Torrential rains and 35 mph winds greeted us as we arrived in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, January 21st to set up for the CHA Super Show. How rainy was it? They CLOSED Disneyland! It takes a lot to shut down the Mouse. But the dedicated sewers and crafters were undeterred, and they showed up in great numbers to the Anaheim Convention Center on both Friday and Saturday. Jacqueline Smerek (on the right) and I chatted ourselves hoarse over the two-day show, but it was worth it to expose so many new folks to the idea of making their own home décor, and to show them how Sew4Home makes it easy and fun. We took some pictures to prove we actually exist... as do all those great projects you see here every weekday. The fans who stopped by were thrilled to see our projects 'in person.'

The booth space was 10' x 10', which sounded plenty big when we were planning it out, but when we started setting up everything we'd brought, it suddenly seemed very small. But no matter, it was great fun to cluster all our projects together on display. The resulting riot of color and pattern drew people in like a magnet. Or maybe it was more like moths to a flame, 'Must touch pretty fabric!'

We had a brand new Janome DC4030 in the booth (Thanks, Janome!), which we used to actually construct several projects that will be coming soon as site tutorials. This completely validates the theory that you can find space to sew in any environment ... even cutting on the floor and ironing on a stack of placemats!

People who stopped at the booth had hundreds of things to say and ask, but there were three things we heard over and over: 1) How can we offer all these great projects for free?, 2) Where do we get all the beautiful fabric?, and 3) What are we doing next? Perhaps our online visitors wonder about these things as well.

How can we offer all these great projects for free?

We are very lucky to have a wonderful Signature Sponsor in Janome America, as well as advertising from other great vendors of sewing and crafting products. The people who support us do so because they want to encourage more people to sew. It's really as simple as that. The more people who are inspired to sew, the more customers they'll have for their products. If you are in the market for a machine, fabric or notions; please consider our vendors as you build your shopping list. We so appreciate their support and want them to grow as we grow.

For those of us on the editorial team, it's also a bit of a labor of love. We love what we do and are thrilled so many people find our information and tutorials beautiful and inspiring. If you'd like to join us as we spread the word about how very cool and fulfilling it is to make your own home décor, tell your friends and family about the site and encourage them to take the plunge into creativity. If you're interested our advertising opportunities, please contact our friendly This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Where do we get all our beautiful fabric?

Again, we are fortunate to be able to work directly with several of the industry's best fabric manufacturers and outlets. Plus, many of the fabric designers have become good friends, and allowed us to work with them to showcase their new collections in our tutorials. We try to keep you up-to-date with links to fabric retailers where you can find the fabrics – both online and in-store. If you have suggestions for new places we should review as sources for fabric and supplies, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

What are we doing next?

We've spent the past several months planning our editorial calendar for 2010, and it's already jam-packed with exciting rooms, themes, techniques, and, of course, gorgeous fabric. A few things coming up include: a look into 2010's Color of the Year: Turquoise, Father's Day projects with classic Pendleton fabric, a roundup of tutorials with retro designs, more serger techniques, more about how to use specialty presser feet to speed up and spice up your home décor sewing, ideas to perk up a home office, inspiration for working with neutrals, and wonderful holiday projects throughout the year. Whew! That's just a few. Stay tuned, home décor addicts.

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