Reality television competitions, Lifetime’s Project Runway and Bravo’s The Fashion Show, are the inspiration for the Passion for Fashion Sewing Challenge that starts as the show opens on Friday, September 24. The 12 finalists design and sew garments for judging and a fashion show on Saturday, September 25. The contestants are from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. Grand prize winner receives an Espire Baby Lock sewing machine and New York City Fashion Sewing Tour trip. Joi Mahon, 2009 winner, will teach fashion draping and sketching and how to make a bubble skirt and display her one of a kind, off beat, non-traditional bridal gown collection and all occasion designs at the expo.

“Beginner and veteran crafter enthusiasts will get techniques and creative tips at over 300 fashion style shows, hands-on workshops, classes and demonstrations,” said Janet Pray, show producer of the largest independent consumer sewing show in the country. “It’s the place to go to purchase one of a kind fabrics and supplies at over 300 vendor booths, enjoy reality sewing competitions up close and enter several contests.”

Experts include Kenneth D. King, professor of the haute couture program at NewYork’s Fashion Institute of Technology and sewing expert on PBS-TV series “Sewing Today,” teaching couture techniques and leather sewing classes and New York fashion designer Koos van den Akker, featured designer for Vogue pattern and designer for Bill Cosby, Cher and Madonna, instructing how to use garments as a canvas for unusual collaborations of color and creative collage techniques. Other industry professionals will conduct educational presentations at over 160 lectures, hands-on classes, seminars and all-day workshops in addition to the over 60 presentations at the free show floor demonstration stages.

Attendees can learn unique tips and techniques as they make their own sewing project to take home at the Sew Experience Café and decorate their own jeans with machine embroidery or reprocess them into different projects at the Re-Construction Zone.

Embroidery Extravaganza Fashion Show sponsored by Creative Machine Embroidery magazine will feature garments from several of the top sewing machine companies. Simplicity Pattern Company will host a fashion show featuring their styles. PatternReview.com will conduct a Natural Fiber Fashion Show and contest.

The Innovation Generation Fashion Show Competition will be held on Saturday for 8 to 18 year olds who know the sewing process and have made their own garments. Entries are prejudged and then worn by the contestants on the Expo Fashion Stage.

Over 125 exhibitors from 35 states, Australia and Canada will be displaying fabrics, sewing machines, notions, threads, patterns, yarn, sergers, technology, embellishments, kits, gadgets, embroidery designs, tools and other products.

Social networkers can become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanSewingExpo. For more information, visit www.AmericanSewingExpo.com or call (248) 889-3111.