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Sewing - Or is That 'Growing'? - Circle Update

After a brief hiatus from training, the The Long Branch Sewing Circle is back in action -- in a big way.

In November the group opened a table at the Flower Avenue Holiday Market. Among their offerings were reusable grocery bags designed to raise awareness -- and help residents respond to -- the Montgomery County Bag Tax. Even the sewers were surprised by the overwhelmingly positive feedback, so the group decided to focus its energy almost solely on bag production.

In two weeks, the Sewing Circle received more than 25 orders for bags and additional requests for alteration work. At a recent County Executive's down county town hall forum on, members of the Circle presented Ike Leggett with his very own bag (and sent an invoice in the mail!).

Thanks to the Takoma Foundation grant, the Sewing Circle had some money to use toward rent of an amazing basement space -- the Cyber Web Latino on Flower Avenue -- that they've fixed up and turned into a fully functional workshop space. Circle members have met with several schools to promote their bags to teachers and have begun tabling at the Sunday Takoma Farmer's Market as well.

The group is planning on holding a paid introductory course in the evenings in February, and has even been approached by a local clothes designer interested in a manufacturing contract. LBSS is also working in partnership with the Linkages women's circle at Rolling Terrace to provide a course to 15 mothers interested in learning the basics of sewing (also made possible by a Takoma Foundation grant). The course is set to start at the end of February.