NYC Frocktails 2022

Okay let me start off by stating the obvious: This was an amazing get together!

One of my bucket list items when I started in the sewing community was to attend this “mythical” party where sewists from all over get together and talk sewing, hang out, and just have a good time in general while showing off their sewing skills.

Since I came in from out of town, I made a nice long weekend of the trip - spending time with friends, eating phenomenal food, fabric shopping, and not to mention my train trips in and out of the city! However, now on to what you came to read: Frocktails.

I was a bit relieved walking in because I already knew that a couple of my online friends (Sierra, Sasha, and Michael) were coming but other than them I really didn’t know what I was getting into or who else I would meet throughout the evening.

I might not come across as introverted but believe me I am. Unless I know you well or I’ve had a fair amount of alcohol in me, you better believe I’m going to find a spot along the wall or the nearest seat and sit and observe my surroundings or pull out my phone or camera and start documenting everything. Throwing myself into something that I’ve never done before? Typically it’s nothing short of a nightmare. However, while I might not have been Miss Social Butterfly or the Life of the Party, it was still a phenomenal experience thanks to our wonderful and incredibly hard-working hosts Robyn, Ali & Anna!

I also wanted to leave a quick note that the communication for the event was excellent. Between the event’s website (which I was checking religiously to make sure I plugged in the correct address for my Uber), having a bit more information emailed to us to outline what we could expect from the event, and options to interact with and prepare via Instagram, it was a great way to help prepare a bit more, especially for someone who doesn’t tend to attend larger events anymore.

Located pretty much smack dab in the middle of the Garment District, Studio Arte was a perfect location from easy travel access to its stunning views as the party raged on. Since the group grew from the initial 100 planned for, we had access to the entire floor which was split into two halves: the “quiet” side that was a bit more conversation and socializing-friendly with a bar and snack table setup along with some comfy couches around the edges and the main room with the DJ, makeshift runway, and, again, snacks and comfy couches.

Starting off, most of us started getting acquainted in the “quiet room” after checking in, putting coats away, and putting our names into the raffles for a chance to win a number of amazing prizes donated by businesses within the community.

It was an amazing time of finally reconnecting with sewists in person, cheering each other on with our makes and runway walks, dancing, eating, drinking, and just having a great night away overall. I’ll be searching for some more Frocktails get togethers soon!

(Also forgive me for the lack of photos, even with poor quality - I was having too much fun! But make sure you check out my video of the runway here!)