New members welcome to join Sew Day

By Grant Cree

“If you like to sew or quilt, come on out and have some fun,” said Sew Day event organizer Anita Derouin. She hosted the monthly gathering for several sewing enthusiasts on June 3 in the Morinville Rendez-Vous Centre. Participants are encouraged to bring their sewing machines and enjoy meeting new friends.

“Whatever makes you comfortable if you want to meet like-minded people and interact with people,” she said. Derouin began organizing the informal monthly gatherings in April, and new members continue to show up on the first Friday of every month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We have the best price in town,” said Derouin. “I mean, it’s $2 for members or $4 for non-members. You can’t rent another space for that.”

Morinville resident Sharon Keene recently moved into town and joined the Sew Day activities. “I’m learning my new sewing machine,” she said about her Janome sewing machine placed on one of several tables in the Rendez-Vous Centre.

“I have done a lot of sewing,” said Keene, who wants to learn quilting. “When my kids were younger, I used to design their outfits and put them together, and I also sold for weddings.”

The participants shared stories and laugh as they tended to their sewing machines and fabrics. The Sew Day fee includes free parking, 6-foot tables, irons, ironing boards and microwave for lunch. Derouin emphasized the monthly gathering is not a structured event with workshops, although people can certainly learn from others.

“I want people to feel free to do what they want,” she said. “They just want to do their own thing.” For more information on upcoming Sew Day events, phone or text Anita Derouin at 613-406-5107.