For the last two years, I’ve had the honour of being asked to Nashville in early February for a weekend to attend the Nashville Needlework Market. I fly in for the weekend and help out my friends with their exhibitions and get to have an early look at what’s coming to the stores.
The weekend is full of fun and activity and the camaraderie of being with people who are all of like minds. Everyone is a stitcher! There is always an excitement in the air. The stores are looking for stock to carry. The exhibitors are excited and anxious to show off their wares. Old friends meet again and catch up, new friends are made. There’s a lot of networking and the most fun for me, a chance to gush all over my favorite designers and tell them how much I love their work! Half the fun is the chance to be a fan.
And then, there’s the chance to discover new designers before the rest of the world. Priceless!
I involuntarily start grinning from ear to ear a teeth-y grin.
The experience is one that’s hard to describe if you are not there in person. However, for me, the excitement and fun of the weekend is always best reflected by the involuntary response of my face when I walk into the Embassy Suites atrium. The hotel is setup so that all the flours has a good view of the atrium area in the center. All the suites open up to the open space in the middle of the hotel. While this set up is not foreign to hotel space what sets this scene apart is the banners hanging over all the balconies. Just about every exhibitor hangs a banner on the balcony space facing into the atrium area outside their suite doors. So, when you walk in and take a look up, you see all the brands you know. No matter how tired I am, this view always produces the same response. I involuntarily start grinning from ear to ear a teeth-y grin. I don’t even realize it until I wonder why my face hurts, but it just is. There’s a joy to being involved in something of this size. When one stops being just fan and consumer to being an industry insider. To know you’ll get the advance look and get to hob knob with some of the best. It brings out your teethiest, silliest ear to ear grins imaginable.
Check out Hoffman’s distributing for some of the new releases.
These are my favorites:
- BrightNeedle: Christmas House and the not new Needlework Shop
- Elizabeth’s Designs: Old Stone Church
- Little House Needleworks: Thread Gathering
- Lizzie Kate: Coffee Crazy
- Kit & Bixby: Autumn Wool, The Loving Longwools
- Arachne’s Silken Web: Alphabet Gameboard.
- Dessins DHC
- Teresa Layman Designs: Gingerbread Lane Sugar & Spice and Nutmeg & Ginger. I know, they are not new, but new to me and I love them.
- Jeanette Douglas Designs: Vintage Stitches. Love the new Stitches line.
- Cat’s Whiskers, The Peacock Stitching Chair
- With My Needle: Quaker Schoolgirl Needle Necessities.
- Bent Creek: Spring Ewe and the new series of The Red Thread
Stay tuned the next few days for knitting updates and knitting news from the show!
Be off to shop for all the great new designs from your needlework shop, local and on line!
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Thank you May!! I needed a comprehensive report!!! Positively in love with Old Stone Church!
Thank you, May! You captured so well the excitement on seeing those banners –and of the entire show. We couldn’t have done it without you.