For the 20th time, Wilton-based fabric design business Sis Boom’s annual Holiday Show will return Dec. 3, 4 and 5.
“It’s a nice, comfortable way to pick up gifts for loved ones, support a small business, support handmade, and be in a community of like-minded people,” said owner and founder Jennifer Paganelli.
From 9 to 5 that Thursday, Friday and Saturday, members of the public are invited to Paganelli’s home at 40 East Meadow Road, where they will have the opportunity to shop from an inventory of fabrics and home goods, some holiday-themed, others not, but all unavailable for purchase elsewhere.
“None of these products are available to the public until the doors open,” Paganelli said. “They’re one-offs; I don’t sell them anywhere.”
Several guest vendors will also have a presence at the show, most of them selling products printed with designs and patterns licensed from Sis Boom, like Peking Handicrafts, a San Francisco-based textile manufacturer that will sell embroidered pillows, and Christie’s Quilting Boutique of Norwalk, which will offer Sis Boom’s 40th and most recent fabric line, Nostalgia.
“The biggest surprise is probably Malabar Bay,” said Paganelli. “We signed with them earlier this year.
Malabar Bay LLC is a wholesale gift and apparel company headquartered in Stamford.
“They’ll bring pajamas and loungewear ,both featuring Sis Boom patterns,” Paganelli said.
In addition to Malabar Bay, Christie’s Quilting Boutique and Peking Handicrafts, Pennsylvania folk artist Barbara Strawser will sell vintage creations inspired by the imagery of the past.
According to Paganelli, Sis Boom’s Holiday Show is “our way of educating the public to a home-design lifestyle brand that resides in the hills of Connecticut, rather than the fast-paced, crazed lunacy of New York, and not a lot of people know that that’s a possibility.”
“I enjoy these three days immensely,” she added. “I get to meet ‘Sis Boomers’ from all over, and they love to show me what they’re creating, what they’re making with the fabrics, what they’ve handcrafted, and that gives me the reassurance that I’m doing service in some small way to keep these old-time handcrafts new and fresh.”
About the owner
Sis Boom is a national contender, notwithstanding it being more or less a one-person operation, Paganelli being the sole employee in addition to her capacities as owner and founder.
That success may be a by-product of Paganelli’s passion for what she does.
“I love it all,” Paganelli said. “I really love designing fabrics, but I also enjoy working with my hands. I think it’s really vital for artists to continue to work with their hands, even when they have to go to the computer. There’s something to keeping your hands busy.”
The bright, colorful style she has come to be known for has roots in Paganelli’s upbringing. Though a 20-year resident of Wilton, Paganelli was raised far from New England.
“I grew up in the Virgin Islands — on Saint Croix — where bright colors reign,” she said. “People have an emotional response to bright colors; it makes them happy.”
Paganelli is the author of two books, Girl’s World and Happy Home, both to be sold at the Holiday Show. Girl’s World includes 21 sewing projects for young girls, and Happy Home includes the same number of home-accessory projects for homeowners.
Before starting Sis Boom, Paganelli worked for international textile company KnollTextiles.
Information
Sis Boom fabrics and licensed products are sold online and in boutiques and quilt stores across the nation, and are currently listed in Jo-Ann stores, a national specialty fabric and crafts retailer based in Hudson, Ohio.
For those planning to attend the Holiday Show who may desire either to recreate or emulate Paganelli’s products, the formula, she said, is no secret.
“You wanna know how it’s made? Ask me; I’m happy to share,” Paganelli said.
Information: SisBoom.com, Facebook.com/SisBoom, 203-761-0442.