Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheryl Belson.
Hi Sheryl, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first exposure to American Sewing Guild was in 2012 at their annual conference in Houston, TX. Those annual conferences are no longer held, but that experience had me hooked from the first moment I stepped into the venue. So many people who loved what I was just learning to love again…. all things sewing.
My introduction to sewing first came in a Home Economics class. I wasn’t hooked there, but years later as a young mom pinching pennies, I began to sew simple clothes for my kids. That continued until they reached an age where that was just too uncool, so the sewing machine was shelved for approximately 15 years. Suddenly my daughter had a need for culturally appropriate clothing for a job she took in the Middle East. Let’s just say finding loose fitting clothing that covered the hips, elbows, and clavicle weren’t ready available on the rack in the heat of summer so out came my sewing machine for the first time in a long time. I easily fell back into skills that created simple t-shirts. But when she returned a 2nd year in a leadership role and wanted things a bit more tailored, I realized I had way too many rusty skills and too many things had changed to be successful. I needed help!
And that is exactly what American Sewing Guld did for me. After an amazing experience filled with inspiration and learning at that conference in Houston, I got involved in a local chapter where I was able to meet and learn from other sewist every month. My love and learning of sewing skyrocketed and that hasn’t changed in the 13 years since then.
I’ve graduated from those loose fitting t-shirts to button-up shirts, blazers, jeans, and everything in between. I’ve learned to sew with woven fabrics, knits, and even leather. I’ve learned all sorts of embellishment techniques like reverse applique, weaving fabric lattice cuffs, weaving my own trim, color blocking, improv piecing and more.
My love of American Sewing Guild has also grown through the years. I have not only learned all things sewing, but also so much about leadership. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as Special Events Coordinator, Publicity Chair, Chapter President, and even on the national Board of Directors. Serving in those roles has taught me skills like event budgeting and planning, social media content creation like video editing and digital graphics, how to lead and motivate a team, and how to set a national direction for an organization with very diverse chapters all across the US.
Most recently I took on a new role as Chair of a new regional sewing conference called Southeast Sewcial Escape which was an answer to replace the annual national conferences no longer being held. Along with a team of 6 other women from GA, TN, and SC we launched a new type of conference designed to cater to sewists in the Southeastern US. We held the conference in Chattanooga, TN and had 4 nationally know teachers teach 2 day workshops on topics like couture sewing, surface design jackets, bodice fitting, and upcycling. Thankfully our maiden voyage into conference planning was quite successful so we are already in full swing planning mode for another conference in 2026.
Learning new things, whether sewing related or leadership related, continues to be a key element that draws me to American Sewing Guild. And as much or more so, it’s also the deep friendships I have formed all across the US from spending time and sharing ideas with people who love those things as much as I do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worth having is a totally smooth road. From a sewing perspective, I’ve had a few projects that made me want to scream and give up. Most of the time I finally find my way through to an acceptable (if not perfect) end result. Occasionally I have to admit that it is time to throw in the towel, but not often. From a leadership perspective, I can honestly say that 90% of the time it has been a smooth road. Yes, there are those occasional challenges, usually related to a person being upset or disappointed with a decision. But since the vast majority of the decisions in the organization are made via vote or agreement from the local Chapter Advisory Board (CAB) and with the insight from members that we get from our annual survey, those decisions are generally balanced by the varied input and made with as many perspectives in mind as possible. That “team think” mentality has definitely gone a long way towards keeping things smooth.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At a personal level, I am most known for pushing the sewing envelope. I love to add a little something to almost everything I make. Or I love to try to make something I haven’t done before. Here are two recent examples.
This year I went to a week long weaving class at John C Campbell Folkschool. Let me preface this story with what I learned most in this class – I am not and do not want to be a weaver of fabric! The class and the folkschool are fantastic. In fact, my husband and I try to take a class at the folkschool about twice a year. But it is equally important to learn what we are not as it is to learn what we are. At the end of that class, with lots of support for the amazing instructors, I was able to eke out about 2 yards of handwoven fabric. Then back at home I chose a vest pattern that I thought would work well with the fabric. I had to research how to handle cutting and sewing handwoven fabric. I made some incredibly dumb mistakes along the way but forged ahead to the end and now I have a perfectly imperfect (one of my favorite phrases) vest that I am incredibly proud of and regularly receive compliments on.
Another challenging project is actually still underway. A few years ago at our annual chapter fabric resale event called Common Threads, I bought several yards of waterproof Gortex fabric. At $3/yard (which is our across the board price in this sale) I felt like it was such a low risk and that I could surely make a raincoat. I finally pulled the fabric out this fall to begin the project. I didn’t have the exact pattern I wanted so I “franken-patterned” two together and came up with my plan. Next I needed to research how to sew Gortex. I learned it had to be lined in order to protect the inner waterproof layer. I also learned I could not iron it or pin it. After several trial runs at how to deal with the layers of Gortex, mesh liner, and organza interfacing, I have ultimately realized I have to basically position the layers inch by inch as I am sewing them. Even my basting tape wouldn’t adhere well enough to hold the layers in place. So it is very slow going but I am getting there.
So I guess I am most proud of my willingness to try new things, push ahead with tenacity, learn along the way, and laugh at my mistakes.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is joy in the journey, bringing as many people along with you as possible. It is recognizing that it is not all about or up to me. It is in leaving a mark on the people you meet along the way and sharing what I learn with others. It is about creating an environment where people feel safe and free to ask questions and explore new things. It is a lot less about what I can produce than about the journey and people I connect with along the way.
Pricing:
- ASG Annual adult membership – $60
- ASG Annual junior membership – $35
Contact Info:
- Website: https://asgatlanta.org/ and https://southeastsewcialescape.org/
- Instagram: @asgatlanta
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asgatlanta
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@asgatlanta7402
Image Credits
Personal photos. No credit required.
