Sewing Summit 2012 {a recap}

There’s a big, selfish part of me that doesn’t want to give Sewing Summit anymore publicity because I want/need/have to go next year and tickets are super hard to come by already. I guess I could tell you it wasn’t that great, but that would be a HUGE lie.  I spent 3 days thrifting, friending, sewing, learning, networking, and eating.   For me, someone who loves all those things, it was weekend of pure awesome.

The trip started off with a thrift/antique/vintage store hop I co-hosted with the talented Melissa of I Still Love You.  She did most of the work by putting together a fab shopping route around downtown Salt Lake City (if you visit, you should use her map to hit some fun shops).

I met some of my favorite people from the whole weekend on that shopping trip.  Katie, the second girl over from me in the photo made her ENTIRE outfit including the red skinny jeans.  You COULD NOT tell the difference between them and store bought.  She’s my garment sewing hero. Heather and I connected immediately with our similar background in the fashion industry.  We actually worked for competing companies at the very same time.  The company she worked for rhymes with Gildren’s Space.

?, Mia, Tiffany, Me, ?, Miranda (totally drawing a blank on some names -please help me out if you can identify these two girls!)

Early friday morning, I took out a small group of attendees on a 5K fun run through downtown SLC.  When it’s 6am, you know who the die-hards are. I rewarded one lucky runner/sewist with a prize package donated by Another Mother Runner, Nuun, & Team Sparkle. Then we all rewarded ourselves with french toast at the hotel coffee shop as we bonded over our mutual love of running & sewing.

I’m so glad I got to teach my “Down and Dirty Patternmaking Skills for Childrenswear” class on Friday afterrnoon.  Otherwise, I would have had a tight knot in my stomach the entire weekend.  It’s stressful to take a subject that deserves a few semesters of hands-on classes and try to teach it a two hour lecture format, making sure everyone (with their varied backgrounds and experience) understands the content and learns something from the class. I think it went well, but after it was over, I was itching to do a “hands-on” Down and Dirty Patternmaking for Childrenswear class.  Sewing Summit 2013 perhaps?

Someday, I might post a synopsis of the class content. For now, if patternmaking interests you, follow these two boards on Pinterest:

Childrenswear Patternmaking-Sewing Summit (I’ve put links to all the supplies & books I referenced in the class as well as some online tutorials).

Pattern Practice (as I come across interesting styles, I’ll pin them here for “pattern practice”).

The classes I took at Sewing Summit were awesome. I loved rubbing elbows with women who are talented, inspiring and willing to share their expertise.

I learned how to quilt with Amy Ellis from Amy’s Creative Side.  I practiced my pockets with Deborah Moebes from Whipstitch Fabrics (I was also lucky enough to be Deborah’s roomie – keep your eye out for her new book).  I soaked up all sorts of sewing tricks and tips for special occassion sewing from Sarai Mitnick from Colette Patterns, and I whipped out a couple maxi skirts on a drool-worthy Baby Lock serger with Leanne Barlow from Elle Apparel.

My favorite part of Sewing Summit might have been the late night sewing in the rooms filled with Baby Lock sewing machines and Olfa cutting tools.  It felt like a college dorm (complete with pj pants, candy and giggling) but sewing was the late-night activity of choice. I knocked out a couple projects I’ve been wanted to tackle for FOREVER and did it among a group of people who appreciated the delicacy of a perfect placket and the satisfaction of a well-pieced quilt.

At the end of it all, Sewing Summit 2012 was an amazing, relaxing, inspiring weekend full of networking, sewing, running, and eating. It was a weekend I totally needed and will look forward to in 2013.

Tagged as: sewing summit