Friday, September 29, 2017

Original Sewing & Quilting Expo 2017

The Original Sewing & Quilting Expo is happening in Schaumburg this weekend, and of course, I went! Schaumburg Convention Center is literally 15 minutes from my house, and though it's not a big show, it's still got plenty of vendors and lots of eye candy. Although I really think of this as more a sewing show and less a quilting show.

I took just a few photos of my favorite quilts on display today. Disclaimer: These photos are for personal enjoyment, not for reproduction.

Left: Essence by Susan Mann
Right: Sailing the Ocean Blue by Diana Minor

Left: Primordials #5 by Rahel Elran
Right: Tactile Architecture by Simona Peled

One fun feature of Sewing Expo is their Make-It Take-It projects, where for a small fee, I get to make something and take it home. I stopped at the Babylock station and made this bag with a serger. This is my first time ever using a serger. How cute is this bag!

I'm primarily a quilter so I really don't need a serger, but it was fun to use. And who knows, maybe one day I'd wake up with an insatiable urge for a serger. (That happened with my longarm.)

I was in the area when the BurdaStyle fashion show was starting, so I thought I'd sit and watch. What a treat! The models were beautiful, and the clothing was very cute and on trend. I'm pretty sure all of these are way, way out of my skill range, but it was a fun experience anyway. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

And then ... at the very end, BurdaStyle announced a collaboration with Spoonflower / Sprout coming up. I didn't get too many details but it sounded fabulous. I adore Spoonflower, and it sounds like we get to pick a fabric, pick a size, and it'd come shipped to us with the cutting lines printed on it. The worst part of garment sewing, to me, is dealing with the paper pattern. And that's not an issue! I saw this adorable top that had my name written all over it, and maybe I'd try it come November!

I stopped at both Babylock and Janome to look at their sewing machines. I really, really want a new sewing machine. I admit I'm very much fed up with my Pfaff, but shopping for a sewing machine is really scary. Not only is it a big hunk of change, but I don't know for sure that it'd solve my problems with my Pfaff, and I will have to learn the ins and outs of the new machine. Besides, my Pfaff still works, so I can't justify getting a new machine, either.

But what's a quilt show without some shopping? I found this gorgeous yellow / blue quilt kit, and I picked up a few more Akonye Kena bowls. I'm obsessed with them! Not only are they absolutely gorgeous, but they're fair-trade and made in South Africa. And they're amazing thread catchers because the thread never sticks to the bowl. I've got enough thread catchers now, but I'm sure I'll find some uses for them!

You know you visit too many quilt shows when the cashier of Missouri Star Quilt Company recognizes you. However, I think I'm done with quilt shows for the year. My next show will probably be ... QuiltCon!

5 comments:

  1. That Spoonflower/Burda mashup sounds fabulous! I'm with you, dealing with the paper patterns is a total pain.

    Have you considered a used sewing machine? The $$ commitment isn't as high that way. I couldn't justify a new Juki, but found a good used one on eBay for half the price. You might even be able to sell the Pfaff for the same price and make the financials a wash...

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  2. Burda + Spoonflower = brilliant! Love your kit. Where can I find those thread catchers online? I looked and came up blank. As for a sewing machine, get rid of the one that's not making you happy. I bought mine new 22 years ago and told myself it was a lifetime investment. It's still new to me and I still love it. Thanks for showing us around the Expo!

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  3. What fun! I love Burda's idea of printed patterns with Spoonflower. Something to think about for sure; I sewed garments in a prior life. I have two shirts to make that haven't been cut out for precisely that reason. Funny about the MSQ cashier....lucky you to be able to get to so many shows. I feel a lack of them and each one I miss is for some giant reason!

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  4. This show is in Minneapolis is November, I can't wait to go. Are you going to quiltcon, confirmed going? We should totally meet up!

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  5. You don't need to quilt it densely, just enough to make sure it doesn't bubble or move around too much. Read More

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