Spring Sewing Shows

After the cold gloomy weather of the winter there is a bright light ahead – the Spring is full of fabulous sewing shows to put the sparkle back into your life.   Fabrics as far as the eye can see, sewing books and magazines, workshops, free seminars, and thousands of other sewing enthusiasts what more could a sewing fan want? 

In February those of you in the sewing trade cannot afford to miss Craft Hobby & Stitch International at the NEC.  You have the chance to networking with over 250 sewing businesses as well as preview new sewing innovations before they hit the market.  

For the sewing hobbyist there is Textiles in Focus in Cambridge end of February as well as the Edinburgh Spring Quilt Festival.  Both will be packed with stalls of fabrics and supplies as well as the opportunity to take part in workshops and demos.

March is a jam packed month with quilt shows in Chilford & Exeter, Stitch & Craft in the Olympia, the Country Living Spring Fair in London.   The spring season is rounded off by the mammoth Sewing For Pleasure plus Fashion Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts in the NEC at the end of the month!  You get entry to all 3 shows for the price of one ticket.

Our top show tips are below:

1)    Pre-book to save money on entrance tickets and to avoid queuing.

2)    Take your own food and drink as they can be very costly once you are inside.  Take plenty to drink, it is often hot and stuffy once inside the venue and it can cost over £2 to buy a bottle of water once you are inside.

3)    Plan your visit – check the organiser’s website to see who will be there and pick up a guide on your way in and work out the best route around.  Exhibitor’s own websites will often tell you what stand number they will be on.

4)    Don't follow the crowds, most people go in to the hall and then turn right and work their way around, go the opposite way and you'll find less queues at the stalls.

5)    If you are on a budget leave the credit cards at home and take cash as it’s easy to get carried away once you are there.

6)   Take a couple of good strong bags to carry all the freebies and leaflets you will accumulate on the way around.  Be warey of taking backpacks as some venues don't allow as they get in the way when it is very crowded.   If in doubt check with the organisors first.

7)  If you have a Tesco Clubcard you can exchange points for entrance tickets to some shows (such as Sewing For Pleasure) and save a lot of money of the ticekt price.  For example it only costs £4 to get a ticket for Sewing For Pleasure/Fashion Embroidery & Stitch/Hobbycrafts.

For exact show dates and more information regarding the shows along with links to the organiser’s websites please visit www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/whats-on.