The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo 2017

Hello everyone!!

Did you guess correctly?!?!?

In my last post I alluded to the fact that I had sewn my first Burda cardigan in order to attend an event.  I appreciate your input, and am now ready to share my experience at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo 2017!

Let me give you a little backstory, if you will. I have attended this event before.  In fact, it was years ago.  The last time I went I took a few classes, visited the exhibit hall, and met the lovely blogger Victoria of Ten Thousand Hours of Sewing .  Yet time has passed and I haven't been back.  

To be perfectly honest, I haven't felt the need to return because I felt out of place with the demographic, which was mainly senior citizens.  Even the styling was geared to this demographic, and while I valued the information, I wanted something relevant to my age group, sewing ambitions, and evolving sense of style.

So when I got an email about the upcoming event, I opened it out of curiosity, but fully intending to stay home.  However, when I saw that Burdastyle would be there doing a Runway show, I did a double take. "Wha-What?!?!"

I just knew that I had to be there.  In fact, I felt a deep need to be there, and so that settled it.

Somewhere in the email it also mentioned there would be a "Wear your Burdastyle Day" on Friday, where you could wear your favorite pattern and receive a free gift (more about that in a moment). My plans slowly started to take shape...

This is how I ended up rolling into the Expo:

I took my precious girl, my beanie baby son, and my best friend's daughter, who is just learning to sew herself.  IT WAS FUN!!!  Ok, maybe I did have to wrangle my baby during the Runway show, but it was such a great day!

And you know I had to visit Burdastyle's Booth and share my cardigan make!  I had sewed it bit by bit over a week's time span, and finished it the morning of.  Just before getting there I admit I was quite anxious, but I pressed through and met Meg Healy, Burdastyle's online sewing editorial director and instructor.

She was such a pleasure to meet!  For sewing Burda I received a button that said "I made this!" as well as a free online sewing class!

I really wanted to post some of the pics I took of the runway show, but most of them were blurry, or out of focus.  Instead, you can check out the review on Burdastyle's blog HERE.  There were so many amazing looks (42 looks in all), and it was encouraging to know those looks could be made by the home sewist.  It is that fact that makes me proud to delve into this craft.

I will show you some of my favorite quilts from the Expo, though.  The first one is faith-based, and drew me in right away.  Take a look and see what you see:

If you see a cross, then you are right! It is the image of a cross from an underneath perspective.  You can even note the dimension in the work, with some shading down the length of the cross.  Just beautiful!  I have mostly seen crosses from a head-on visual, so I loved this unconventional rendering, and it's implication of surrender.

My other faves made me think of my children:

My sweet girl loves flowers, and everything "girly."  This quilt made me think of her!  I tell you, looking at this photo just doesn't do this quilt any justice.  The intricate detailing was evident in all of the quilts, and quite impressive to behold.

This last quilt reminded me of my oldest son, a car afficianado:

Again, this quilt is another example of the ART of sewing.  When I showed it to my son he immediately said "Wow mom! Can you make me something like that?"  I wish son, I wish.

Other than the Runway show, much of the Expo was the same as the last time I went.  Had I had more time, I would have stayed and listened to a lot more presentations that took place on stage that day.  They were free, and some of the topics included:

• Sew Easy! Sew Faster! Sew Much Fun!
• Comforable Clothes the Easy Way
• Knockout Knits
• Sewing for your Little Ones
• Using Purse Hardware for Professional Results

I would definitely re-visit to hear some of the information given on those topics.  

Vogue Fabrics was also there again.  They had a lot of lovely fabric choices, and pre-cuts, but I did not buy a thing! I don't know how I managed that, but I did.  There was a gorgeous piece I almost bought, but I really want to stick with what I have for now.

Overall, I am SO glad I went, and SO glad I SEWED!  I will be getting back to my jacket now, though.  My goal is to complete the muslin for this month (since we are already midway through).  I had a setback in Feb. with my kiddos being sick, but I am ready to get moving again.

Stay sew-filled!