American Sewing Expo 2015 recap

In the Haberman booth at the expo. I'm wearing a yet-to-be-blogged dress....

This was my sixth year attending the American Sewing Expo in Novi, MI so I feel like a conference veteran.  I could write a whole novel about this weekend, but I will try to spare you (and me) and just give the highlights.

The high level summary is that the very best part of the weekend was when Anne and I visited Lynn at You Sew Girl Headquarters and descended on her closet like locusts, the second best part was taking Jennifer Stern's professional jeans construction class so that I could re-learn how to make the fly front zipper, and the third best part is something I will share with you in a week or so; I won't reveal it just now....

Thursday

• Flew to Detroit from the Trenton-Mercer Airport, a small regional airport I had never flown from before.  Yelp reviews revealed that this is a place you either love or hate and I am firmly on the side of deep love.  
• Drove to Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak.   
• Met up with Anne of Sewing to Soothe My Soul and had dinner

Friday

• Had breakfast and lunch with Kristine of Just Keep Sewing and Anne
• chatted with Kathy from McCalls, Deborah from Simplicity, and Rhonda from Schmetz needles.

• Simplicity Fashion Show--that's the Mimi G coat--in denim!  
• 



• Jennifer Stern's Jean Construction class, where you make a sample with front pockets and a fly front zipper--Jennifer is a fabulous instructor:  enthusiastic, upbeat, entertaining, wants everyone to leave happy and to not feel stressed during the class.  Yes, I took her class in 2012 but I have not put a fly front zipper in since 2013 and wanted a refresher.  She also streamlined her fly-front zipper instructions.    Thank you Jennifer for a great class!!
• Dinner with Lynn and Anne

Saturday

• shopping at the Soutache (ribbon and buttons--love her button display!!) and Haberman's booths

• Simplicity Fashion Show again--this model looks great in everything!  This is a denim shirt dress.
• Picked up my free pattern for wearing a garment made from a Simplicity or New Look pattern--thanks Simplicity!!!

• Completed the scavenger hunt and got a pack of 3 Schmetz needles and a Grabbit magnet--thank you Schmetz!  I was going to buy another Grabbit and now I don't have to!!

• The big visit to You Sew Girl HQ
Anne and I raided her closet like a swarm of locusts and we tried on almost everything! Lynn has the neatest closet I've ever seen (in both senses of the word: interesting and tidy). Lynn also remembers pattern numbers quite easily so she rattled them off for us. Now I have several more patterns I'm interested in!  (I'm trying on one of her denim jackets above)


• Her linoleum floor was excited to see us!  It's the floor from her pix!


• Lynn explaining the cataloging system for her amazing fabric stash; I don't know why she's embarrassed!  You can see some of the Rubbermaid bins in this photo which hold her fabric stash. 

A card for each piece of fabric, with a swatch, then bound by a ring by type

The mirror where she takes her selfies!

Her sewing machine

Selfies in her sewing room

 

• Impromptu teaching 


• I showed Lynn and Anne how  to box out a bag, how to install zipper pockets in bags (I use this tutorial with one tweak), and also how to install piping  (I use this tutorial) and have it overlap on a side seam. 

Posing with this cute bag Anne gave both of us.  It looks like a sewing machine from all sides!  Thanks Anne!

• Passion for Fashion show

Sunday

• Anne and Lynn did the scavenger hunt

• shopping at Vogue Fabrics and Soutache (again)


Tried on this coat at the McCalls booth

It has a very high twirl factor.

• How to Read the Wrinkles (Jennifer's jean fitting class)
• Then the third best thing of the weekend happened (to be blogged later)
• Flew home

Lynn's recap of the weekend

Anne's recap of the weekend

As a conference veteran I now know:

• Foregoing the 3" heels and wearing cushy flats not only makes my feet happy (the expo floor is concrete) but also frees up space in my luggage!
• Taking the day off from work after returning home is a great thing I can do for myself.

So thank you Lynn for letting us visit your house and thank you Anne for driving me all over yonder.  It was a great trip!

Be well!