The 91st Florida Strawberry Festival took place this past February. One of the highlights at the festival was the Neighborhood Village’s sewing competition for adults 18 and up. The 2026 festival’s annual theme of ‘Still Growing’ was incorporated into every category, including sewing.
Members of the Brandon/East Bay Chapter of the American Sewing Guild (ASG) competed in the sewing competition, and many of the guild’s members took home ribbons.
“There were a variety of categories to enter,” said Judy Rich of the Brandon/East Bay Chapter of ASG. “The categories that most of our members entered were quilting, wearing apparel and accessories, hand embroidery and needlework, home decor, and embellished-upcycleable. Several of our members assisted with the intake process for quilts and hand sewing. Under home decor, some members entered wall hangings and table runners, both quilted and machine embroidery. For wearing apparel and accessories, members entered children’s clothes, machine embroidered and constructed bags of all varieties. One member entered a refurbished bench cover; another entered a bag with multiple zippers to use for sewing supplies.”
The American Sewing Guild’s headquarters is located in Houston, Texas, and serves as a link between its chapters. ASG’s mission is dedicated to advancing sewing as an art and life skill.
“The national organization started in 1978 as the American Home Sewing and Crafting Association,” Rich said. “In 1983, it became a nonprofit organization, and in 2001 ASG opened their national headquarters in Houston. The Brandon/East Bay Chapter was incorporated in 2003 when the charter was signed. We currently have two of the founding members in our group.”
There were 12 quilts entered into the sewing competition from various ASG members.
“It was the most quilts entered into the sewing competition over the last 12 years,” Rich said. “I am amazed at the talent that our group has. Many hid their light under a basket. We are always excited to have new members whatever their level of sewing is. We were all beginners at one point.”
The group meets on the first Wednesday of the month at Brandon Community Center, located at 502 E. Sadie St. in Brandon, from 10 a.m.-12 Noon.
“There are smaller neighborhood groups that meet in Sun City, Brandon and Riverview,” Rich said. “At the moment, our chapter has more than 110 members, and they come from as far as Wimauma and Wesley Chapel to be a part of our group.”
The chapter’s meetings consist of a sewing tutorial, and then members have time to share their current projects with the group to inspire fellow members.
“We love seeing what other members are working on,” Rich said. “It gives us the opportunity to get our creative juices flowing.”
If you would like to learn more about ASG, you can visit its website at www.asg.org. If you would like to learn more about the Brandon/East Bay Chapter of ASG, you can contact Rich at judyrich49@gmail.com or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/brandoneastbayasg.
You must be logged in to post a comment.