Spring Sew Fair 2025 Signups Now Open!

SPRING SEW FAIR 2025

Thursday May 15^th, Friday May 16^th and Saturday May 17th

Exciting new products, continuous demonstrations & SPECIAL SHOW PRICES. Sewing machines and sergers, software, fabric, notions, books, furniture and all sewing accessories are specially priced for three days! Don’t forget, we always have great door prizes, too!

Doors open at 8:45 AM, and

a FREE LUNCH is provided each day!

Call 410 465 6366 to register. Classes are free but seating is limited!

Thursday, May 15th

9:00 – 9:30 Door Prize Drawing and Announcements

9:30 – 11:30 Dimensional Thread Painting Demo with Joyce Hughes

Have you ever wanted to try Dimensional Thread Painting but felt intimidated? Do you think, "Am I creative enough?" or "Can my sewing machine even do this?" The answer is YES! You are creative, and YES! You can absolutely do this on your domestic sewing machine! In this demo, Joyce will guide you step by step through the fascinating world of Dimensional Thread Painting, showing you just how fun and accessible this technique can be. Through a live demonstration and a detailed PowerPoint presentation, you'll learn the essential techniques of stitching and threadwork. You’ll learn to select the right threads to bring depth and vibrancy to your project, set up your sewing machine to do free motion with both zigzag and straight stitches, and layer threads like paint to create stunning highlights, shading and dimension.

11:30 – 12:30 Shopping and Lunch Break

Have lunch on us, and get some shopping done while you’re at it!

12:30 – 2:30 Finding the Correct Quilt Recipe with Denise Schober

The language quilters use can be confusing and a lot to remember. We have terms of a scant quarter, fat quarter, press to the dark side and sew much more. Join Denise when she helps navigate quilting 101. During this lecture demo she is going to start with sandwiches, batting and fabrics, move to thread along with proper needles. Then Denise will cover quilting on your home machine or an embroidery machine.

3:00 – 5:00 “Embroidery From Novice to Expert” with Denise Shober

Denise purchased her 1st embroidery machine in 1992 and fell in love. There were days when she was confused by stabilizer, thread or needles. Denise will breakdown the recipe, shows her favorite techniques and give you all the reasons why she loves the process of embroidery. She will also be sharing her trunk show with tons of samples for you to be inspired by. Don’t miss signing up!

Friday, May 16th

9:00 – 9:30 Door Prize Drawing and Announcements

9:30 – 11:30 The Ins and Outs of Garment Design with Patti Otto

Pattie Otto, the creative mind behind Great Copy Patterns, brings a wealth of expertise to the art of garment design and sewing. Her approach to pattern creation is both meticulous and innovative, beginning with precise measurements and detailed line drawings that form the foundation of every well-crafted pattern. From there, she transforms these sketches into patterns, carefully factoring in ease allowance, grainlines, and seam allowances to ensure a flawless fit. In this session, Pattie will demystify the fitting process behind her patterns and share straightforward techniques that make achieving the perfect fit easier than you think. Learn what sets her patterns apart and discover methods that take the frustration out of garment sewing, making it a smooth and enjoyable process.

11:30 – 12:30 Shopping and Lunch Break

Have lunch on us, and get some shopping done while you’re at it!

12:30 – 2:00 “My Journey Into Quilting” with Joyce Hughes

Join award-winning quilt artist, teacher, and author Joyce Hughes for an inspiring lecture and live thread painting demonstration as she shares her incredible journey into the world of quilting. In this engaging session, you’ll not only learn about Joyce’s personal journey from discovering quilting to becoming and award winning artist, you’ll gain valuable insights, techniques and expert tips to elevate your quilting skills. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the industry and walk away with fresh ideas to bring to your own quilting projects!

2:30 – 5:00 The Spectacular Notions Commotion with Debbie LaFrance

New tools, classic favorites, and everything in between—Debbie LaFrance has you covered! Join this fast-paced, entertaining seminar where she’ll showcase all the latest must-have sewing gadgets and gizmos. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this one!

Saturday, May 17th

9:00 – 9:30 Door Prize Drawing and Announcements

10:00 – 12:00 Sergers 101 with Denise Schober

Attend this class to see all the reasons a serger is Denise’s best friend. It is not just for finishing edges of garments or hidden seams. You will learn how a serger saves you sewing time (and who wouldn’t love to have more time in our day!) Join Denise to learn about why a serger can stitch with 3 and as many as 8 threads. So many techniques to share, you won’t want to miss this!

12:00 – 1:00 Shopping and Lunch Break

Indulge in some retail therapy and grab a free delicious lunch to refuel for the creative journey ahead.

1:00 – 3:00 Let Your Feet Do The Work with Denise Schober

I have asked my husband why are there so many tools in the garage? The same reason there are so many feet and attachments for a serger. The right tool for the job makes it easier to do the technique. Denise is going to WOW you with what the feet will do. She has so many samples to show how the foot makes stitching smoother and more accurate.

With more than 40 years of sewing under her belt and industry experience that spans over 25 years, Denise has a vast pool of knowledge from which she draws as she travels around the United States. Denise is equally comfortable holding product or sales training to Retailers or holding one of her Quilting Retreats for consumers. Denise is fully knowledgeable about all of the products in the Baby Lock line and has a deep understanding of ProStitcher and Art & Stitch. She is very passionate about the sewing industry and she is always excited to share her knowledge of quilting and sewing with others.

Joyce Hughes is an Award Winning self-taught quilter, fiber artist and author. Joyce's second book, “Thread Painting A Garden Quilt” focuses on raw edge applique and thread painting to add shading, highlighting and definition.

We're excited to have Joyce back for these classes! Come learn from Joyce in person and bring your copy of "Thread Painting a Garden Quilt" or her 1st book, "Creating Art Quilts with Panels" for a custom signature. Don't have her books? Copies of her first and second book are in-stock now.

Store Hours

Monday 10-6

Tuesday 10-6

Wednesday 10-6

Thursday 10-6

Friday 10-6

Saturday 10-4

Sunday CLOSED

Ellicott City Sew Vac

8480 Baltimore Natl Pike

Ellicott City, MD 21043

(410) 465-6366