www.sewexpo.com Issue 2, January 2008

Mark Your Calendar - Feb 28 to March 2 - Sewing and Stitchery Expo 2008

Dear Sewing & Quilting Enthusiast,

Thanks for all your positive comments about our very first newsletter. We’re happy that you’re looking forward to the 2008 show!

Here’s your #1 question. Where in the world is Rita Farro?

Since it was Rita’s fault that she wasn’t mentioned in the registration brochure – we think it’s only fair that she write this newsletter and tell you what she’s been up to.

I AM alive and well. The fact is, the show hired me to help with marketing and promotion. So I’ll be a bigger part of the Expo than ever before. I am really excited about being the MC of our “Friday Night LIVE” event and I’ll again be the hostess of the Rowenta Charity Tea on Sunday afternoon. So you can see that they have me spread pretty thin!

Girlfriend Groups

In our first newsletter, we asked you to share “girlfriend stories.” We see many large groups returning to Puyallup each year – and we want to hear your stories.

Quilt Retreat Dazie - Quilt Chicks

Marlene Cameron from Canada wrote, “The gallop to Puyallup began for me and my girlfriend 18 years ago. That first visit was like entering an Aladdin's Cave filled with treasures for sewers and quilters. Comparing the Puyallup Expo to sewing shows we had where we live was like comparing a Rolls Royce to a bicycle and we were instantly addicted. Over the years we spread the word and others joined us. Last year, six of us went to Puyallup and we all wore jackets we had made with "Quilt Chicks" on the back.

Every year the Expo seems to get better and better. We are really looking forward to this year's Expo because, at last, our dollar is around par with the American dollar so we will be able to buy twice as much.” – Marlene Cameron, one of the Quilt Chicks.

The Quilt Chicks

Look for more girlfriend stories on the Expo Web site! www.sewexpo.com.

Mary Mulari

Sewing Star - Mary Mulari

In this issue, we’d like to introduce you to Mary Mulari. Mary is a successful author (with more than twenty best-selling books to her credit), fabric and pattern designer, and one of the best speakers in the industry. Her seminars are popular because she always brings something new. This year Mary discovered “zipper on a roll.” Have you seen it? It’s 5 1/2 yards of zipper in many great colors. As Mary worked with the zipper rolls she began to invent some of her clever signature bags. If you can't wait to see her zipper bags, check out Mary's website www.marymulari.com for a video presentation of her Zipper Ribbon Tote.

Check the Expo Web site to read bios of all the talented Expo speakers! www.sewexpo.com.

Rowenta Charity Tea

This year all proceeds from the Rowenta Charity Tea will benefit Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Thank you for joining us in this fight to find a cure for breast cancer. One of our CTA volunteers, Jeri Worklan, aka “Princess,” recruited her fellow CTAs and sewing friends to join her in sewing a pink gift to be included in the “Sew…You’re a Survivor” goody bags that are distributed at the Puget Sound Race For the Cure. If you would like to contribute to this project, bring your hand-sewn pink item(s) to the Rowenta Charity Tea or drop your item(s) off at the Susan G. Komen For The Cure kiosk located in the Showplex building near the Ticket Office. Be sure to sign your work and feel free to add any words of support on your tag. Your kindness is most appreciated!

If you'd like some ideas for your pink projects, visit the following sewing machine company websites. They work hard to post many interesting project ideas, and they would be delighted to know their projects were used for such a great cause.

www.babylock.com           (select "Projects")
www.bernina.com             (select “Projects")
www.husqvarnaviking.com (select “Sewing Projects”)
www.janome.com             (select “Project Center”)
www.pfaffusa.com            (select "Projects")
www.singerco.com            (select "Projects")

Ann Sagawa

Ann Sagawa, Speaker Coordinator
Sewing & Stitchery Expo.

Continuing our “behind the scenes” glimpse at the work that goes into organizing the Expo, we’d like to introduce you to Ann Sagawa. As you can imagine, being the Speaker Coordinator for the Sewing & Stitchery Expo has become a really big job. Ann lives in Tacoma with her husband of 25 years and their two daughters. She began her career with the Expo 18 years ago as a Clothing Textile Advisor (CTA) volunteer. Her easy-going nature and bubbly personality comes in handy during many difficult situations. Ann works with the speakers 365 days a year. They are always developing new seminars and products and it’s Ann’s job to select a good mix every year to keep the show fresh. Ann is involved at every stage of the show. She develops and distributes the show information to prospective speakers, and then helps jury the new products and class ideas that are submitted. Ann sorts through the seminar descriptions, selects the final speaker roster, and develops new style show concepts. Then she works with Joanne Ross and Janet York to make the final grid. Whew!

Ann said, “The best part of my job is getting to see what’s new every year – often before it’s available to the public!”

A new aspect of Ann’s job is working on the Web site (www.sewexpo.com). Ann said, “I love learning new things – and the website has been a real challenge. I’m delighted with the changes we’ve been making and it’s wonderful to be able to instantly provide so much information to so many people. But it has been a huge learning curve for me – so I want to say thanks for your patience!”

Expect our next newsletter in two weeks. In that edition, we’ll profile Janet York (Operations Manager), and we’ll also introduce another Girlfriend Group. Be sure to keep those stories coming! Send them to me (Rita Farro) at ritafar@mchsi.com.

We’re working hard to bring you the biggest and best show ever! Thanks again for all your kind comments about our newsletter – please forward it to your friends so they, too, can know what to look forward to at the Expo!

Best,

Rita Farro
Puyallup Sewing & Stitchery
Special Events Coordinator

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Washington State University
Center for Distance and Professional Education
208 Van Doren Hall
Pullman, WA 99164-5222