Sewing Summit 2012

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Sewing Summit 2012: Wow! First I wanted to say thank you to Erin Singleton for having not only a fantastic idea (organizing a conference where like minded sewing and blogging friends could get together on an annual basis) but also for having the talent and tenacity to implement her vision. Well done, Erin and thanks for the opportunity to work as part of such a great team this year. Phew. I've done a lot of blogging this year!

Hanging out at the reservation desk while everyone is at the @craftsy party! #sewingsummit #itsquiet


I have about a million things that I could say about the weekend, but this is important. When someone used a #eatingsummit hashtag on instagram, they weren't kidding. Yum. ;)  Perhaps more important than that? Sewing Summit is like a giant sleepover + sewing + prizes + inspirational speakers + friends, new and old. Throw on top of that great classes and learning more skills (and more about yourself?) Yeah, I'd recommend it!

#bruges #eatingsummit #sewingsummit

All of these pictures were taken with an iphone, most of them went through Instagram. The Little American hotel was a great place for a conference, but it has terrible lighting. If that (and getting two keys to two rooms for the same reservation and all of the confusion that ensued, plus a certain someone losing her hotel key to the wrong room) are my only complaints with the venue, I'm thinking its a pretty great place! 
 
Sewing sisters

I'm lucky that Sewing Summit is held in Salt Lake City--I have a TON of family on both mine and my husband's side, and they are always kind to work around my short and odd schedule. I was able to spend Wednesday afternoon with my four grandparents and my brother, and then I surprised my niece's babysitter but showing up on their door with all of my bags. She had no idea I was coming. Poor girl.

My brother Danny and his wife Mary (also one of my Sewing Summit roommates) hosted myself and Faith and Lee for the evening, plus my sister Marci and brother in law Craig.  We all got up way too early the next morning and ate breakfast at the magnificent The Park Cafe across from Liberty Park. Mary, Marci and I headed to have a sewing afternoon with my mother-in-law Jane and sisters-in-law Amber and Sam (also Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild members). We ate and sewed and laughed and then I headed down to work the registration table for Sewing Summit. Phew. At that point I was already tired!

My super cool #sewingsummit roomies @swimbikequilt and @dmcstudios

I had the best roommates--even if Faith does like Mary better (and really, who could blame her ;)


Open sewing with @swimbikequilt and @dmcstudios #sewingsummit

We spent quite a bit of time in the open sewing rooms (this is Mary and I) ... I'm not sure that we got much done, but we sure laughed a lot. 

@sammyblakesley @dmcstudios and I all won something at the #slmqg mixer! #goodluck #thanksslmqg #sewingsummit@sukie80 giving away fabric at #slmqg mixer! #sewingsummit


Amy (Sukie) and the Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild threw a pretty great party, even if it was 1,000,000 degrees inside. Mary, Sam and I all won something, so we were pretty impressed with ourselves. And with Amy.

English paper piecing with @imagingermonkey ... @freshlemonsquilts and I made everyone look good!

I was fortunate to take really great lecture and hands on classes, although I probably have a brighter future sewing clothing [even though that picture of my skirt and the serger is kind of scary] than I do English Paper Piecing. Faith and I sat in the back of Katy's great class, and decided that our job was to make everyone around us look really good. Done and done!

I broke the serger. Just kidding. #sortof #sewingsummit

One of my favorite parts about Sewing Summit is that it isn't Garment Sewing Summit or Quilting Summit--hey, if you like to sew, you will like Sewing Summit. Brilliant on Erin's part. I tried to take classes that would teach me something I wasn't likely to learn on my own. Carrie's Patternmaking for Children, Leanne's Knit Maxi Skirt, and Deborah's Perfect Pockets fit the bill (and all made me want to make clothing, asap. We'll see if that happens). Based on a friend's comment "What is Tula Pink" and another friend's difficulties cutting knits, it was fascinating to see how little the modern quilting and modern apparel sewing and blogging worlds really collide. I think Sewing Summit might change that a little bit! And I'm lucky that I have a Sewing Summit alumnus and magical apparel sewer practically next door, so Miranda, if I start a skirt and have problems, I'm totally showing up on your doorstep. 

Sewing Summit open Sewing (at 1am)

This is the open Sewing Room at 1am on Saturday night. Beautiful, isn't it? A lot of laughter and a bit of sewing happened in the two open sewing rooms over the weekend.


Putting away some of my @sewingsummit goodies today! Thanks #sewingsummitsponsors #slmqg & friends!


And what is a sewing event without some pretty awesome swag and gifts from friends? Love!

I have a few more thoughts about Sewing Summit, but my daughter is home from preschool and lunch needs to be made and birthday presents bought and the house needs to be cleaned. Perhaps Sunday will be the day.

Thanks to everyone who attended, who followed along on Instagram or Twitter, and everyone who made this a fantastic event. My best friend here asked if she would enjoy Sewing Summit even though she doesn't blog or really know many people in the community--I think (and hope!) the answer is an unequivocal yes.