Stichtag 5.0: Familiar faces, a world record, and a love of sewing

“3-2-1 Stichtag!” I can still hear that chant after the weekend. Again and again, everyone counted down together, cheered, and made their enthusiasm for this special gathering heard. Stichtag 5.0, held from September 4 to 6, 2026, in Hünfeld, had exactly the energy we had been looking forward to.

In our Stichtag announcement, we wrote about our excitement at attending as an exhibitor. Now we have memories of familiar faces, creative ideas, a new world record, and a weekend that often felt like a big class reunion for the sewing and DIY community.

A reunion with familiar faces

For me, meeting people was one of the best parts of the weekend. Between the stands and activities, I kept running into people I already knew and was so pleased to see again. It felt almost like an influencer reunion for the scene – with considerably more fabric, thread, and sewing ideas.

Among them were Anna from Einfach Nähen and Susanne from Nahtzeit magazine. These meetings are what make the community special to me: you know the projects, posts, and faces, and then you get to meet in person.

At the heart of it all were, of course, Tanja and Sandra, the Nähdels. I had already enjoyed meeting them at h+h cologne in the spring. Experiencing their own event, with all the people they bring together, was something special again. The exuberant atmosphere and repeated chant of “3-2-1 Stichtag!” were part of the experience.

Creative ideas in the Lokschuppen and across town

On Saturday and Sunday, the Alter Lokschuppen opened from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Carefully arranged stands, creative exhibitors, and hands-on activities provided plenty of inspiration. Workshops also took place at different locations in Hünfeld’s town centre.

The Nadelbienen brought their Kreativmobil, their mobile creative workshop. Contors was there too, showing interesting machines from Fortever. For me, exploring machines and their possibilities is part of these events: what could you make with them, what ideas come from watching, and what might your next project look like?

emborado had its place in this creative setting too. Surrounded by sewing and embroidery projects, managing embroidery designs and organising sewing patterns fit naturally into the picture. After all, you want to be able to find that weekend’s inspiration again and turn it into something at home.

A world record: almost 400 metres of boxy bags

A special highlight was the new world record achieved by the Nähdels and their community. 1,783 boxy bags formed a chain measuring 395.35 metres – nearly 400 metres of handmade bags.

The photo shows the many different bags lined up around the fountain. Each one had been sewn individually, and together they became part of an enormous shared effort. A lovely illustration of what many small creative contributions can achieve.

Time to try things out – and time to celebrate

Alongside the cheers and bustle, Stichtag also had a quieter side. The workshop programme across the town centre offered space to develop practical skills, try something new, and build on existing knowledge. There was time to ask questions and create with your own hands.

I liked that combination: sharing the excitement and cheering together, while also being able to concentrate on an idea. Creativity needs both outside inspiration and the time to make something of it.

On Saturday evening, the weekend continued with the party. Music, dancing, and celebrating together were as much a part of Stichtag as the machines, fabrics, and workshops during the day.

Thank you for this weekend

Above all, I came home with the joy of seeing people again and the infectious enthusiasm of the event. Thank you to Tanja and Sandra, everyone who helped shape Stichtag, and all the people I had the pleasure of meeting there.

If you would like to keep exploring after the weekend, our designer directory has more labels for embroidery designs and sewing patterns. For now, the memory of Hünfeld still sounds like this: “3-2-1 Stichtag!”