Sewing & Stitchery Expo 2018 – The Brochure is Ready!

It’s EASY for me to get to the Puyallup WA Sewing & Stitchery Expo every year. That’s one of the lovely perks of living in the state of Washington. But, no matter where you live, you should be coming to the show the first weekend in March of 2018, too! Over the next few weeks there will be a lot of chat about Sew Expo here on The Sewful Life. It’s that good, it’s that huge and I really hope you can come!

The 2018 Class and Event Brochure

Today, we’re going to talk about the 2018 Sewing & Stitchery Expo Brochure. The PDF was just posted and if you’re rushed today, click here right now and scroll down to download a copy. There’s a big holiday or something in a few days so you might be a bit busy. Merry Christmas!!

From a few years ago! This year is the 35th and we’re all making our own totes this year.

The entrance line in the morning. This is where you start meeting new friends!

These ladies are serious! You’ll see all kinds of fun things at Sew Expo.

If you’re coming, and I sure hope you are, start planning the classes and events you want to attend right now. It’s the 34th Anniversary this year!! When online registration opens in January, there’s an incredible, almost audible rush to the web site and you’ll want to be ready. The Sewing Expo blog has a great, new post on planning, and I’m adding my own personal plan for you here. They fit nicely together and you’ll be SO well prepared!

I’ve met Joe and seen him in action. You will love this event!!

Valori has an entire lifetime of quilting experience to share. Don’t miss this night!

How To Plan Sewing Expo Classes and Events

1. Plan your days. Two options here – Hard Copy or Digital.
2. 1. Hard Copy – Use a piece of printer paper for each day of the Expo and label it with the day at the top. On the left side, write down each hour that the Expo is open (classes start at 8:30 am). Use a ruler to create rows across the page for each time slot.
   2. Digital – Start with a new Excel (PC) or Numbers (Mac) spreadsheet and repeat the steps above. You can make a tab for each day, so they are all part of the same spreadsheet. Use bold lines in between the time slots, so you can clearly see the rows.
3. Deep breath, something nice to drink and a cozy spot to sit are required for the next step. Go through a printed copy of the brochure and mark every class and event that you’d like to attend. EVERY one.
4. Pro Tip: The Hands-On Classes sell out the quickest. Plan to sign-up for those as soon as online registration opens!
5. If you don’t have much marked (and that would be astounding), this next part will be easy.
6. 1. Hard Copy – Cut out each class or event and place it the appropriate day in it’s time slot. Some classes/events are offered more than once, and can go in more than one slot. You may want to write in the classes/events instead.
   2. Digital – Copy each class or event from the brochure PDF (use the arrow icon, not the hand) and paste it in it’s appropriate day/time slot as above.
7. There may be tears here. Grab a tissue. You can now see that A. Everything you want to do fits nicely and there are no overlaps. . . or B. You’ve got some choices to make.
   
8. Pro-Tip: DO NOT plan to attend classes and events all day, every day. There are a massive amount of fabulous vendors who attend the Sewing & Stitchery Expo and you’ll want plenty of time for shopping and talking.
9. Go back to your brochure, read the descriptions carefully and decide which classes/events are MUST DOs. Highlight those on your planning sheet and see if they all fit.
10. 1. If they do, you’re ready for online registration when it begins. If you have more room, fill in with some WOULD LIKE TOs.
    2. If they don’t all fit, grab your tissue, be brave and eliminate classes/events until they do fit. If you have open spots left, fill in as above.
11. Pro Tip: Before you finalize your selections, make sure you’ve left yourself enough time for travel between buildings/classrooms, bathroom and water breaks, and lunch. Just a few life essentials to keep you going!
12. Congratulations!! You are now ready to register online in January! The opening date will be announced in a few weeks, so keep watching. It will be on the Sewful Life Facebook page as soon as I hear – click here to like my FB page.
13. Pro Tip: Like the Sewing & Stitchery Expo Facebook page (click here) – registration will be announced there first. And, you should definitely be on the Sew Expo email list, too – click here. Plus there’s a great Facebook Group, too! Click here to send a member request to Puyallup Sew Expo Fun.
14. Final ProTip: As soon as you know the date registration opens, mark it on your calendar, put it in your planner or set an alert on your smart phone! (And plan what you’ll say to your boss when you’re late because you HAD to register.)

What I’m Teaching

Last, but most certainly not least – pay close attention to pages 12, 20 and 30! That’s where you’ll find the 3 classes that I’m teaching this year and I’d LOVE to see you there. This will not be info that you’ll find on my blog for quite a while, so coming to class is the only way to learn what I’m teaching. And, we get to meet in person that way!

Have a sewfully marvelous time planning your Sewing & Stitchery Expo classes and events! And, now, back to Christmas . . .