Emma Seabrook -- Sewkeyse

A new speaker this year -- Emma Seabrooke. Her specialty is knits -- and I am a big, big fan. Emma has a great eye -- and she's coming to Puyallup fresh from a fabric-shopping trip in the cutting rooms of Los Angeles garment district!!

Emma travels all over the world teaching sewing -- and she LOVEs what she does. Here home is in the Florida Keys in a town in the upper keys called Islamorada, the fishing capital of the U.S. (and her husband loves to fish!)

Emma says, "I was born with sewing DNA as my great-grandmother was head costumer for Barhmin/Bailey Circus. Her daughter and my grandmother was a trapeze artist and her husband my grandfather did all the theatrical lighting for Flo Ziegfeld and was the only man allowed to work the with Houdini and his lighting and props. On my other side all my female relatives sewed. I learned to sew from my mom and went on to study under a couturier.

For me, the best part of sewing is making it all come together. I like to design the pattern, find the right fabric in the right color for me and then make it fit me. If I do this right the sewers will tell me I love your outfit and can you show me what fabric to buy and which pattern did you use so I can buy the fabric, the patterns and instructions and feel just as pretty when I am done. Hopefully they too will enjoy and pass this along to others.

I am teaching two hands-on classes, the Nancy Cardigan and the Suzanne Wrap. Both are garments that will add a new spark to you wardrobe -- and they make great gifts as well. The Lecture/Demos are New Tee Necklines and Using Stay tapes to improve your sewing with knits. I like using a basic tee or top and change things so no one sees that it is the same pattern used again and again. The Stay Tapes I developed to improve the look of the knits and not have them look like a poorly home made garment. My Tapes make hems lay flat no ripples, my side seams are straight and look well sewn, my necklines don't sag or fall away. The Stay Tapes keep the knits from fighting with each other or woven fabrics.

If you love knit clothing (and if you look in your closet you will find that you probably do), it is because it is comfortable and easy to wear. You should make knit clothing and I can show you the easy ways to work with knits and have them look good so you will proudly wear them."

SEE YOU SOON, EMMA...thanks again for playing my blogging game!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SHOP YOUR BOOTH...