EXPO!!!!!!

We went to the Expo in Worcester, see my lengthy review below the fab pics.

One of the best things about the trip was our pit-stop on the way home:






OSGOODS!!!!! Fabric Lovers' Paradise.


The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo http://www.sewingexpo.com
was a sewing expo held in Worcester, MA. It was my first sewing expo so I have nothing to compare it to.

The big draw to any sewing exposition is the classes given by national and international industry professionals.

Classes

Lorraine Henry from Conselle taught a number of pattern alteration classes which were valuable. I took 3 of her classes. I ended up visiting her booth and purchasing her book and some other items. I would love to take her seminar in Utah. There were so many questions that she ended up going over her allotted class time which was unfortunate because I was not able to stay for two of them. I think she should have a big one day pattern alteration seminar, that way it would be easier to cover everything that she needs to. Many questions seemed to apply more to other classes and she was so nice and really cared that we understood her information she took the time to answer them and illustrate her answers; it caused the classes to go late.

Louise Cutting did a class on One-Seam pants. I thought it was helpful; she answered a lot of questions but had to end the class a bit early as the exhibit hall was opening and she did not have any help that day. I did pick up 2 of her patterns and a couple of her booklets. She recommended an elastic you can buy at Joann's and usually stitches it on the waistband and then folds it down and stitches again. She was very friendly and made some interesting observations on the grain lines of pants.

Diane Ericson held a class on color. I was not signed up for this; I was working it as part of my Ambassador duties. It was very interesting. She provided a kit (well, there was a kit fee--$12) which had a color wheel and everyone got creative with their colors. She pulled out her inspiration boards--and talked about how to translate these into garments. She was really inspiring. I was unhappy that I could not get into her fashion illustration class the next day as it was sold out. She was selling some stencils and patterns and was demonstrating working with the stencils at the Vogue booth. I did not really participate in this class but listened to her lecture and she inspired people to be more creative.

Barb Callahan (barboringinals.com) held a class called "Easy skirts from rectangles". She was very nice and I was assisting in that class as well. She showed a variety of linen skirts she made from rectangles which she often wears in her home state of Florida. The hems were a neat finish with a wing needle and honeycomb stitch. She had a number of variations on the skirts including adding gores and making the skirt two layers. Her booth had lots of wool (she also held some classes on felting) and European linen by the yard. The linen was gorgeous but $18/yd. I could not afford it for my purposes. She also had patterns but the booth was often very crowded so I did not linger.

Peggy Sagers’ (Silhouette Patterns) classes were great! I went to two of those. Her presentations were very organized and she was very matter of fact. She really gave us some good tips on collars, interfacings, fly treatment, jacket sleeves, easing blouse sleeves etc. One class she went through sewing an entire outfit (pants, blouse, jacket). She says we are too slow! I purchased a series of her DVDs. I have to say, she looks younger in person but is definitely a powerhouse of information. What I find touching is that she makes her number available for any assistance you might need with her patterns. She has some lovely quick sewing patterns for sale as well.

I am sad to say that many were unhappy with Cynthia Guffey's closures class. It was basically sewing three different type closures in 3 hours. It started 30 minutes late. The kit was $20 and included a button, a hook, a snap and a piece of silk to sew these on. She had some lovely silk at her booth that was heavenly in quality and price. I did not linger at her booth because she seemed down. I hope to catch her in a different venue when perhaps she is feeling better and her energy is up. Even though I registered in advance, I could not get into her pattern choosing for your body type class--there were 2 scheduled and they were 3 hour classes and entirely sold out.

My friend took Emma Seabrooke's class and showed us the technique. It was about sewing with stretch lace and those crinkle/pleated stretch knits. Basically she uses a stretch interfacing tape and invisible sew through elastic.

Unique Patterns’ Kathy Ruddy was there and she did a free presentation on the stage talking about her "eat cookies" waist/pants. She measured people at her booth for a number of services, including counseling about what kinds of alterations to make, what type of fabrics to use for your figure type etc. She was very nice and had very good things to say about other vendors. She sold the Swiss pattern paper as well as all her videos, cd's and pamphlets and was very reasonable cost-wise. I liked her and enjoyed her presentation. The other girls took a class with her.

I also took Freshman Embroidery with Katie Bartz who is an independent Viking educator. She was hilarious and kept us awake through this 3 hour class fielding questions about machine embroidery for newbies. I really enjoyed her and the other ladies in the class. She answered questions about thread, needles, and stabilizers and showed us her "foolproof" method of hooping. She also gave us recommendations on the software. She works a lot with Pam DeMore -- they did the pillow book together called "Pillow Talk". She taught a number of classes. I was not able to get into her "Embroidery Lab" scheduled after this class, although she had 2--they were all sold out.

Pam DeMore had a few classes, one was sewing a bag-- I was not in that class but cleaned up after it. She did quite a number of classes and did not have a booth. Most everyone seemed to enjoy her classes. One of my friends took one and had only great things to say about it. I think she is a Viking educator (I'm not sure if she is independent or not).


Booths:

Viking was the premier manufacturer there. The upstairs ballrooms held all their top of the line embroidery machines and they also had a prominent booth with other models. They had machines for sale there-- the demonstration model from the classroom was $5,000. That included the embroidery unit, a bunch of software and about $1,000 gift certificate from the store in Auburn MA. This shop is lovely, we visited it after the expo and they will be featuring Pam DeMore in July so you can plan an overnight roadtrip because she is worth it!

Babylock also had a prominent booth and a stocked classroom where there seemed to be a lot of quilting and piecing classes held. I only cleaned up in there, did not take any of these classes.

Janome had a smaller booth and the sales educators were very nice and helpful and willing to demonstrate all of their machines. One lady from MD was an heirloom sewing instructor for Janome and had some gorgeous samples.

Bernina had no presence there at all. I was told it was because they prefer to have the premier spot and it was already promised to Viking. I don't know how much of that was true but they were missed.

Pfaff had the smallest booth of the sewing machine companies. I was surprised there were no materials from Cyndi Losekamp there.

Fabric
Vogue fabrics had a very large booth and I have to say, I did buy quite a bit from them. However, I have to agree with the fabric selection. They did restock every day but there was only one bolt of bamboo fabric.

There was a booth that had some gorgeous Italian wools and blends-- I think they were from Canada. There were a number of batik/quilting/hand-dye fabric stands as well. There was a vintage fabric and button/trim booth that I found to be very sweet and pricey. Emma Seabrook had lots of slinky and knits. I found a good one in her bargain bin.

The other best thing besides the classes in regards to the Expo and going to Massachusetts shopping wise is the side trips on the way home. We visited Wright's factory outlet in Sturbridge-- which was having quite a clearance because they are closing. Everything was 25% off. We then went to Osgood's in East Springfield which was fabric lover's heaven. It is a veritable warehouse. One third of it is home dec; there is an area of furniture and then, (sigh), rolls of fabric to the ceiling in aisle after aisle. It is 3 hours away from me--all this time... who knew?

The other vendors--I mentioned a number of them that were also presenters. There was a thread vendor, a trim vendor, some others like Bon-ash, and embroidery designs--Dakota I think. I picked up the patternmaster boutique software at a very good price--$50 less than their normal. There were also booths for doing stuff like knitting a baby hat for charity and many quilts were displayed. I spent a good deal of time and money on the exhibit floor as well as time talking to these knowledgeable people who had lots of advice and were very kind. Floriani also had a huge booth, Sulky and Martelli Industries (they had some cool gadgets).

The Facilities at the Convention Hall

Some of the classrooms were just corners curtained off which was not good when one wall was made of glass, facing East in the am and there are overheads to look at. Sometimes the equipment did not work. Sometimes it was just too noisy. In general, the ballroom and classrooms were okay but not optimal. The lady running the organizing of the classrooms was nice and her husband worked with her --they were very helpful. I participated in the Ambassador program where I donated my time (one afternoon as a classroom assistant and am/pm clean-up) and earned a class. This time was credited to the ASG to pay for a booth during the entire expo that was staffed by the Worcester Chapter. As a classroom assistant you also get to experience the classes you are assisting in. One of the friends I went with worked so much all her classes and admissions to the exhibit hall were free.

Regarding the food, be prepared for airport prices. The best thing is to bring your own or eat at the hospital cafeteria across the street. Another great idea is to bring a water bottle. Seriously. an ice cream cone was $6 and a small coffee $2.

I was so busy in classes I missed the fashion shows and other free presentations.

Accommodations

We stayed at the Hilton across the street. There were 4 of us and we stayed 4 nights. We split the >$500 bill which was very cool. The parking is $13/day if by valet or $9/day in the garage. Friday night that area is hopping. There is no continental breakfast but an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet set up every morning for about $10. They have to-go cups for coffee. There is an office center to make copies and check your email, a pool and Uno’s restaurant is connected to the hotel and they deliver to your room.

Our room had 2 double beds. There was an ironing board and iron in the closet, and shampoo, mouthwash, conditioner as well as soap was supplied in the bathroom but no blow dryer. There was a good-sized table/desk and an easy chair with reading light. The temperature was easy to adjust but was on the opposite wall as the heater/ac. It is worth it to be close to the Expo. You get so busy and are constantly going at the convention center; I could not imagine trying to deal with driving around an unfamiliar area at night. There was a convenience store, a number of restaurants and a Starbucks in easy walking distance. We had a dinner with everyone from Region 1 that I attended at a fantastic Italian restaurant about 4-5 blocks away from the hotel.

When you are sharing a room with lots of people, expect to be awakened if you are light sleeper. Forewarning: I snore—not on purpose but it is really something I can’t control—my advice: bring earplugs.

Advice for future Expos
Register for your desired classes as early as possible. The really good ones get sold out fast. Go for the packages. Then, once you fill up on your package, ask them for the number for the Ambassador program and work in a shift there so you can take another class on a whim. The exhibit floor is fun but can get very expensive, plan your forays-- I missed out on stuff (hands on make-and-takes as well as handouts) because I didn't plan them better. Bring bottled water, pack lunches or portable food so you don't have to buy it there. Try to go with a group; the Hilton let us all use our credit cards to pay our portions of the stay. Check your coat for $1, it's worth it.


The Sewing and Quilt Expo was the place to go for all the newest tools and supplies for sewing, quilting, machine embroidery, knitting, embellishment and home décor projects. In addition to attending the sewing workshops and seminars there was the American Quilter’s Society Faculty Exhibit to see.