Any quilter will tell you one of the beauties of the art is that no matter how long someone has been doing it, there are always new things to learn.

To bring fresh ideas and new techniques to fellow quilters, owners of Bella Fabrics in Carrollton, Addicted Quilter in Portsmouth and Quilt with Me in Suffolk are hosting the first “Quilting and Sewing Expo” Oct. 8-10 at the Smithfield Center.

“You’re always learning new things and sharing ideas with other quilters,” said Harriet Suggs, owner of Addicted Quilter. “Quilters are such a social group and we love to socialize, work together, while working on projects and learn new things.”

The expo will have several different classes in the morning and afternoon for quilters of a variety of skill levels.

Classes include stained glass quilt design, “Almost Argello,” double wedding ring, handbag, “Electric Quilt,” template free appliqué, “One Block Wonder,” “Pineapple Blossom,” and “Blue Ridge Beauty.”

“There will be 15 local quilters from the area who will teach classes and Bonnie Hunter, a national instructor, will be teaching two classes,” Suggs said. “She has all the helpful hints for the patterns she’s teaching, and there is so much awesome talent in the area we wanted to utilize, as well.”

At the end of each evening, there will also be a time for show and tell.

“We love showing the progress we’ve made and seeing what other people have done,” Suggs said.

Classes are also available for quilters at beginning, intermediate and expert levels.

“For a beginners’ class, all you need to know is basic sewing and some cutting skills,” Suggs said. “If you can sew and you’re looking for something, quilting can bring so much personal satisfaction. It’s so rewarding to see something you’ve created come together.”

The goods from all three local shops will also be in one location for quilters’ shopping delight, and door prizes will be raffled off during the days.

The expo is the second in the area — one the shop owners hope to make an annual event.

“There’s a national expo every year on the Peninsula, and we decided it was time to do more locally,” Suggs said. “It’s good to get everyone together more than once a year.”

Class still available include:

Oct. 9

Stained Glass Quilt Design

Almost Bargello

Double Wedding Ring

Amy Butler Sweet Harmony Handbag and Tote

Electric Quilt 6 or 7

Template free appliqué

Machine embroidered Appliqué

Blue Ridge Beauty

Star Fabulous

Let’s Twist

Cost depends on class.

Visit www.quilt-with-me.com or www.addictedquilter.com for more information or call Addicted Quilter (484-7752), Bella Fabrics (238-7747) or Quilt with Me (539-0009).