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The 2002 Sewing and Stitchery Expo Check out the latest trends in patterns, tools, and sewing in general in this report from the largest consumer trade show in the United States The annual Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup (pronounced "pew-allup"), Washington ran February 28-March 3, and drew a crowd of nearly 33,000 from around the country. The effects of September 11 and the recession didn't faze this crowd; not even four days of spectacular, clear weather lured devotees away. "I think folks really responded to the value and comfort of our show, and of course, they're looking to be educated in some way," said Ann Sagawa, Speaker Coordinator. The Expo, sponsored by Washington State University in Pierce County, is not just America's biggest sewing trade show, it's the largest consumer education and trade event in the United States. More than 200 exhibitors, spread over 350 booth spaces, sold their wares. Six style shows graced the main stage, and nearly 90 seminars were offered. The most popular seminar, "Six Great Quilts in 45 Minutes," offered by Marti Michell from Michell Marketing, was completely sold out, even with four additional classes scheduled. Other popular courses included "The Best of Landscape Quilting," by Nancy Zieman (Nancy's Notions), "The Best of America Sews," by Sue Hausmann (Viking Sewing Machines), and "A 'Serge' of Artistry," by Jennifer Gigas (Bernina of America). Beginning and returning sewers looked for basics Thousands of attendees were eager to receive a complimentary Threads shopping bag, complete with a copy of the magazine, and examine the featured garments at our booth. And many individuals, young and old, approached us looking for basic sewing references, because they were just beginning to sew or they were returning after a hiatus. Books that offered basic sewing information sold faster than most vendors could keep stocked. Quilting and machine embroidery were also very high on the interest scale, as more and more people said they owned (and knew how to use) embroidery machines.
We saw lots of new patterns at the show, and were struck by the wealth of offerings from boutique and independent pattern companies; many were owned by Threads authors. This seems to be a thriving area of our industry. There were also many offerings for plus sizes. We photographed all the patterns we could find that were introduced at the show, and you can see them at right. If we overlooked any companies, we hope they'll let us know -- and accept our apologies. Sandra Betzina hosted style shows Sandra narrated as nearly 50 outfits were modeled for the appreciative sewers in the audience. The garments represented designs from both major and independent pattern companies, as well as some created using pattern software. The models were "everyday women" who looked great walking down the runway. Sandra sprinkled her commentary with good tips for sewing with some of the new or tricky fabrics used to make the outfits. We noticed that the booths that sold these patterns were busy after the shows. Asian fabrics at every turn Maybe it was because we were in the Pacific Northwest, but we hope the beautiful Asian fabrics seen at Puyallup are part of a more general trend. There were several vendors selling new and old kimono fabrics, including beautiful shibori, ikats, and stencil designs. Pattern software lets you be the designer We've been following the development of software that allows the home sewer to customize the fit (and even the design) of garment patterns, and the major players were all at this show. Overall, these different software programs have benefited from fine-tuning and the addition of more (and varied) designs. Wild Ginger Software, PatternMaker Software, Living Soft, and Cochenille Design had steady crowds enjoying hands-on demos and tutorials; we arranged to get evaluation copies for future magazine reviews. Notables and Threads' favorites Besides patterns, we were intrigued by many new and useful products and vendors, a few of which we photographed.
At ErgoSew, Inc. (www.ergosew.com), Dr. Colleen McDonough offers nteresting products to promote pain-free sewing, including:
Professional sewing supplies Hisako Nakaya, importer and wholesaler of the Chakoner marking wheel, specializes in offering the best Japanese sewing notions to North American sewers. We were intrigued by three products:
You can contact Hisako Nakaya at PO Box 14272, Seattle, WA 98114-4272; 206-324-8823; email hisakonakaya@netscape.net
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