The next meeting of the Greater Philadelphia DressShop Users' Group will be Tuesday, January 24, 2006, from 10:30am to 3:30pm at Brenda Dobin's house in Warminster (email: brendad@comcast.net). Please, mark your calendar now so that you can avoid scheduling conflicts.

We're celebrating that Selma Whitaker has been named a DressShop Educator! This celebration recognizes Selma's potential value to several groups of people:

- You've lurked on the discussion groups and/or looked at ads and articles about pattern-drafting software, but you think you'll need help to get it working for you.

- You've put aside your fine sewing skills because fitting your "atypical" shape from commercial patterns is too much of a hassle.

- You'd like to sew for people who live far away, but you have no way to ensure that what you make will fit.

- You've dipped a toe or dived into pattern-drafting software, but your garments need "tweaking" for you to be really satisfied.

We have an active user group here in Greater Philadelphia - southeastern PA, southern NJ, northern DE and MD. Now, in addition to help from other users, we'll formally have access to Selma's extensive know-how about DressShop software, fitting, and sewing...in essence, how to turn our stashes into well-fitting wardrobes! Want to know more?

Brenda will give directions to the meeting when you RSVP to her email: brendad@comcast.net . Her Warminster home is about 40-45 minutes northeast of Marj's home in St. Davids. Selma is driving her van from Paoli and picking up Marj; if you'd like to be part of that car pool, email Selma: Swhita6apa@aol.com.

All are welcome, whether you have DS clothes for show and tell (we're looking forward to seeing Sylvia's grandmother-of-the-bar-mitzvah wardrobe), slopers to be fitted (i.e., why's this sleeve not laying right?), questions about pattern-drafting software (how do I get DressShop to make me a pattern for this idea in my head?), queries about the new My Pattern Design software, etc....or just a wish to "talk sewing" with others.

Marj Jensen
Southeastern PA 19087