Fan of all things sewing? Well sew are we!

That’s why we compiled a list of our top 5 places to visit this holiday season, encompassing some of the world’s most historic and innovative sewing destinations and celebrating a rich history of textiles and manufacturing.

1. Santee Winter Wonderland - Los Angeles Fashion District

Open 365 days of the year (including holidays) is Santee Alley, the Los Angeles Fashion District’s most famous wholesale and retail shopping area. This maze of interconnected alleyways and city streets is a modern open-air bazaar, spanning two blocks of bargain deals on fabrics, tailors, clothes, cosmetics, footwear, accessories and more, as well as a festive atmosphere during the winter holiday months. December 17th, you can attend the free Santee Winter Wonderland, in which you’ll find a plethora of textiles and family-friendly holiday activities.

2. Industrial Fabrics Association International - Indianapolis, IN (2020)

Next on our list is the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), which hosts an annual expo as well as other industrial fabric-related events geared towards helping you connect, network, and learn from vendors, manufacturers, lenders, fabricators, engineers, and other professionals in our soft-goods manufacturing industry. IFAI hosts annual expos around the United States, with the most recent exposition taking place in Orlando, Florida. Attracting over 5,000 industry professionals that are leaders in manufacturing, fabric, and sewing technology, the IFAI is sure to help you develop as a contractor, especially if your interest abides in the following areas:

Specialty Fabrics
Advanced Textiles
Smart Fabrics
Shade and Weather Protection
Military
Marine
Geosynthetics
Fabric Structures

3. National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum — Alexandria, VA

For those cut-and-sew enthusiasts on the East Coast, there’s a rich selection of destinations involving sewing, innovative fabric technologies, and manufacturing. The National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, pays homage to the inventor of the world’s first industrial sewing machine in 1846, — Elias Howe.

Women workers at a London textile factory, Christmas 1939. Credit: Central Press/Getty Images

Although many men, patents, and lawsuits all battled to achieve the successful commercialization of the modern sewing machine, Elias Howe reigns as the father and inventor of this radically life-changing machine. Also inducted in this museum is Helen Blanchard, inventor of the Zig-Zag sewing machine. This machine, which Blanchard patented in 1873, creates a durable zig-zag stitch that seals the edges of a seam, making a garment much more sturdy. These sewing machines are a standard in contract manufacturing factories everywhere, saving time and money in the commercial sewing industry.

4. Betsy Ross House — Philadelphia, PA

Nestled in the nation’s birthplace of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lies the historical residence of seamstress Betsy Ross, who is purported to have sewn the first American flag. Consisting of thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a blue canton with thirteen 5-pointed stars arranged in a circle, the nation’s first flag represented the thirteen colonies who fought for their independence during the American Revolutionary War. Although there is no firm consensus as to what America’s first flag really looked like, or who designed and sewed it, Betsy Ross and her house are both tightly woven into the colorful fabric of America’s sewing history.

5. Singer Corporation — Elizabeth, NJ

Isaac Merritt Singer in his favorite smoking jacket - his many children and grandchildren said it made this father of industrial sewing look like Father Christmas.

Only an hour up the coast from the Historical Betsy Ross House is the Singer Corporation, the first industrial manufacturer of domestic sewing machines. Named after Isaac Merritt Singer, the renowned inventor and businessman who made revolutionary changes to the textile industry with his design improvements to the sewing machine, the Singer Corporation found success making machines that were more affordable and efficient than the competition. Able to sew 900 stitches per minute, Singer machines exponentially outperformed manual labor, which could only accomplish 40 stitches per minute. While the old Singer’s plant shut its doors in 1982, the surrounding town stands as a tribute toward what was once the largest manufacturer of sewing equipment in the world.

From all of us here at CustomFab USA, may the holidays bring you joyous adventures and safe travels!

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