While the main marketplace floor wasn’t open yet, Thursday was all about deep-dive education. Dedicated makers who grabbed multi-day passes arrived early to level up their skills.

The festival’s massive educational tract kicked off with comprehensive, multi-hour “Craft Labs” and “Studio Sessions.”

Show Director Jessica Boweak welcomed the creative community to the first day of the show! Attendees flooded booths to touch, feel, and buy from major brands like Yarnspirations, BERNINA, Baby Lock, Singer, and Janome, alongside hundreds of indie dyers and local fabric shops.

The crowds gathered around stunning curated art installations. The absolute showstoppers were “Legendary: The Quilts of Tula Pink” and the highly anticipated Abyss Challenge and Storytime Challenge gallery by Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics.

The first rounds of 30-to-90-minute Craft Talks began, focusing on everything from sewing techniques to craft business development strategies.

Stitch Ambassadors like Repeat Crafter Me (Sarah Zimmerman), Daisy Farm Crafts, and The Knotty Boss hosted a massive sit-and-stitch circle around a cozy faux fireplace, chatting with fans and doing book signings.

Interactive zones were packed all day. Crafters queued up at the Famoré Cutlery, AccuQuilt, and Baby Lock stations to build quick, free, machine-sewn and quilted projects to take home.

The festival showcased its brilliant cross-industry appeal with stunning cosplay mannequin displays and a heavy influx of local cosplayers buying heavy-duty materials and sharing garment-making advice.

The Stitching Help Lounge (hosted by Jessie at Home) was bustling with knitters and crocheters getting expert help fixing dropped stitches, while the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) and BadAss Quilters Society lounges stayed packed with community meetups.

High-profile sessions wrapped up the weekend, including a packed, exclusive Sunday morning knitting workshop led by industry icon Vickie Howell.

Eco-conscious crafters spent hours browsing the Trashy Market Pavilion, a pop-up art and supply space curated by the Nowhere Collective to promote recycled and upcycled crafting.

Exhibitors offered great final-day discounts, leading to cleared-out shelves of yarn, independent patterns, and premium fabrics.