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The 21st annual Sewing & Stitchery Expo, presented by Washington State University Extension at the Puyallup WA Fairgrounds from March 3rd - 6th, is now history. If you like to sew, this is an amazing event, not to be missed. It bombards you with 4 vividly colorful days filled with a huge variety of sewing related exhibits, informative classes, creative inspiration and economic opportunities. You can buy almost anything to do with sewing at discounted prices, so we hope you brought your credit card! “I’ve never seen so many people!” we heard exclaimed as we made our way to the exhibit halls. |
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Collectively, Penny and I have been going to the Sewing & Stitchery Expo since its first days in the Tacoma Dome exhibition building. A quick trip to the Expo web site > About Us > History page, will tell you that the first Expo had 56 exhibitors and 3200 attendees over 2 days. Penny remembers that the Tacoma Fire Marshall limited the number of people entering the building at any one time, so there were long lines waiting outside for hours just to get in. |
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Recent Expos boast more than 200 exhibitors, ranging from sewing machines, patterns, notions, fabrics, threads, yarns, tools, designers and educators, to sewing books, videos and DVDs, and even a body scanner for personalizing patterns. All exhibitors offered embroidery, quilting, crafts and apparel sewing information and supplies to over 32,000 attendees. With the current fairgrounds construction program scheduled to be completed by next year's Expo, the exhibition space will quadruple. | |||||
Penny and I attended on Friday, March 4th, the second of this four day event, which was, of course, the busiest day of all. As we wandered the 23,400 square feet of exhibition space, we focused our attention on small specialty vendors relating to apparel sewing. Due to the limitations of our time and stamina, we skipped all the craft, embroidery, quilting and nationally prominent vendor booths. The following are just some of the vendors that caught our eye. We couldn’t possibly tell you about all of them. You’ll just have to go for yourselves. |
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The only major pattern company present with a booth at this year’s Expo was Simplicity, but there was a plethora of small independent pattern companies offering their styles. Many were members of the new professional organization, the Independent Pattern Company Alliance or IPCA. According to the Alliance, patterns made by its members must meet a superior level of standards. These requirements help to give the home sewing consumer a welcomed level of quality assurance. |
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Great Copy Patterns of Racine, WI, www.Great Copy.com, is a member of IPCA and offers patterns with classic styles taken from current ready-to-wear. Sizes range from ex-small to ex-large. Pattern maker Pattie Otto recently purchased this company from Ruthann Spiegelhoff and Judy Laube, who wrote the books Polarfleece Pizzazz. Pattie has already expanded the line with some new patterns of her own. |
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Dana Bontrager’s Purrfection Artistic Wearables of Arlington, WA, www.Purrfection.com, has been in the business of inspiring creative sewing projects for 20 years. She presented a style show of her extensive collection of patterns, fabrics and notions with designs influenced by many cultures. She turns everything into wearable art by stamping, painting, quilting, and many other embellishing techniques. In addition to patterns, her catalogue includes her own book, "Fantastic Fabric Textures", as well as the supplies and tools needed for her varied techniques. |
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Kathleen Cheetham, www.PetitePlus Patterns.com, designs specifically for the petite plus figure: women with narrow shoulders, full bust, short waist length, rounded tummies, and a short crotch depth, in sizes 14-24. Petite Plus Patterns, out of Burnby British Columbia, are simple and versatile, easy to dress up or down, and make great candidates for embellishing and wearable art. |
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Merideth & Mary Lou Rankin’s Park Bench Patterns, www.ParkBenchPatterns.com, consist of easily fitted patterns with few pieces and mostly straight line sewing. Mary Lou is on a mission to get people sewing again by making it fast, fun and easy with unstructured, comfortable clothes that move with your body, not cling to it. Each of her patterns includes a “Permission Slip” to make it any way you want. There are no rules. She wants you to remember five things: 1) if it works, it’s right; 2) it’s okay to change your mind; 3) if you don’t have enough fabric, piece; 4) no one is looking over your shoulder; and 5) relax and have fun! |
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Lorraine Torrence of Seattle WA, www.Lorraine Torrence.com, uses her Master of Fine Arts background to create 2 lines of patterns for wearable art and quilting: Lorraine Torrence Designs and Grainline Gear. Lorraine is also a well know quilt designer, author and teacher. Her wearables have won numerous awards and inspire creativity.
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On our survey of vendors booths we found our old friends Cheryl Tolbert, Home Economist for Hancock Fabrics and one of Vashon Island Sewing Retreat’s founding teachers, and also Janice Gow of Pacific Fabrics in Issaquah. Janice is the Vashon Retreat’s talented doll instructor. (Look for these two on the Vashon Island Sewing Retreat Instructors pages.)
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| In addition to the more familiar big name sources such as Fabrics.com, Vogue Fabrics and NW stores such as Seattle Fabrics, In the Beginning, Fabric Depot of Portland, and lots of quilting fabric vendors, we found many small fabric stores and specialty fabrics on-line retailers. | ||||||
| Nancy’s Sewing Basket, www.NancysSewing Basket.com, a family owned shop on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, has been supplying home sewers and professional seamstresses for 27 years. She offers a wide variety fine fabrics and notions gleaned from world wide sources. Her fabrics appeal to sewers of all levels, from basic projects to tailoring to exclusive silks and bridal laces.  |
 Rochelle’s Fine Fabrics and Quilting is hidden away in the South Kitsap Mall, upper level, in Port Orchard, WA. Rochelle herself has been serving the Kitsap Penninsula for 25 years. She has a wide variety of fabrics and classes and can be contacted by email at Rochelle@oz.net or by phone at 360-895-1515. |
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The Woolen Mill Store on McLoughlin Blvd in Portland, OR, specializes in Pendleton’s highest quality woolen fabrics by the yard, as well as mill-ends, odd lots, and seconds at reasonable prices. If you can’t make it to the factory store at Pendleton Mills in Washougal, WA, www.PendletonMillStore.com, this is the place to find these world famous wool fabrics. |
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In Ritzville, eastern Washington, you can find Linda Kubik Atelier and her luscious hand loomed yardage. Linda, a graduate of the University of Washington Apparel Design program and a weaver, teaches weavers how to sew. She also designs her own line of patterns called Elements, featuring chick, casual elegance and easy construction techniques. Linda‘s book, “Sew Something Special,” covers everything about sewing with hand woven fabrics from patterns and interfacing to seam finishes and other designer details. Contact Linda at twill@agritel.net or 509-659-0209. |
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Carol Lane-Saber Designs, www.Saber Designs.cc, offers Japanese textiles & accessories from old kimonos & sashes, unique clothing patterns, pins, beads, antiques, dolls and embellishments. She lectures and leads workshops specializing in the use of Japanese textiles. She and her husband also conduct textile and garden tours of Japan. The 2005 tour is already full, but check in with them for 2006. |
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The Batik Butik, www.BatikButik.com, by Barb Alexander hails from Victoria, British Columbia. This specialty fabric source features beautiful, hand dyed or stamped, 100% rayon, batik fabrics from Bali. Barb works with a small, Indonesian family-run batik factory that is environmentally responsible. The factory takes Barb’s artwork and colors and make them into fabric. Barb’s first patterns were inspired by her friend Frida in Bali, whose simple elegant garments enhance the beauty of the batik fabrics. Now Barb designs her own patterns with the help of fit expert, Kathleen Cheetham of Petite Plus Patterns. Batik Butik is a member of IPCA. |
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Ida Krenzin, owner of the Button Shoppe, began her business 12 years ago after retiring from a nursing career. She offers 8000 styles, colors and sizes of buttons that she has personally selected. Ida’s daughter Stephanie does her web site at www.ButtonShoppe.com. It’s pure entertainment just to browse the button catalogue. Its index page lists 39 categories arranged by button materials such as metals, wood, shells, glass, porcelain, natural, plastic etc; as well as scores of novelty buttons and other closures such as clasps and frogs. Each category links to one or more pages of button photos. Ida does orders by telephone at 888- 254-6078 or by printing her mail order form from her web site. Her booth was perpetually full of customers. |
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Tools . . . |
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| Jim Peterson of Kai Scissors, www.Kai Scissors.com, sells Japanese made, light weight, durable stainless steel scissors of all shapes and sizes. Many sewing professionals swear by his precision shears which cut through multiple fabric layers at once and to the tip every time. Their ergonomically soft handle grips come in right or left hand models. He has been showing at Expo for 5 years.  |
 Hisako Nakaya, owner of Professional Sewing Supplies of Seattle, WA, sells her extensive line of sewing notions and tools via mail order only. Her line includes: needles, pins, thimbles, markers and tracing wheels, buttonhole cutters, cotton basting thread, shoulder pads, interfacing and tailoring supplies of all kinds. You can write for a catalog at PO Box 14272, Seattle, WA 98114-4272 or call 206-324-8823. For the last 27 years, Hisako has been an important faculty member of the Apparel Design & Services program at Seattle Central Community College, SeattleCentral.edu. Penny first met Hisako in the 80s while attending Hisako’s classes. |
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Ergo Sew, Salem, OR, www.ErgoSew.com, combines the talents of Jeanette Pitaol, a sewing expert, and Dr. Colleen McDonough, a chiropractor, with a mission dedicated to "changing the way the world sews". Together they offer a wide variety of sewing, exercise, posture & support items large and small, as well as healing products that promote pain free sewing. Dr. McDonough specializes in ergonomics and joint rehabilitation. She is a nationally known lecturer who has developed innovative exercises and techniques to help sewers eliminate body pain. |
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Sewing Personalities . . . |
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| Judy Barlup, the Sewing Specialist of Unique Techniques, Bellevue, WA, www.Unique Techniques.com, is an old friend of Penny’s from the Apparel Design program at Seattle Central. She is known for her Japanese Tailoring manual and videos, plus several sewing technique booklets. Her current project is an on-line web class for constructing Perfect Pants. Get more information at www.FittingTips.com. |
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| Nancy Cromwell is an old friend of the Vashon Island Sewing Retreat, sharing her Polar Fleece expertise and enthusiasm with us. We first met Nancy as customers of her Stretch & Sew store in Lynnwood, WA. For those who might not remember, Stretch & Sew was developed by Ann Person and specialized in knit fabrics and patterns, with stretch sewing techniques that were revolutionary for their time. With Nancy’s stretch sewing background and artfully creative mind, she became a nationally know expert on sewing polar fleece. |
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Today Nancy designs fleece fabrics and embroidery software patterns, plus writes books detailing innovative and artistic techniques for polar fleece garments and projects. Her latest book is “More Polar Magic,” which includes a multi-sized jacket pattern, 50 projects, embellishing techniques such as chenilled fleece, and more. Nancy doesn’t have a web site, but her books are not hard to find on the internet. Penny and I also caught Kathy Ruddy just as she was heading into a seminar. Kathy is V ice President of Member Motivation for Unique Patterns and the President of Live Guides Instructional Video Products. Kathy is a University of Washington classmate of Peggy's and Penny has operated cameras for a number of Kathy’s videos. Kathy is very excited about the future applications of the Unique Patterns bodyskanner tm. There were lots of nationally know sewing personalities at the Expo: Clotilde, Pati Palmer, Marta Alto, Kay Wood, Mary Mulari & Rita Farro as the Midwest Ya Ya Sisters, Sandra Betzina, Judy Bishop, Martha Pullen and many many more. All of them presented seminars or programs. Sewing Seminars . . .This year’s Sewing and Stitchery Expo offered over 80 educational seminars in 10 different classroom spaces throughout the Puyallup Fairgrounds, plus free fashion shows, movies, demos. New this year were several hands-on sewing classes sponsored by the major sewing machine manufactures and all were sold out before Expo started. Also, new this year were technology classes featuring machine embroidery software and fabric printing techniques. Conclusion . . .The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is the largest, most comprehensive consumer education and trade event for the sewing industry in the United States. It grows bigger and better every year. Penny and I can’t wait to see what they do with the expanded 92,052 square feet of exhibition space next year, plus the new high tech classrooms, with wireless microphones, dimmable lighting, video CD and DVD capabilities, projection screens, and more. Don’t miss it: March 2 – 5, 2006 at the Western Washington Fairgrounds, in Puyallup Washington! See you there? |
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© Copyright Pengy Productions LLC - 2005 |
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