CTA's Rock!!

Yes -- this is going to be another one of those "it takes a village" posts. If you are reading this blog, you are a fan of the Sewing & Stitchery Expo. So you already know how important the CTA's are...They are the backbone of the show...

Women who give their time and their energy all year long -- because of their love of sewing. Women like Cathy Swenson....here at last year's Expo....

She wouldn't want to be singled out -- so I'm posting some pictures of other CTA's -- our unsung heros...I know Darlene is doing something important here...

And, the Inspired-2-Sew show needs TWO CTA dresser-helpers to stay on their schedule...

Connie and friend are guarding the back of a seminar room...

Behind the scenes, every model for every style show has her own "dresser"

At the 2010 Ya Ya show -- we gave a special recycled wool gift to Cathy -- who was in the middle of cancer chemo treatment...

Princess is helping people donate their pillowcases...

CTA Laura played our Ya Ya recycling game -- and her "2009 doorprize" garish hot pink sweater turned into an adorable 2010 mascot moose.


It was Laura who sent me some great photos of the Coats & Clark Pro-Am Sewing event -- so many of the young sewists spent time in Cathy Swenson's LARGE BEAUTIFUL sewing studio...Cathy's smile lights up the whole room, she is so pleased to see the young sewists' enthusiasm. And from what I've heard over the years -- Cathy is the first one to share EVERYTHING she loves....especially her love of sewing...



I will never be able to meet ALL the CTA's. It took me years to understand what they do -- and I still don't know EVERYTHING they put into SewExpo. In so many important ways, this has always been THEIR show. They volunteer their time -- they come, they work, they hostess, they smile, they help...

They do it throughout the year -- and they do it for very little thanks.

Here's a little bit of thanks. CTA'S ROCK. Cathy Swenson rocks. Cathy's cancer is back. This blog post is my "thinking of you" card. If you have snail-mail skills -- and want to tell Cathy how much you love Sew Expo -- she would love to hear your Expo stories...

Cathy Swenson, PO Box 131, Kapowsin, WA 98344

If you would rather email -- send it to me and I'll forward it: ritafar@aol.com

Everybody is dealing with something. Health problems, economic issues, natural disasters. We ALL DEAL WITH BAD STUFF...it's a part of life. But Expo has always been that once-a-year-oasis. That brief moment in an entire year when women who love sewing could come together -- put their bad stuff on a back burner -- and simply wallow in our mutual love of sewing. I know you would hate to be singled out, Cathy. But what you do for other people really is exceptional -- because you share everything...

I wanted to say THANK YOU to Cathy Swenson and all the other unsung CTAs who help to put together the Sewing & Stitchery Expo. Please know that we ARE grateful.

And, Cathy -- we are sending up our collective Sew Expo prayers...

Ricky Tims Comes To Town

Most of the time -- I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I will write about in this weekly blog post. But this week was a no-brainer. Today, I get to write about the fabulous Ricky Tims.
He was our special entertainment for the 2011 Quilter's Night Out. Here's a picture of Ricky, along with Becky Keck of Bernina (THANK-YOU, BERNINA)...and me. Ricky was about to put on his hat and begin the performance...

Of the 1200 pictures I have of the 2011 Sewing & Stitchery Expo -- this is one of my favorites. London used her long distance lens to get this shot. Ricky is already lost in his music -- you can see the audience behind him. AND the other side of the audience is reflected in the mirrored piano. Wow...

It was THAT KIND of an evening...Ricky's music was haunting and unforgettable...

And his story-telling was world-class.

At the end of the evening, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. AND THIS WEEK, I GET TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. We all have the chance to see Ricky's concert this Friday night -- July 22, at the Waterfront convention center in Bettendorf, Iowa. And I am being joined by some of my family and friends. Sisters, cousins, sewing buddies.

Ricky is coming to Bettendorf, Iowa to do a 3 day quilting retreat with Alex Anderson and Libby Lehman.

It will be a very special event - and if you have any chance to attend Ricky's concert on Friday night -- JUST DO IT..!!

It will be an evening you will never forget...maybe I'll see you there.

And -- stay tuned -- because next month, I hope to announce who will be hosting the 2012 QUILTER'S NIGHT OUT!!

2011 Stalker Surprise!!

Because Chris and Judy have attended EVERY SINGLE YA YA SHOW Mary Mulari and I ever presented in Puyallup (one year they came to the SAME seminar three times in one day)....we started calling them "stalkers"...

This is a picture of me with them at the 2009 Expo...(who knew this would be my THIN picture?!) They brought me a BIG PACKAGE of various gifts...I was deep into my Pink Flamingo phase...
When we did our evening Ya Ya show -- they went undercover...disguised as the Blues Brothers...

They ALWAYS PLAY ALONG -- enthusiastically planning their outfits for every event. That year, at the Pink & Red charity event.


At this year's show -- they were the first to line up with a passel-o-pillowcases for the children of Mary Bridge...
And -- YES -- THEY ALWAYS COME WITH GIFTS...Can you see what they made for me? It's something custom...this year, they honored my devotion to the zebra stripe...

NO KIDDING -- it's an ironing board cover!! HOW CLEVER IS THAT???



Hey -- a girl can NEVER have too many zebra striped ironing board covers...

THANKS AGAIN, CHRIS AND JUDY...you are the best stalkers anybody ever had. Awesome job...

Wait until you see what they made for Mary!!

Look Who I Ran Into!!

Happy Fourth of July!! I hope you had a picnic with the people you love -- and don't get around to reading my boring blog until at last the day after...lol...

THANKS again for your kind remarks about the post-show newsletter. We DO KNOW that the large majority of you are very, very happy with Expo and it is heartwarming to read all the positive emails that followed that newsletter. Please be assured, once again, that the complaints are few and far between -- and we know what we can change and what we can't. Thanks for being so supportive...

As you know - I attend a lot of sewing events, all over the country -- and it is always fun for me to run into Expo speakers. In May at Sewing Weekend in Beaver Dam -- I heard somebody holler, "HI RITA" -- and I turned to see the smiling faces of Cindy and Ron Losekamp...

One of these pictures was from Puyallup -- the other is from Beaver Dam...I'm telling you -- always smiling no matter where I see them.


Cindy's Beaver Dam classes were packed -- and I thought I should ask her what's new...


THEN I remembered -- I have the power to do a little video!!



To see what new stuff Cindy is working on -- be sure to visit her website: Sew Artfully Yours