Be Brave and Sew – a Trunk Show
This year’s Creativ Festival was definitely a different experience. I met with some new amazing shop owners, connected with new friends, met online friends in person and talked to old ones too. (Including Among Brenda’s Quilts and Bags who is providing a giveaway & discount today!)
I realized as I’m pulling photos together, that I didn’t manage very well in all the busyness to take a variety of photos. Unfortunately, most of these are from sponsor booths – something I plan to change at the Fall show! That said, I love my sponsors and have linked the photos to their shops so you can find all the fun stuff in the pictures. This post is an amazing list of great Canadian online resources!
Starting at the beginning…. I went to the show early on Thursday to deliver lots of samples and set my things with Janome. The “Quick on the Draw” Isogram mini-quilt went to Fabric Spark and the original Pretty Floral Divided Tote to Country Clothesline. My girls were thrilled that their tulle Easter Dresses were on display. And I am still so excited that I got to have my Sewing Diariessamples hung up at Janome as well. They even made me posters! *blush*
Friday was a whirlwind for sure, and I mostly concentrated on my Trunk Show and talking to lots of amazing sewers at the Janome booth afterwards. My sponsors provided some amazing prizes for both trunk shows – flannel fat quarter bundles from Fabric Please!, a Herringbone Runner kit from Fabric Spark, a calendar from Meerkat Shweshwe, fat quarter bundles from Country Clothesline and a lovely Carkai bundle from Sew Sisters. I got to give away so much fabric! Totally made my day 🙂
Pretty things from Country Clothesline.
Leanne from Country Clothesline.
Saturday was even more eventful. After the Trunk Show I was excited to get to walk around and actually shop! (My new stash is in this post.) I was thrilled to meet some of my online friends from various Facebook groups. Rachelle from That’s Sew Venice, Michelle Tims from Barabooboo Designs and the amazing Carla from Carla’s Creations.
I got to talk to Berene from Happy Sew Lucky briefly on Friday as well. She designed the amazing Rainbow Mash-Up Quilt below. Isn’t it gorgeous! You can get kits for it here. Monica from Earth Indigo and I met to chat as well. She has a new online shop with eco-friendly and ethical fabrics – some great jerseys (stripes!) and heirloom gorgeous fabrics!
Rainbow Mash-Up Quilt by Happy Sew Lucky. Kits from Fabric Spark.
Gorgeous variety of fat quarters from Fabric Spark!
I wanted to mention two “new-to-me” online Canadian shops as well. Catherine from Distinctive Sewing Supplies has an huge apparel stock, including lots of notions. I got to see some of her presentation on Saturday with the kids, which was fun! I was also introduced to Alma from Sew Fancy – Specialty Sewing Supplies. She gave me a tour of her shop and there are so many amazing unique products there! I can’t even begin to list them here, but once things settle down I’m going to have to go find some of her one-piece Velcro.
I couldn’t resist a photo of these rainbowtized solids from Fabric Please!
Whew… I also got to run around a bit with my kids, and let them choose fabric for some new dresses. They had fun checking out the booths and talking to everyone. Plus, it didn’t hurt that we got them the obligatory giant lemonade and ice cream cone of course!
I love that they can be involved in what I’m doing and they are so cute when they get excited that Mommy is “famous” because I’m in posters. Kids are awesome! It’s fun to show them hobbies other people have as well. Hopefully inspiring them to be all kinds of creative.
Towards the end of the show, I connected with Brenda from Among Brenda’s Quilts and Bags. She provided a giveaway here a few years ago and I’m excited to have her back! Here’s a little bit about this giveaway:
Every year at CreativFestival Brenda has numerous people ask to buy bag samples. It’s taken some time, but she has begun manufacturing her own unique line of bags. Today’s giveaway bag is called the Ellipse Bag. But of course, if you love making your own bags, she carries all the patterns, hardware kits and things needed to sew your own. Brenda loves to sew and knows that you do too!
As a thank you Brenda is offering 15% off on all purchases till May 15th. Use coupon code ILOVEBAGS! when you check out.
This giveaway is open to readers from the US and Canada! From today (May 10th) until midnight May 16th, 2016. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, just use your name and email address. There’s a “click to enter”, no social media login entry too! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Since the Fall Creativ Festival is moving from downtown Toronto to the International Centre, I am curious to see how it affects the show and how it will be different or the same. Either way, I will be there and hope to see you there too!
I didn’t get to see you at the Creativ Festival, maybe next time.
Sorry I missed you at the show, so happy it is not going to be downtown in the fall. Not a fan of the traffic :). Looking forward to seeing you in the fall.
I love the Pattern, Dining Out, Table Service Carrier for Picnics. crystalbluern at tds dot net
TheUrban Computer Satchel is my favorite pattern. So much work putting those displays together!
Dining out is my favorite, I think. Very unique and I could make this to use when we go camping. Thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net
I love the Easter dresses! So sweet 🙂
I love the bikini island bag x
I like the Ellipse bag! Thanks for the chance to win!
love the 2b bag
The sweet talk phone bag is great. Would love to make several for gifts.
I like her clasps for the bags.
I like the Homeward bound tote pattern! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Of course, I love the Ellipse Bag, especially in the fabrics used for the giveaway bag. But my favorite is the Girlfriend Bag.
Love the essential tote! Actually like many of ththe bags but will say that’s my fav!
I like the Monster Bag.
Everything Goes Bag is one of my favorites.
Love the Ellipse Bag!
Thanks for the neat giveaway!
The Bevy Bag is my favorite! I could really use one!
I like the Sweet Talk Phone Bag!!
Looks like you had a great and busy time at the Creativ Festival. I had hoped to make it but couldn’t get the time off. Maybe next year. Your bags are beautiful, love them! Cheers.
Love the Pattern, “Everything Goes Bag”!!! Also the Knitting/Crochet Bag (Wooly-Wooly) is sooooo cool! Love it too! 🙂
Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way!! 😀
I like the Yoga Girl and the Girlfriend bags. Also, the Tiara quilting machine has me very intrigued. sjvonfumetti at yahoo dot com
I like the Girlfriend’s Bag but Redwork always draws me in as well.
I like the Voyager Bag Kit.
I like the Girlfriends Bag. Neat designs!!
ohhhhhhhh it has to be the sofa saddle bag love it……. happyness04431@yahoo.com
I like the Sweet Talk Phone Bag!
looks like you had a blast. thanks or sharing with pictures.
I really love the Around The World Bag and Girlfriends Bag
The “My Monster Bag” would be perfect for packing all my stuff back and forth to Guild each month!
I love getting bag hardware and making up my own bags 🙂
The Girlfriends bag and the Voyager Bag are the top two, but the others are great as well! Thanks for the giveaway.
HELLO, I really like the Pattern, Dining Out, Table Service Carrier for Picnics>so neat!
Thanks for sharing!
I like the Sitting Pretty I cover. Thank you for sharing!
THe Urban Computer Satchel. Love it’s size and compartments. Thank you.
I love ALL the bags, several ideas here!
I really like several of the bags: Urban Satchel, Girlfriend’s Bag, the Voyager Bag. so many were wonderful, who can choose?
I Love the Quick Change Bag from amongbrendasquilts.com So cute. I wish I had one when my kids were small. 🙂
Love the everything goes bag!!
Thanks for sharing all the great photos from the show, and for doing this giveaway!!
I just love the owl bag. I m in need of a large open necked one for my knitting. It’s a craft I can work on during my breaks at work
I love the Bevy Bag, it’s perfect for a generous lunch “plus.” Thanks for letting us visit you via your blog!
I love the Voyager bag. It would be great for quilting retreats 🙂
ktreve (at) hotmail (dot) com
I really like the Ellipse bag (especially this one in the blog done up in such fun fabric). Thanx for sharing these new sites.
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