Sew 'n Sews Retreat Information

ATTENTION ALL SEW-N-SEWS:     2021 retreat!!!

Our second annual sewing retreat will be October 4 - 7, 2021 at Creative Passions in historic Chesaning, Michigan. 

This is a wonderful facility.  We have the old church (they have several buildings) which has lots and lots of space, several bedrooms (one-person, two-people, 8-person), everything we need.  A very nice quilt shop is only about 30 minutes away, and Creative Passions also has a small shop. You can google "Creative Passions" to see it.  We had a great time last year.

So at this time, save the date.  If we have room, guests may be invited. Let me know if you have questions.  Payments and reservations are not due until July, with final payment in September.

Questions contact Sally Ellis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Surgical Hats for Pediatric Surgical Patients

Golisano Children's Hospital needs surgical caps for their pediatric surgical patients.  Sew-N-Sews are asking members to each make one surgical cap this summer, and bring it in the fall to donate to Golisano.  Instructions for making the surgical caps can be downloaded by clicking here:

Pediatric Surgical Caps Instructions

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Prevent Quilt Bleeding

Boo! Quilt bleeding! It's happened to most of us, and it's a problem we're asked to solve quite often. Some will say, "Wash it in Retayne" and others will say, "Wash it in Synthrapol". Still others say, "Use a Color Catcher". But who's right?

  • Synthrapol is used to prepare blank fabric and remove sizing, residues, oils, etc so it will accept dye better. Then, it's used after the dyeing process to suspend excess dye particles and prevent them from depositing back onto the fabric.
  • Retayne is used to fix the dye in commercial fabrics, to prevent bleeding BEFORE you use them in your project.
    Use Retayne when you prewash suspect fabrics (reds and blues are common culprits) before they are in your quilt. Use Synthrapol when you have a bleed happen after a quilt is constructed. Once the excess dye is removed, THEN wash it in Retayne to fix the dye.
  • Color Catchers (Shout, K2r, Vanish, Dylon) are simply a product used to grab dye in the wash, but they are not going to totally reverse a bad bleed after the fact.

Build your arsenal now, and prevent the bleeding nightmare. (Article from McTavish Quilting Studio on Facebook)

 Products to Prevent Quilt Bleeding

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