Hands-On Classes

Wednesday is "set-up" day at the show. It is UNBELIEVABLE how much work goes into building a vendor floor. There are hundreds of trucks, moving in and out, taking their turns offloading the shelving, tables, displays, boxes and crates of merchandise...this is what it looked like in 2011:

We decided, several years ago, to do hands-on classes on Wednesday. WOW! What a great idea! Our hands-on sewing machine classes sell out very quickly. AND YOU LOVE THEM..!!

Of course, a big reason for the success of these classes is the machine companies that provide the sewing machines for the rooms in Clover hall...

Thank you, Pfaff...

And Thank-you, Baby Lock...
(Yes, we know you loved Candace Jewett...she is amazing...)

Thank-you, Brother...


And Thank-you, Bernina....
Here's the way it works. These wonderful sewing machine companies equip a room in Clover Hall with 30 machines AND they provide a tech.

SewExpo teachers are all encouraged to submit topics (some have favorite companies) -- and Ann & Joanne do their best to "match them up". Because we only have 30 seats in each classroom, many of these classes sell out on the first day. Some topics are wildly popular...

If you took one of these three-needle hands-on machine classes -- you know how much work goes into it. The teachers plan their project well in advance, assemble and ship their kits to Puyallup, etc.

During our recent 2012 Planning Meeting, we reviewed every single class. We'd like to thank you, our fabulous attendees, FOR SIGNING UP, and of we'd also like to thank our wonderful teachers for BRINGING IT.

The Sewing & Stitchery Expo provides more hands-on classes than any consumer show in America. It is a lot of work for everybody involved -- but your enthusiastic response to our class schedule makes it ALL A WORTHWHILE EFFORT!!

Day One: 2012 Planning Meeting

This is just a random airport picture. It feels like I spent most of the month of May in a plane, train or automobile -- traveling. (actually, there were only pictures of trains -- no actual rides)...



On my first day in Puyallup -- we hit the ground running -- with a meeting of all the committee heads. As you can see -- IT TAKES A VILLAGE...EVERYBODY in this picture has a job. Ticket committee, CTA organizer, Door Prize chairman, etc. It was very interesting for me to be a part of this recap meeting. Thanks for inviting me, ladies!!

During the lunch break, Mary Collen (Style Show manager) is trying to show me and Ann how we can download a free QR reader to our smartphones...to receive advertising, special offers, coupons, etc. Don't get your hopes up -- we're still a coupla years away from actual smartphone marketing.


Or -- maybe I'm wrong! Do you have a smartphone? Do you know what a QR reader is? I have a new "smartphone" -- but the problem is -- a phone is only really as smart as the person operating it. So my poor phone doesn't get to show off very often...

Somebody should be selling a "smartphone for dummies"...

Anyway -- on Day Two -- the Expo team got down to brass tacks. (that means, yes, it was painful)...We started off by reviewing EVERY SINGLE SUGGESTION OR COMPLAINT. In Joann's after-the-show newsletter, you'll get to read all about it.

Guess what the #1 complaint was?? Truly, it was a tie....

#1: The bathrooms stink......or,

Also #1 complaint: Room (tent so & so) was too cold.

If those are the two biggest complaints -- maybe we did good, eh?? Obviously, there isn't much we can do about bathroom odors -- but if we could fix everything for you -- WE CERTAINLY WOULD.

Because we pay very expensive rent for every single room or building we use during the show -- it's important that we utilize ALL THE SPACES TO THE MAX...and, depending on the weather, we always know the tents will be a challenge.

And the very best thing about the tents is that they are SO CLOSE to our main buildings. They seat a lot of people, the teachers get a large audience, you can get from the tent to the Showplex in your 15 minute change-over...

But, oh yes, controlling the temperature is a big problem. If we don't use the tents, we'd lose thousands of possible seats each day. Then what? Would we have to raise the price of those $5 one-needle classes?

See the problem?

Yes, we feel your pain. We hate the tents, too. But, on the other hand, we THANK THE EXPO GODS that we have them. Those tents allow us to bring you the biggest, most complete class schedule in the country...for the bargain price of $5 for a one-needle seminar.

2012 Planning Meeting

I am going directly from the Spring Quilt Market to Puyallup for the 2012 Planning Meeting. Hopefully, I'll be able to connect with some speakers and/or vendors...

Last year, I had a chance to visit with Mark Lipinski. We are friends on Facebook -- and I go to his page every week to watch "American Idol" with Mark and 300 of his closest friends...

This was the first time I got to touch somebody's "I-pad". This year, Ann Sagawa will be bringing her NEW I-PAD to the planning meeting. I can hardly wait!! (John gave me a color Book Nook for Christmas -- and it's official name is "you are not an I-Pad")...


It's always fun to bump into Sew Expo vendors. Here's Luveta Nickels at last year's Spring Quilt Market.
AND, it was during that show I got a chance to sit with Becky Keck and the Bernina team about bringing Ricky Tims to the 2011 show...

WHAT will we come up with for 2012?? 2011 was such a great show -- it is going to be a hard fact to follow!!

Spring Quilt Market

This week, I leave for the Spring Quilt Market -- which was in Minneapolis last year. I was working in the Schmetz booth -- here's Rhonda Pierce, the Marketing Director for Schmetz needles...

This year -- Spring market is in Salt Lake City!!

It is always so much fun for me to run into friends from Puyallup -- like Sharon Stoffel from Pacific Fabrics!! We usually hook up for breakfast at the hotel....or maybe lunch at the show...

It's fun to walk the show to see if there's anything new -- last year I discovered the FLOOR MAT GIRLS...did you take their class? It quickly sold out -- next year we'll move them to a much bigger room!!


Here I am, sitting on Amy Butler's sofa -- waiting for an appointment? Worried about missing lunch? Hoping the show is about to close for the day?
Or -- NOT WANTING TO BE LATE FOR MY DATE with handsome Simon!! It's always fun to see what new stuff he'll be bringing to Puyallup...

And, of course, my sister Deb is always GREEN WITH ENVY. Simon is her hero -- and she even took a class from him this year.

Maybe next year, Deb will actually get a chance to COME TO THE SHOW!! We're talking about putting together a "sister's trip" -- and SEw Expo would be a GREAT PLACE for us to kick it off!!

Totebag Challenge

London took some great pictures of the various TOTEBAGS at the 2011 Sewing & Stitchery Expo. I love, love, love this one...

Creative DRAWings took pictures in their booth of many, many fabulous totebags -- and gave a prize worth $600 on Saturday...

We can always count on Linda B. to play our sewing games...

The crew from Creative DRAWings -- right before they drew the name for the grand prize...

One of the most unique bags at the show...

THANKS AGAIN for playing our sewing game! You brought it, ladies!!

Guess what? NEXT WEEK I leave for the International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City -- then on to Seattle for the REAL PLANNING MEETING...

I am so excited about next year's Special Events...KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED...because this could be REALLY BIG...!!