Last month we took Style Maker Fabrics on the road to the annual Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA. We are lucky to have one of the country’s largest sewing shows take place each year right here in our own backyard! This year marked our second year in attendance and with an extra 10 feet of booth space, we knew we needed to put together something amazing to share with all of the visitors. After months of planning, hours of sewing and a full day setting up we were ready for the extravaganza to begin!
Last year we sewed what seemed like around the clock to get all of the booth samples done. With even more planned for this year we knew we needed to enlist the help of some of our friends. Lucky for us they were willing and ready to sew the very specific projects we needed and meet our tight deadlines! Let’s take a look at some of the stunning garments that were on display!
Show Stopper—Lindsey, of Inside the Hem, sewed up this stunning Charlie Caftan Maxi (Closet Case Patterns) in our Hand Dyed Ombre Rayon Challis. It tuned out just how we envisioned it and is the perfect fabric/pattern combo to enjoy all summer long!
Crowd Favorite—One of our hottest patterns at the show was Named’s Talvikki Sweater and we can see why! Jenny, of Jenny Maker, sewed this version up in our cozy Modal Sweatshirt Fleece. And yes, you read that right, MODAL sweatshirt fleece!
Nautical Style—We love the simple modern line’s of Papercut’s Skipper Tunic and this dress version from Tori, of The Doing Things Blog, takes it to a new level. Paired here with our Tencel Denim Shirting, we are dreaming of lots of other summer versions in chambray and linen! (Tori wrote a bit about her dress HERE)
Cuddle Up—We were lucky enough to have Kimberly, of Straight Stitch Designs, join us one day in our booth! She even agreed to be a living model for some of her patterns and sewed up this cozy Laurelhurst Cardigan in our Textured Boucle Sweater Knit. And yes, it is as snuggly as it looks!
Spring Blouse—One of our favorite fabrics this spring is this stunning Embroidered Rayon Crepe. When it arrived earlier this year we knew it needed to be sewn up in True Bias’ Roscoe Blouse and Leslie, of ThreadBear Garments, helped make that happen!
Stripe Play—We love this fabric’s combination of stripes, chambray and linen and they pair beautifully with the Matcha Top (Sew Liberated). Nicole, of Merritts Makes, sewed up this version and did an amazing job with all the details! Stripes for the win!
Surprise Favorite—A staple pattern in what looks like a simple solid fabric turned into a match made in heaven! Sam, a member of our team, sewed up Hey June’s Cheyenne Tunic in our Sueded Modal Shirting and everyone couldn’t stop commenting. The fabric is buttery soft and pairs perfectly with this stylish pop-over!
Secret Pajamas—If you haven’t sewn up Closet Case’s Ebony Tee you are missing out! We sewed up the raglan tunic version in this gorgeous Twilight Floral Jersey Knit for the perfect knit top. Soft and drapey with just the right amount of length, you are never going to want to take it off!
To really make a splash on the corner aisle of our booth we decided to go all out with three complete outfits. With some team effort sewing, these spring looks really wowed us and everyone that stopped by!
We partnered with Leslie to create this True Bias look! She sewed up the Nikko Tank in our Summer Stripe Rib Knit, a fun combination of stripes and color with this mid-weight jersey. For the matching Lander Pants, we used a classic grey Cotton Twill along with Closet Case’s Button Fly Kit for the perfect finishing details. We rounded out the look with a nautical themed Caravan Tote (Noodlehead) and simple tassel necklace for a great summer look!
For our second look, inspiration struck with this Lace Print Stretch Sateen and we knew this fabric needed to be paired with Closet Case’ Sasha Trousers. Going all in on the blue and while look, we decided to go pair it with a Kochi Kimono in this Stripe Texture Linen and a classic white Ogden Cami, again using our Sueded Modal.
Lara, of Handmade by Lara, sewed this entire look and really hit it out of the park! Check out those details—Lara even followed our trim insert tutorial for the Kochi Kimono and add this ladder stitch accent to the front facing. These details are everywhere this spring in RTW fashion and are a simple way to really elevate any handmade piece.
To complete the trifecta, Lori, of Girls in the Garden, and Nicole divided and conquered this look! In planning this outfit we started with the jacket fabric—this stunning Watercolor Crepe Knit is too good to not show off. It paired beautifully with Grainline’s Morris Blazer for a wardrobe staple piece that really shines! Keeping in the Grainline family, we layered the blazer with a Hadley Tank in the the light blue Sueded Modal. As always, Lori’s sewing was impeccable and she even helped us accessorize the look with a small Traverse Shoulder Bag (Noodlehead).
While Lori was busy sewing her pieces, Nicole sewed up the perfect pair of Ginger Skinny Jeans using our new Brushed Stretch Denim and Zipper Fly Hardware Kit to finish off the outfit. We pretty much live in jeans and love how you can so easily dress them up or down!
We had a blast at Sew Expo this year and can’t wait to start planning next year! To all the lovely seamstresses that helped sew all of these amazing garments, we can’t thank you enough for your time and mad skills. You helped take our booth to the next level and we loved sharing all of your creations with everyone.
Thank you to everyone that attended Sew Expo and stopped by to say hello. That show is always such a fun experience and we hope to see you all again next year! If you haven’t been to the Sewing and Stitchery Expo you should definitely add it to your list!
I loved the selection and quality of fabrics. I went back four times to make purchases. So much fun!!! Sew Expo – I’ll be there again next year.
I so love all of your fabric an patterns. I buy each time your close by.
I do have a favor though, next time please bring the Mammoth Flannel back with you next year.
I know I can order on line but I’m a touchy feely type person.
Thank you so much
Candace
What a beautiful collection of garments. I especially like the outfits that really highlight the possibilities of these wonderful fabrics. Thanks for all the effort, and for showing us the closeups here!
This is a really fun post. I like seeing all the patterns/fabrics/sewers details in one spot and am on my way to visit each blog. It is especially nice to see the fabrics in combinations. You’ve given me great ideas.
Loved your booth. Bought some of the embroidered rayon in a gorgeous blue/grey for a float-y summer blouse for a trip to Houston in July. Great idea having stitched up items to showcase the fabrics. Looking forward to seeing you at the next Expo!
Thanks you for sharing all the fabulous makes! They are all smashing. Great work.
Michelle, I appreciate how you are showing the possibilities of your fabrics! The creativity is sparked when you also have the blog tour every spring and fall. It is hard for me to always visualize the possibilities from a computer screen. Attending the Sew Expo is on my bucket list.
LOVE your patterns and fabrics. I have made two of the Hadley tops now, both short sleeve and one V-neck and one scoop neck. I used Japanese print cotton for the V-neck and a very soft rayon cotton blend and they are both BEAUTIFUL. I must say that this pattern is so well designed and cut that I didn’t have to negotiate anything, not the neckline, not the sleeves and not the hem band. Thank you so much for putting out such a beautiful and beautifully designed pattern. I have pictures of both tops.