The UW–Platteville Office of Continuing Education will sponsor the 25th annual Sewing and Quilting Expo Thursday through Saturday.
The expo includes a gallery reception, hands-on workshops and classes on various topics, vendors, a fabric resale room and an all-day youth program. All events will be held on the UW–Platteville campus.
The expo begins Thursday with the Open Sew and Socialize event from noon until 10 p.m. New this year, the event — open only to those spending Thursday night in Southwest Hall — provides attendees a chance to relax, meet other participants and work on their own projects together.
“Many people come from a distance and stay overnight, so we wanted to give those who need to come a day earlier something to do that is relaxing,” said Tisha Sandberg, arts and culture coordinator in the UW–Platteville Office of Continuing Education.
A gallery reception will be held in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. While the exhibit will include some art and bed quilts, it will also include more non-traditional fabric and fiber art pieces. The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 23.
On Friday there will be hands-on three- and six-hour workshops. Workshop topics range from traditional quilting and knitting to garment construction and wool appliqué.
Lorraine Torrence is the keynote speaker on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Torrence has been teaching quilting and making wearable art for more than 40 years. She is the author of three books, has exhibited in numerous national art shows and designed a line of fabrics for Clothworks, a wholesale fabric company.
The expo will continue on Saturday with additional hands-on workshops as well as one- and two-hour demonstration classes. There will also be an all-day youth program, offering four different sessions for children 8 and older. Because of a grant from the Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, lunch, snacks and all kit fees are included in the $15 youth program registration fee.
The vendor area will be open both Friday and Saturday in Ullsvik Hall’s Velzy Commons. It will include sewing and quilting supplies, fabric, patterns, yarn, sewing machines and more. The vendor area, as well as the exhibit in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery, is free and open to the public both days.
More than 400 people attended the 2012 expo. Sandberg said the location and convenience of the event makes it one that many enjoy returning to every year.
“There are not a lot of events of this type that are this easy to get to,” she said. “It is a little cozier and more relaxed. The expo provides access to great information and educational experiences, and it’s nice that all of that can be accessed in a smaller setting.”
For more information on the expo or to register for events, visit www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/sewing-expo/ or call the UW–Platteville Office of Continuing Education, 342-1314.
