My day at CHSI Stitches and the craft trends for 2017....

Back in February I attended the CHSI Stitches show at the NEC and was invited to the Bloggers Brunch. CHSI Stitches is a free event for the creative craft industry.  It is across two halls: fabric, yarn and textiles in one hall with papercrafts, art materials and hobby crafts in another. The show features workshops, seminars and a catwalk show.  

I took so many photos and notes during the day that it has taken me a while to go through them, but here it is, my post about my day and the trends for 2017....

First up was the Bloggers Brunch which was hosted by DMC. I hadn't realised how long the company had been going for, they were established in 1746! Surely that must be the oldest business? They are now part of the group that also owns Wool and the Gang, Liberty and Mamas & Papas. 

We were given a lovely goody bag of DMC products to try out and take away.

In our goody bag was DMC's new Colorista thread which we got to to play with during the brunch, it's beautiful!  I love to use yarn that changes colour when I crochet as it gives great colourful affects without having to change your yarn, this is the same principle.  It's been a long time since I have done any embroidery but I can see I will be doing more, it's so relaxing.

These letters they gave us are on a 'magic sheet' which sticks to your fabric so you can sew the design. Once you've finished you rinse it in cold water and the magic paper will dissolve.  You can get plain sheets so you can draw your own design to stitch.

One of the big trends this year is to embellish and embroider clothing to personalise and upcycle. They showed this example on a denim jacket

I'm now looking at my wardrobe to see what I can embroider onto and with 1000 free embroidery patterns on DMC's website it will be a tough decision which design to use!

The show is a great place to check out the trends and get a sneaky peak at the new products that will be hitting our stores in 2017.  Here are the key trends I picked up on....

I've already mentioned embroidery is becoming a trend again and with the popularity of mindful crafting like colouring and zentangle, the next new thing is Zenbroidery....

Greenery
Pantone launched their new colour 'Greenery' at the beginning of the year with the their 2017 palette chosen to "convey a sense of earthiness hues"  This is an interpretation of this trend....

Scandinavian Christmas
I know it's only just spring but one supplier was showing their Christmas range.  If you are a retailer you will be planning ahead and some will have completed their plans for this year already. Scandinavia has been a fashionable theme for Christmas and it looks like it will continue which is no surprise with hygge becoming popular.

Mixed media
I love mixed media and recently I've been experimenting more with various techniques and mediums (watch out for some inspiration and tutorials coming up on my blog!)
There were lots of mixed media workshops on and there were various brands exhibiting which suggests it has increased in popularity.  I was pleased to see one of my favourite brands, Indigo Blu, showcasing their new range with lots of lovely examples....

Also at CHSI....
The Bright Sparks Pavilion is an area for new talent and start-up businesses and the opportunity for retailers and buyers to find the latest designs and contemporary products from innovative companies. I had a lovely chat with Ruth from The Make Arcade, I just fell in love with her kits....

I got to meet one of my favourite crafters Sheena Douglass.  Her ranges and creative techniques are my kinda style and she was with Crafter's Companion launching her latest range, Create-a-Flower.  I must admit I was a little star struck but she was so lovely and happy to talk to me.

There was a lot of excitement around the Caron stand.  Firstly due to their fun display for Simply Soft...

They even had knitted shoes!...

But a lot of the excitement was around their Caron Cakes....

These yummy yarns have only been available in the US until recently and difficult to get hold of in the UK but they are now widely available on our shores. They are available in a range of vibrant, variegated shades. Each ball features five bright colours and ideal for any project.  I can understand the excitement as they are fun, bright and feel lovely.  I just need to justify buying more yarn! 

Look at this gorgeous, hand knitted tree by Cygnet Yarns...

Back to the DMC stand where I saw these cuties....

As the event is for the trade you can't buy anything on the day and suppliers will generally have a minimum order requirement. However if you are not trade it is still an interesting event to see the future trends and be inspired, especially if you go along to one of the seminars or workshops. Unfortunately I didn't book on to a workshop early enough so I missed out (they are very popular).

I went with my friend Laura who owns No3 Royston which sells Haberdashery along with handmade products (including some of mine).  It was interesting to get her perspective of the event.  It was her first time and she liked the range of products and suppliers there.  She was able to meet with the suppliers she already has accounts with as well as meet new ones and see new products in real life.

CHSI is a huge event and next year I think I will go for 2 days so I can take it all in.  

What a busy but fun day. It was encouraging to see that the craft industry is booming with so much variety, there is something for everyone. 

I was kindly invited to the Bloggers Brunch by the organisers of the event, the views and opinions are my own and I have not been paid for writing this post.