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Saturday, March 01, 2008

Puyallup Sewing Expo - One VERY tired vendor/teacher report

I've just completed my 3rd day of vending and teaching each day for the first time here at the Puyallup Sewing and Stitchery Expo. I'm pretty much 'too pooped to peep'!
It has been an exciting, fun, and rewarding show for me in many ways. I've been hosted by a wonderful woman and her husband - a most kind and generous invitation from when I met her in Houston at the Quilt Festival as a student in my class. How amazing is that!?!
She has had 2 wondeful friends who are helping me in the booth in the mornings, and then I ALSO had a website customer who lives here volunteer to help me in the afternoons. Blessed - I surely am!!!!

I've heard many times the comment that 'I'd never know that was a sweatshirt' as reactions to my sample jackets displayed in my booth - and that is the ultimate compliment, for which I am most grateful.

My friend/helper fromt he Houston Show convinced me to try 'Kits' for jackets, and with the affirmation of these helpers as well before this show, I did put together 36 different kits as a 'trial'. Well... I've had fun shopping for lots more fabric for future 'kits'. What fun!
When I get home (if there are any kits left), I will photo one and get a pic up here so you can 'see' that what I've done is
  • guided by an appropriate pattern of mine
  • assemble EVERYTHING (almost everything) needed to complete the kit - from fabric, to trim, to snaps, to interfacing... but NOT the sweatshirt (as size needs to be selected appropriate for the owner/wearer)
  • photo'd the collection for my records
  • designed a jacket - deciding on suggested use of the fabrics and trims - sketching this plan as part of the 'kit'
  • copying that design for my records, in order that I can fully support the kit owner if she should have any questions...need help, etc., because i will be able to completely 'see' the project with my picture and copy of the design...

Tomorrow is the last day - meaning long hard hours, slower traffic, and then the 'fun' of packign it all up, into the car, unpacking it, and readying it for UPS pickup to be shipped back to my house! I've tried to keep track of website orders as they're coming in, and to take home in my suitcases the needed inventory to fill those orders as quickly as possible.

I'm really 'too pooped to peep' - so come back in a day or so for a fuller Puyallup Report! Pics are in my camera, but there is no way my brain is functioning enough to accomplish the feat of getting them from there to here.