème of sewing scissors, Svensson says, are Ginghers (up to $50 for a new pair), but there are plenty of inexpensive scissors and other tools at secondhand stores. Just make sure to only use your scissors on fabric; cutting paper dulls the blade.

"The Art of" spotlights creative skills that enrich kids’ lives. Got a class or teacher to recommend? Email us at [email protected].

Megan James is a staff writer at Seven Days. She lives in Montpelier, and sewed and quilted with her mother as a child.

The Bobbin's February Newsletter

The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge February Newsletter 2011    Wintertime Greetings,    Holy Thundersnow, Batman! What a wild and wooly Winter we are having here in Burlington, Vermont. From thunderstorms in the middle of blizzards, to snow banks five-feet-high-and-rising; it has been quite an adventure just getting through the day. The weather, however, has not kept folks from learning to sew. The Bobbin's calendar has been filling up with classes and private lessons as eager seamsters are learning about winding bobbins, stitching pillows, drafting patterns and upcycling their own unique wardrobes. The February + March class calendars are online.  Beginning students can practice their new sew skills learning to make love monsters, gauntlets, mittens, or potholders. Intermediate students can practice upcycling dresses, inserting zippers or designing memory quilts. Call 802-862-7417 or email [email protected] to register for any classes, workshops, private lessons, alterations, or custom design services.       Wednesday, February 9th The Bobbin will be closed all morning and opening up at 2:30pm.  The shop is closed so that Gyllian can participate in the Green Business Panel for the annual Winter Business Fair at City Hall in downtown Burlington. Come on down and meet with Federal, State and local organizations to learn more about doing business in Vermont                 Free Workshops: Lorraine B. Good Room (2nd floor), BCA Center 10:00 Greening Up Your Business 10:00 Mystery Money 11:00 Green Business Panel 11:00 Commercial Credit 12:00 Dream to Reality  1:00 Business of Health Ins.  2:00 Listening 2 your business Learn more about this event: CEDO's Website    Photo: Kristin LaMonde Baby it's Cold outside, but the bright and sunny Sew Bar is always warm and toasty. Call ahead and reserve your favorite vintage machine for an hour long private lesson; or an afternoon of Open Sewing. 802-862-7417 for more information. Photo: Kirsten LaMonde Bobbin sez... the most sustainable textiles, are already existing textiles. Spotlight on local Vermont Designer: Kelly Johnston Kelly Johnston is a native Vermonter and textile artist. She is the owner of Brooktrout Originials.   Kelly Johnston is a native Vermonter who spent 15 years on the west coast and has returned home to raise her family.  Her Mother taught her how to sew when she was little and she has been at it ever since.  Kelly's patchwork baby quilts have been the hit of many baby showers and she has expanded her line to included "recycled chic" hand and yoga bags. Read more about Kelly and Brooktrout Originals: CLICK HERE  The Bobbin on Vermont Public Radio! 2011 has been declared "The year of Making" and that certainly is true for us Vermonters! Recently, I had the privilege of talking with Jane Lindholm of Vermont Edition and Emily Blistein, who owns Clementine Store in Middlebury, Vermont about the joys of DIY. If you missed the show, you can still listen online: CLICK HERE Vintage Puppet Restoration Custom design orders and vintage restorations are some of my very favorite sewing projects. Last month I restored and constructed these hand and finger puppets for a local father-son duo. Learn more about this restoration:  CLICK HERE Keep cozy in the Sew Bar this Winter learning: Intro2Sew, Memory Quilts, potholders + sew much more! To learn more about The Bobbin, check out our Blog: The Bobbin Blogs On Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time you are in the Old North End! Sustainably Yours, Gyllian Rae Svensson The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC 299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street Old North End - Burlington - Vermont 802-862-7417 [email protected] thebobbin.com gyllian.com All Bobbin products in our Etsy or Artfire stores are available with FREE SHIPPING. Enjoy Bobbin Handmade Happiness wherever you live! Save $5.00 For the month of February: Save $5.00 off any Bobbin class, workshop, or product valued $25.00 and above                   Buy Local! Eat Local! Dress Local! Offer Expires: 2/28/11

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The Bobbin's December Newsletter

The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge December Newsletter 2010 Yuletide Greetings Friends,     Whew! the studio has been humming, stitching and moving sustainably forward with just two days left until ECHO's Upcycled Fashion Show. Accompanying The Bobbin, Flying Hen Studio & Mountain Ash Design will be the musical stylings of D.J. L'Enfant Sauvage(We-do-3d&more records)who will spin French and Brazilian pop, mimimal synth, cold wave, and other runway classics. Scroll on down to read more details....     The December + January class calendars are online. Focused on skill building and sustainable gift giving, students can make mittens, hats, gauntlets,(zero waste) gift bags, etc. In January students can expand their skill set with classes in hems, zippers, sustainable textiles and upcycling. We keep our class sizes small, so be sure to pre-register and save your spot early. Call 802-862-7417 or email [email protected] to register for classes, workshops, private lessons, alterations, or custom design services.       The Bobbin celebrating the holidays with a Yuletide Sale!  From December 10th - December 23rd the shop will be stocked with sustainable gifts, handmade Vermont products and unique Slow Fashion designs. Stop on by for some guilt-free retail therapy. Bring along your ticket stub the Upcycled Fashion Show or your recent trip to ECHO and save 20% off all Bobbin made products! Fall in love with local handmade fashions + accessories this holiday season! Mama sez... Eat Local! Dress Local! Upcycle Fashion Show ECHO + The Bobbin join forces to bring you an evening of Sustainable Textiles + Slow Fashion! It's this THURSDAY! Upcycle Fashion Show Thursday, December 9th 6:30-9:30pm Presented by: ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Museum 1 College Ave Burlington, Vermont 05401 What is UPCYCLED FASHION? You take old clothes, take them apart and put them back together in a way that makes them more valuable and fashionable. Presenting their Slow Fashion lines will be: Sarah O'Green of Mountain Ash Design http://www.mountainashdesign.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Mack of Flying Hen Studio http://flyinghenstudio.blogspot.com/ Gyllian Rae Svensson of The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge http://thebobbin.com Guests will have the opportunity to hear from each design studio as models walk the runway. There will also be a Q&A session with designers after their collection is presented. The evening event, designed for ECHO's adult audience, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with music provided by D.J. L'Enfant Sauvage, free hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Advance tickets $10/members and $12/non-members Tickets at Door $12/members and $15/non-members Visitors are encouraged to bring winter wear to donate to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. Confirm your attendence on our Facebook event page: CLICK HERE For more information and to reserve tickets call (toll-free) 1.877.324.6386 Mama sez...only 150 tickets available, get yours today! Make your own gifts for this holiday season: Magic Mittens, Sweater Berets, gauntlets + sew much more! Thank you so much for your continued support of The Bobbin. I believe that The Bobbin's mission of sustainability, skill building and slow fashion is only beginning to reach our collective consciousness. As we Vermonters have embraced the slow food/local food movement; we are now thinking more about where our food comes from and under what conditions it is produced. It is now time to think about where our clothing comes from and what practices we are supporting when we purchase fast fashion. To learn more about The Bobbin, check out our Blog: The Bobbin Blogs On Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time you are in the Old North End! Good Yule & Happy Holidays, Gyllian Rae Svensson The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC 299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street Old North End - Burlington - Vermont 802-862-7417 [email protected] thebobbin.com gyllian.com All Bobbin products in our Etsy or Artfire stores are available with FREE SHIPPING. Enjoy Bobbin Handmade Happiness wherever you live!
Save 50% For the month of December: Buy 1 Vintage Pattern and get the 2nd pattern 50% off!                   Sustainable Sewing: it's not a hobby, it's a life skill! Offer Expires: 12/31/10

The Bobbin's November Newsletter

The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge November Newsletter 2010 November Greetings, These last two months have brought familiar color changing leaves and fluctuating temperatures to our little Old North End neighborhood. For many of us this year's seasonal change has been especially turbulent, reflective and transformative. In October, Rachel Hooper decided to part ways with The Bobbin. This change was unexpected and the transition has been quick. I am fully committed to The Bobbin's mission and have spent the last few weeks remodeling the shop, updating social sites and refocusing all efforts on sustainable textiles and slow fashion. The Bobbin will no longer offer knitting, crochet or crafting classes. Instead, we will expand upon our popular beginning sew classes and will be able to offer more advanced classes in sustainable textiles, upcycling, drawing, green design and slow fashion. In addition we will offer more opportunities for private lessons, sewing parties, custom designs and fiber restorations. The November + December class calendars are online. Focused on skill building and sustainable gift giving, students can make mittens, hats, eco-bags, or memory quilts. In December you can create sustainable stockings, potholders, aprons and sew much more! We keep our class sizes small, so be sure to pre-register and save your spot early. Call 802-862-7417 or email [email protected] to register for classes, workshops, private lessons, alterations, or custom design services. The Bobbin is entering into its fourth year of business on the corner of Archibald and North Winooski, in the Old North End of Burlington. As a bit of a birthday present, the store was closed for a few days of "beauty treatments". The windows were cleared of clutter. Cobalt blue curtains were stitched up from donated polar fleece, generously given to The Bobbin from our local mountain lovin' gurus, Burton. The Sew Bar was restructured for maximum work space and decoupaged with vintage pattern pieces. The Craft Lounge was re-painted and fresh "new" bench cushions were stitched and stuffed from locally sustainable textiles. The racks were re-arranged for maximum browsing and additional space was created to showcase local designers and their one-of-a-kind Slow Fashion Designs. Fall in love with local handmade fashions + accessories this holiday season! Mama sez... Eat Local! Dress Local! Upcycle Fashion Show ECHO + The Bobbin join forces to bring you an evening of Sustainable Textiles + Slow Fashion! Mark your Calendars! I am thrilled to announce the Upcycle Fashion Show Thursday, December 9th 6:30-9:30pm Presented by: ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Museum 1 College Ave Burlington, Vermont 05401 This grown-up evening of Slow Fashion overlooking Lake Champlain will be beautiful and educational. A traditional runway show combined with a presentation and Q & A with our sustainable designers. Presenting their Slow Fashion lines will be: Sarah O'Green of Mountain Ash Design http://www.mountainashdesign.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Mack of Flying Hen Studio http://flyinghenstudio.blogspot.com/ Gyllian Rae Svensson of The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge http://thebobbin.com http://echovermont.org Make your own gifts for this holiday season: Memory Quilts, Sweater Berets, potholders + sew much more! Thank you so much for your continued support of The Bobbin. I believe that The Bobbin's mission of sustainability, skill building and slow fashion is only beginning to reach our collective consciousness. As we Vermonters have embraced the slow food/local food movement; we are now thinking more about where our food comes from and under what conditions it is produced. It is now time to think about where our clothing comes from and what practices we are supporting when we dress ourselves in the morning. To learn more about The Bobbin, check out our Blog: The Bobbin Blogs On Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time you are in the Old North End! Sustainably Yours, Gyllian Rae Svensson The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC 299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street Old North End - Burlington - Vermont 802-862-7417 [email protected] thebobbin.com gyllian.com All Bobbin products in our Etsy or Artfire stores are available with FREE SHIPPING. Enjoy Bobbin Handmade Happiness wherever you live!

Save $5.00 For the month of November save $5 off any one Sewing class or workshop at The Bobbin. Intro2Sew, Magic Mittens, potholders, legwarmers- U choose! Sustainable Sewing: it's not a hobby, it's a life skill! Offer Expires: 11/30/10

The Bobbin gets a Make Over!

    The Bobbin is entering into its fourth year of business on the corner of Archibald and North Winooski, in the Old North End of Burlington. As a bit of a birthday present, the store was closed for a few days of "beauty treatments". The windows were cleared of clutter. Cobalt blue curtains were stitched up from donated polar fleece, generously given to The Bobbin from our local mountain lovin' gurus, Burton.  The Sew Bar was restructured for maximum work space and decoupaged with vintage pattern pieces.

The Craft Lounge was re-painted and fresh "new" bench cushions were stitched and stuffed from locally sustainable textiles. Black denim rementants that were landfill bound, combined with teal & white polka-dot fabric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The racks were re-arranged for maximum browsing and additional space was created to showcase local designers and their one-of-a-kind Slow Fashion Designs.  Caps from Flying Hen Studio, Sock Monkeys from Wee Silly Beastie, Unique puffed sleeved little girl dresses hand sewn by Pius Sinzohagera, Upcycled knit skirts from Nicole's Threads and of course, ARt Jackets, UpDresses, gauntlets, mittens, critter skirts, love bunnies and sew much more...all designed and created in our very own Sew Bar!

Be inspired by our variety of vintage fabrics + notions!  The Bobbin has a unique selection of sustainable green fabrics, needles, zippers, buttons, snaps, rick-rack, bias tape, sewing kits, etc... for sale.

The shop is open 11am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday

Call ahead with your specific fabric desires and we can organize a personal fabric trunk show.  802-862-7417

The Bobbin's September Newsletter 2010

The Bobbin's September Newsletter 2010

Welcome to September Crafty Friends,

The heat wave has subsided bringing forth chilly nights, changing leaves and Mama's favorite time, "Back-to-School". The September calendar is live with sustainably crafty fun for everyone! Unravel the mysteries of the upper/lower threading systems, learn to draft a pattern of your measurements and stitch up a sweet A-Line Skirt, or gab it up in the Craft Lounge while stitching up your very own SadBoy doll. We keep our class sizes small, so be sure to save your spot early.

Call 802-862-7417 or email [email protected] to register for classes, workshops, private lessons, alterations, or custom design services.

With the final countdown to STRUT V! this Saturday, September 11th, the Mamas have been sew, sew, sewing...All day, Every day. We are super excited about our newest collection.  We are exploring restoration, refabrication and the re-invention of upcycled Menswear for Women. The toughness of tweed, wool, leather & plaid paired with light floral prints, swinging hems and vintage trims. 

Mama sez...Don't miss this show!

Saturday,
September 11th

Maltex Building
Pine Street
Burlington, VT 05401

*There will be two runway shows*

7:00pm & 9:00pm

$12 Admission
$7 w/Art Hop button


http://seaba.com

Spotlight on Local Business: Smitty's Sewing Machine Service
Robert "Smitty" Smith of Essex Junction, Vermont

We Mamas have known Smitty since The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge was in it's infancy. 

Always there to greet you with a smile and a helpful story, Smitty is the perfect picture of high quality New England customer service.

Smitty learned to sew and repair machines while working for The House of Sewing in Essex, Vermont for 25 years.  When The House of Sewing closed their doors, five years ago, Smitty's entrepreneurial spirit took over. With the help of his wife, Penny, the couple opened shop at 3 Maple Street (Suite 1) in the 5 corners of Essex Junction, Vermont. 802-878-4545

Smitty's nimble fingers and vast knowledge of vintage sewing machine repair has been god-send for the Mamas.  Not only have we purchased vintage and refabricated machines from Smitty, we also rely on him exclusively to keep all the ladies at our Sew Bar tuned up and running happy

In addition to selling vintage machines, Smitty also sells a wide variety of "high performance, high quality" NECCHI sewing machines and is home to the incredible NECCHI 4825!

"Come visit the shop for a one-on-one demo!" -Bob "Smitty" Smith



Learn more about Smitty's Sewing Machine Service on their Facebook Fan Page, or The Bobbin Mamas Adventures in Eco-Craft, our blog.

Learn a new skill this season: Quilting, Patterns, Curtains & sew much more!

Thank you so much for supporting our little Mama-owned, local green business.  By taking our classes, purchasing products from our local handmade designers and having your clothing altered on our vintage machines; you are keeping textiles out of the landfills and "...saving the planet, one stitch at a time!"

Learn more about The Bobbin on our Blog:
The Bobbin Mamas Adventures in Eco-Craft

Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook
join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time your in the Old North End!

All Bobbin products in our Etsy or Artfire stores are available with FREE SHIPPING. Enjoy Bobbin Handmade Happiness wherever you live!

Yours in Craft,

 

Gyllian & Rachel
The Bobbin Mamas
The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC
299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street
Old North End - Burlington - Vermont

802-862-7417

thebobbin.com

Save $10.00 For the month of September save $10 off any one Bobbin Mama-made product ($40 and up)  ARt Jackets, EcoOwls, critter skirt, love bunny, booty bag- U choose!                  Shop Local! + Buy Handmade! Offer Expires: 9/30/10

  Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge
September Newsletter 2010

EcoKids: Fashion Camp!

 

    This past July found the shop in a frenzy of sewing & design during our annual EcoKids: Fashion Camp! Intended for beginning seamsters who have basic knowledge of sewing and have completed our Intro2Sew or Beginner Sew Camp.  We had such a super fun week of sustainable sewing, upcycling and basic fashion design/sketching.  During their week at Fashion Camp, the girls made tote bags, upcycled t-shirts, learned basic block-printing on fabrics, and spent two days sketching, pattern-drafting and stitching up their very own Wrap-A-Round skirts.

This Video- taken during the last day of camp- is Mama's favorite Media piece from the whole week.  Their quiet concentration and complete focus on their sewing is remarkable.

We enjoyed this camp sew much that we have decided to add more EcoKids camps to our calendar throughout the school year.  Look for a camp focused on eco-friendly gift giving this fall and will be offering Fashion Camp again during springtime school breaks.  Also be sure to let your crafty teens & tweens know about our EcoSew workshops encouraging multi-generational crafting.  Take a class with your kid/grandparent/sibling/cousin and share the love!

The Bobbin's June Newsletter 2010

The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge June Newsletter 2010 Happy Summertime Crafty Friends, We know that summer doesn't begin until the 21st, but for us lucky Vermonters we have been blessed with sweet summertime weather since March. The Mamas are happy to announce that The Bobbin's June and July Calendars are up on the website. Sewing: SuperShorts, Applique Nation! and Memory Quilts, not to mention EcoSew: SadBoys, dream pillows and the always popular t-shirt chop shop. There is something sustainably fun for everyone! Call 802-862-7417 or email [email protected] to register.       Does your teen or tween want to green up their wardrobe and learn some sweet new sew skills? The Mamas are taking registrations now for EcoKids: Fashion Camp! (Only 5 spots available) Students will learn basic fashion drawing, measurements, alteration + refabrication techniques at our supportive Sew Bar. Ages 10-16. Intro2Sew is a prerequisite for this camp. 802-862-7417 for more information. Our newly formed American Sewing Guild Sew Club meeting is scheduled for the 1st Thursday of every month from 7-9pm. Greater Burlington Neighborhood Sew Club The goals of the group are to talk about sewing, show our sewing and encourage more sewing! If this sounds like you, or someone you love, mark your calendar and come on down! Our next meeting is -TODAY- Thursday, June 3rd at: The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC 299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street Old North End - Burlington - Vermont 802-862-7417 http://thebobbin.com   Spotlight on Local O.N.E. Designer Rebecca Mack of Flying Hen Studio The Bobbin is committed to highlighting the unique and diverse population of our Old North End neighborhood. This month we are turning our spotlight on one of our favorite local Mamas Becca Mack -founder of Flying Hen Studio A sound lab and stitcherie in the Old North End of Burlington, Vermont. It is home to DJ's Classic Hits and mothertrucker, a.k.a. designer Rebecca Mack  Becca was one of our first Bobbin friends when we opened up shop in the Fall of 2007. She has been consigning her popular upcycled caps teaching classes at The Bobbin for over 2 years now. Check out her practical sewing skills class for June "A Better Fit" Rebecca Mack "...loves making new things from old things." Learn more about Becca and her crafty ways on her blog flyinghenstudio.blogspot or her facebook fan page or at The Bobbin Mamas Adventures in Eco Craft Blog The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge is pleased to offer a wide variety of green, vintage, upcycled and eco-friendly sewing, knitting + crafting supplies. We are also the only spot to purchase one-of-a-kind upcycled caps. Come fall in love with your flying hen cap today.  Stop on by Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm Rebecca Mack and her caps @ The Bobbin Mamas R looking 4 some Etsy Artfire love! Mamas got an embarrassing little secret to confess. Ooohhh, secrets? confessions? about retail? how odd... Oh, yes, Mamas been carrying this secret around for for over a year now, but the time has come to fess up...We are tormented by online retail failure. Yes, it's true, absolutely tormented by the big fat zeros on The Bobbin's Artfire and Etsystores.  Yes, ZEROS! We've maintained our little shop-on-the-web for many moons now and still nothing, zip, zilch, nada- no sales, no feedback, no karma (ugh, no karma???) no nothing! We happily sell dresses, bags, tops, eco-critters, tie belts and more, the old fashioned way -at our store- yet our 24hr online opportunity to shop has been a total dud. Stubborn as all heck, we Mamas are no fans of failure.  This blog post is not only a confessional (whew, it really does feel good to get this out in the open) but also a cry for HELP!  Check out the sites, give us your feedback, let us know what you would like to see and by all means, if you get the urge, shop! We are on a quest to discover what it is we are doing wrong and free ourselves from the tormenting zeros. Thank you so much for supporting our little Mama-owned, local green business.  By taking our classes, purchasing products from our local handmade designers and having your clothing altered on our vintage machines; you are keeping textiles out of the landfills and "...saving the planet, one stitch at a time!" Learn more about The Bobbin on our Blog: The Bobbin Mamas Adventures in Eco-Craft Follow us on Twitter, Friend us on the Facebook join our Fan Page Or, just stop on by the shop, next time your in the Old North End! Yours in Craft,   Gyllian & Rachel The Bobbin Mamas The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge, LLC 299 North Winooski Ave @ Archibald Street Old North End - Burlington - Vermont 802-862-7417 thebobbin.com

Save $5 For the month of June take $5.00 off any Bobbin class or workshop.  Intro2Sew, A Better Fit, EcoSew: juggle balls- U choose!                  Shop Local! + Buy Handmade! Offer Expires: 6/30/10

OMG! Project Runway called The Bobbin Mamas!

     Today has been a VERY good day. Dark & Stormy turned to sunshine, blue skies, and springtime weather.  Custom orders were finalized, new products priced, straggling alterations finally finished, with the next phase ready to begin. Hooray for Spring! The day began with a surprising message waiting for the Mamas at the shop.  Project Runway had called. Yes, the show, Project Runway had somehow learned about our little Old North End - Burlington - Vermont shop. Not only did someone(s) know about our Mamas-on-a-Mission, sustainable neighborhood textile studio... but they had actually gone so far as to call us right up and leave a message on our voice mail. Can we say Wonder-ment?!!? Awe?!!? Disbelief? What a treat!

It turns out that Project Runway is very eager to attract contestants from Vermont to apply for Season 8.  They had learned about The Bobbin Sew Bar + Craft Lounge from our facebook fan page. (Oh yes they did... says Gyllian -sticking-out-her-tongue- at all those social media nay sayers) They thought we would be great at getting the word out about their casting call for the next season.  So here goes, in our loudest Mama voices:

ATTENTION VERMONTER DESIGNERS:  PROJECT RUNWAY WANTS YOU!!!

Let's see the great talents of local Vermont fashion designers on the runway!

Let's take our unique fashion sense displayed on Church Street, Farmer's Market's & Town Hall Meetings and take it to the big apple!

When the kiddos are a little older and the bobbin is a little older...The Mamas are totally applying for Project Runway. Season 10, here we come!

Click on the following link to apply: