In the past, John Deer has presented hands on events in our stores, but this time Moore’s hosted the event at the Ontario Convention Center. Something magical happens when you put 200 people, all sharing a common passion for embroidery, in a large ballroom.

If you were not able to attend this year, I hope my pictures will entice you to be a part of this the next time. If you were there, I hope they make you smile and remember something interesting or fun about the event.

Staff arrived at 8am Friday to start setting up. The guys – you know, the ones with all the muscles –  started bringing in large boxes of notions, embroidery design CD’s, books, embroidery hoops, scissors, stabilizer, thread, and most important, top of the line Baby Lock machines. John Deer’s crew was busy putting up 100’s of samples of embroidery designs. They display a stitched out sample of every design so you can see how really wonderful they are.

Saturday morning the staff arrived at 7:30 am to make one last check before we opened the door to greet our friends, or soon-to-become friends, to our ‘embroidery party’.

Floriani stabilizer and thread ready – check!
Had I taken a picture at the end of the second day, you would have seen only wire racks.
Check out area – check!
At the back, racks of shopping bags – a bag assigned to each person, in alphabetic order, ready for the ‘angels’ to add items the guests at their tables want to purchase. Yes! – we CAN get a 10-needle embroidery machine into one of those bags. Just for attending, each guest got a free digitizing program from John Deer. No one was going home empty handed.

Embroidery hoops and upgrades for those who already own an embroidery machine – check!

Embroidery designs, LOTS of embroidery designs, all neatly stacked – check!
Stitched out embroidery designs, all neatly displayed – check!
Samples of the embroidery designs hung everywhere you looked. For those who couldn’t make a decision, there is an ultimate design collection.
Racks of sparkle design packs – check!
I love the sparkle packs. The crystal transfer sheet is included for the embroidery design and all you have to do is lay the crystal transfer sheet on top of the embroidery design and apply heat. The crystals really add sparkle to your designs.
Time to open the doors and greet our guests – Within minutes the room became alive with excitement.

We are ready to begin our first project.
John explains the technique we will be using for the current project we are getting ready to do. We did a total of 10 different projects using different techniques.
The ‘angels’ (the people in the blue Moore’s shirts) listen carefully so they will be able to help our guests with the project.

We are ready to begin – We worked together in teams of three. Each person in the team takes a turn doing a project, so everyone goes home with at least three projects – everyone receives a CD with all the projects and instructions.
George helps a guest find what she needs.
Bags are beginning to fill.

Now I know where all that stabilizer went – – – –
A raw edge applique ladybug was one of the projects we did on the first day. The lace earrings were also a project we did the first day. Some people even added crystals. Those shirt ladybugs were embroidered before the event – did the lady wearing the ladybug shirt have some inside tip on a project theme?

Like everything, all good things must come to an end. We learned new techniques, had fun making projects, and best of all, made new embroidery friends. I saw a lot of email addresses and phone numbers being exchanged. As a staff member – or as John Deer calls us, ‘angels’, which by the way is just another name for a ‘worker bee’ – I had a wonderful time. I look forward to the next event and a chance to see old friends and make new ones.

I hope I will see you at one of our future events.