Woodridge Woman Finalist in National Sewing Contest

A Woodridge woman will compete this month in the 18th annual American Sewing Expo Passion for Fashion sewing challenge, the largest independent consumer sewing show in the country.

The competition requires 12 finalists, including Woodridge's Eve Kovacs, to design and sew garments for a panel of judges. The garments must adhere to the year's theme.

In last year's competition, finalists had to design garments inspired by classic American cars, like the Corvette or Cadillac. The year before, garments needed to be "international spy" themed, with the appropriate spy apparatus sewn in.

Contestants are able to head to the expo floor to snag $100 worth of materials, from fabric to buttons, with which to construct their garments.

All the garments designed are modeled at a runway show at the expo, complete with lights, music, makeup and professional models. There's a model call before the start of the competition. Finalists choose their models before the start of the competition in a randomly selected order.

Finalists then have two days to work before their garments are debuted at the fashion show.

Here's the timeline of the event:

• Thursday: Orientation of equipment and work space, pick models.
• Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Work.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Work. After 3 p.m., garments are shown to the panel of judges, the fashion show begins and the winners are announced.

About 50 people apply to be in the competition, according to Janet Pry, the show's producer, submitting an application of a garment. 

Kovacs has competed twice before, in 2008 and 2009. She has not come in the top three either time but has won other sewing contests across the country, Pry said.

The competition will take place from Sept. 23 to 25 in Novi, Mich. The contestants are from Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.

According to a press release from the Sewing Expo, reality television competitions like Lifetime’s Project Runway and Bravo’s The Fashion Show are the inspiration for the Passion for Fashion sewing challenge.

Prizes are awarded to the top three finishers:

• First place receives a Baby Lock Symphony sewing machine and New York City Fashion Sewing Tour trip.
• Second place receives a Baby Lock Imagine DX serger.
• Third place receives a Baby Lock Melody sewing machine.

These are the show experts (descriptions are from the expo press release): 

• Stephen “Suede” Baum, 2008 Project Runway semifinalist who is remembered for his tendency to speak in the third person and his signature colored faux-hawk.
• Sandra Betzina, author, Vogue pattern designer and Power Sewing Web-TV and HGTV Sew Perfect show host.
• Sue Hausmann, author and PBS-TV sewing and quilting show host and producer
• Kathy Delaney, author and quilting expert.
• Other award-winning fashion sewing designers including Barb Callahan, Joi Mahon, Kathy Ruddy and Angie Wolf.