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Toronto Needlework Show - review
I was at the Creative Sewing and Needlework festival yesterday and I was
not impressed with this year's show. There were fewer booths with needlework, knitting or crochet, although there seemed to be a good number of quilting booths, but there were all sorts of non needlework related 'craft' booths. I would say at least 25-30% of the booths were for 'miracle polishing cloths' and that sort of stuff (shoe polish, aroma therapy candles, etc.). Since it was Thursday and relatively uncrowded, I walked the show floor in about an hour. Even the number of booths related to sewing (machines, supplies, patterns) seemed fewer. Swarowski crystals, as one of the sponsors, was fairly prominent. Now, if I didn't have an enormous stash and access to several good shops, I might have found it more useful. There was one booth, from, IIRC, Ottawa, that was carrying Stef's silks and other wonderful silk felting products, and another (The Bead Lady) where I picked up some lovely stuff. The cost of a day pass is $15. I'm in the fortunate position of assisting one of the folks (Tatiana Kowryga of The Sampler) giving classes at the Toronto Needlework show, so I have a show pass. And I did get to visit for a minute with Jennifer Aikmann-Smith who is doing classes. In the future, the show will be an add-on for me - I'll go for classes, not the marketplace. Marg |
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On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 10:27:44 -0400, Bob & Marg Whittleton wrote: I was at the Creative Sewing and Needlework festival yesterday and I was not impressed with this year's show. There were fewer booths with needlework, knitting or crochet, although there seemed to be a good number of quilting booths, but there were all sorts of non needlework related 'craft' booths. I would say at least 25-30% of the booths were for 'miracle polishing cloths' and that sort of stuff (shoe polish, aroma therapy candles, etc.). Since it was Thursday and relatively uncrowded, I walked the show floor in about an hour. Even the number of booths related to sewing (machines, supplies, patterns) seemed fewer. Swarowski crystals, as one of the sponsors, was fairly prominent. Same with the Calgary Creative Stitches show. I didn't go this year, but my sister reported it was basically the same as last year: sewing machines, knitting machines and those damn quilters. Dora |
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Bungadora wrote:
Same with the Calgary Creative Stitches show. I didn't go this year, but my sister reported it was basically the same as last year: sewing machines, knitting machines and those damn quilters. Now wait just a durn minute! HUGE grin here Some of those quilters are really artisans - as are those who can whip up the most extravagant confections on a sewing machine. But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) Dianne |
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X-No-Archive:yes
"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message ... But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) Them's fightin' words, Dianne! ;-)) Quilters are made, not born, and it takes a lot of ho-hum quilting before you are good enough to manufacture masterpieces! Even then, just like stitching, not everything's heirloom quality. Some of us make easy quilts to be happily ruined by active children. As regards the shows, though, I do agree that the markets are overflowing with quilty stuff, not to mention all that other so-called "craft" stuff, at the expense of much of the handwork. Even the name on our nearby show has been changed to include the word "Crafts". emerald |
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Dianne Lewandowski
Now wait just a durn minute! HUGE grin here Some of those quilters are really artisans - as are those who can whip up the most extravagant confections on a sewing machine. But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) There's just too many of them. They're taking over. And they've driven up the cost of remnants.(Actually I'm not a sewer and don't care about this last point but DSis gets very passionate about it.) Dora |
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Tara D wrote:
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 10:27:44 -0400, Bob & Marg Whittleton wrote: I was at the Creative Sewing and Needlework festival yesterday and I was not impressed with this year's show. It's been gradually going that way for years. The last time I went was the 10th anniversary one, and that was only so I could get Charland's sampler. Oh - we must have been in the same class!! I'd stopped going a few years before that for the very reason you described. I pretty much was only going for classes by then, with the marketplace being a fill in between classes. Then they changed the way the classes were set up (seems I was one of the few that actually liked the 1 hour, learn a technique) to project based. The change was more obvious to me after having missed a few years. Tara Got a fair bit of feedback from folks who were there - most of them were quite pleased with the classes they took, but I can understand why you liked the one-hour sessions. Marg |
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I've heard the same thing over the last few years. I know some
beaders who don't go anymore. They are in touch with alot of vendors and some of them do go anymore because of lousy venu. Heck, I know lots of people who don't go anymore for the same reason. BTW, did you know the Toronto Needleworkshow actual originated in Ottawa? But moved to Toronto. Guess they figured we weren't a big enough place. Here in Ottawa, last weekend of the month. Inspirations Needlecraft Show. It started a few years ago. Seems to be growing. Lots of everything. http://www.inspirationsneedlecraft.com/id17.htm Lynne (in Ottawa) Dianne Lewandowski wrote in message ... Bungadora wrote: Same with the Calgary Creative Stitches show. I didn't go this year, but my sister reported it was basically the same as last year: sewing machines, knitting machines and those damn quilters. Now wait just a durn minute! HUGE grin here Some of those quilters are really artisans - as are those who can whip up the most extravagant confections on a sewing machine. But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) Dianne |
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I guess I wouldn't think that "ho-hum machine quilting" would be
featured at a show. :-) I think of a "show" as the cream of the crop. Since I've never been to a show, I may be mistaken. Dianne emerald wrote: X-No-Archive:yes "Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message ... But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) Them's fightin' words, Dianne! ;-)) Quilters are made, not born, and it takes a lot of ho-hum quilting before you are good enough to manufacture masterpieces! Even then, just like stitching, not everything's heirloom quality. Some of us make easy quilts to be happily ruined by active children. As regards the shows, though, I do agree that the markets are overflowing with quilty stuff, not to mention all that other so-called "craft" stuff, at the expense of much of the handwork. Even the name on our nearby show has been changed to include the word "Crafts". emerald |
#9
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Someone correct me if I am wrong, but these are mostly commercial shows, more
like a trade show than an exhibition. There are usually classes attached, but for the most part not much needlework is actually showcased. If there are needlework venues, one can usually pick up unusual patterns or materials not available locally. About 10 years ago, there were free workshops etc. The sewers usually put on a fashion show. I suspect that over time the smaller needlework vendors, who tend to have the more unusual wares, have been pushed out by booth rental fees. Many of the sewing machine exhibits are put on by large companies, who tend to have larger budgets for that sort of thing, and don't really have to sell enough to cover the booth fee. I'm not quite sure how the quilters fit in, unless it is because they are numerous, sew and buy/sell fabric stash like crazy. Dora Who will go back to watching the kids trying to get momentum sliding down a 2 foot snow covered hill. Dianne Lewandowski I guess I wouldn't think that "ho-hum machine quilting" would be featured at a show. :-) I think of a "show" as the cream of the crop. Since I've never been to a show, I may be mistaken. Dianne emerald wrote: X-No-Archive:yes "Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message ... But if it was only ho-hum machine quilting, then I agree. :-) Them's fightin' words, Dianne! ;-)) Quilters are made, not born, and it takes a lot of ho-hum quilting before you are good enough to manufacture masterpieces! Even then, just like stitching, not everything's heirloom quality. Some of us make easy quilts to be happily ruined by active children. As regards the shows, though, I do agree that the markets are overflowing with quilty stuff, not to mention all that other so-called "craft" stuff, at the expense of much of the handwork. Even the name on our nearby show has been changed to include the word "Crafts". emerald |
#10
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Tara D wrote:
On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:43:17 -0400, Bob & Marg Whittleton wrote: Oh - we must have been in the same class!! It's funny, I don't remember attending a class for it. But I must have, because I can also remember Charland's comments on why things were included, etc. Got a fair bit of feedback from folks who were there - most of them were quite pleased with the classes they took, but I can understand why you liked the one-hour sessions. I noticed a few more of these types of classes this year. No needlework ones that really turned my crank, a few of the knitting one piqued my interest. Alas, not enough to register and attend. You mentioned Stef threads. Who had them? I still have a few I got at the needlework show in London, but would love more. Wish I could remember - they were from Ottawa (IIRC), and carried silk rovings and other supplies for felting. They also had a number of different silk perles, ribbons, etc. In the end (although I was very tempted) I didn't buy anything from them, so I don't have an invoice with the company name. I've looked on the CSNF website, but unfortunately, they don't list the exhibitors. Tara P.S. The needlework show in London has similar problems; but it's predominantly knitting and yarn rather than quilting and sewing. What worries me is that the fall show is usually the better of the two, so I'm not encouraged that the spring show will be an improvement. Marg |
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