TORONTO: Whether discussing a hip handbag, beaded bauble or knockout handknit sweater, saying "I made it myself" has become a badge of honour for a new generation of creative crafters. With quirkiness, creativity and innovation, the DIY generation (not to mention many of their elders) have injected new energy and excitement into the age-old crafts of sewing, quilting, knitting, beading and other newer creative pursuits like scrapbooking and mixed media. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Creativ Festival, which takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building from October 17 to 19, 2008. An interactive world-class conference starts Wednesday, October 15th attracting delegates from across North America and as far away as Australia.

Now in its 21st year, the Creativ Festival (formerly the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival) is undergoing its own renewal, hauling out a host of new attractions and hands-on activities designed to demonstrate just how exciting, inspiring and enjoyable making something with your own two hands can be. Leading the line-up is the Project Creativ Catwalk Design Challenge, the First Annual Fashion Arts Student Awards, a Project Runway-inspired event in which students from four top fashion colleges will have three days to complete a winning design. Creativ Festival attendees will watch them work in their show floor studios. Fashion-forward sewing will also be featured in free, ongoing runway shows and two special events: Saturday's Designer Style Gala fashion show and dinner, featuring an up-close look at high-end designer looks from Vogue Patterns as well as the Mirasol Project's knitwear designs by Jane Ellison visiting from England. Friday evening's cocktail party is hosted by Bernina and showcases elegant and avante garde works from Kayla Kennington. Quilting also shows that it has more than just country charm going for it, with art gallery worthy creations on display from The Quilt Project Toronto, contemporary SAQA Art Quilts and celebrity signings and showcases from fibre artists Pamela Allen and Laurie Swim among others.

Knitting has exploded in popularity in the last few years and that expansion is evident in the increased number of knit shops on the Festival show floor, along with a designer fashion show and the addition of several innovative exhibits. Spin your own yarn courtesy of Gemini Fibres, talk up eco-friendly fibres with author/artist Shannon Okey at the Go Green Knitting Oasis and meet and greet two live alpacas at the Alpaca Experience. As always the Yarn Café will open for purls of knitting wisdom, expert advice and learn-to-knit sessions.

Showgoers will also get the chance to get their glam on. Along with their new Make 'n Take Boutique, CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements is sponsoring the Holiday Ornament Multi-Media Challenge, an opportunity for professional and up-and-coming designers to show their skill at crafting a one-of-a-kind holiday ornament. Prizes will be awarded to the winners and the ornaments will be donated to decorate trees in children's hospitals and raise funds for Crafting for a Cure who redesign the lung playrooms, supplying materials for children to craft and support research to find a cure for chronic lung disease.

Be among the first to see what was all the rage in scrapbooking and paper arts at the recent trade show in Chicago at the Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine innovative, new Hot Product Showcase. You'll find more scrapbooking in exhibit booths and show floor features. ScrapFest has teamed up with the Creativ Festival to bring you an Interactive Studio where you can see free demonstrations, seminars, join in a page layout contest, win prizes and work on projects you bring.

Door prizes have always been a part of the show activities, but this year the Festival team has really upped the ante. In addition to the $10,000 Pfaff Creative Sewing Studio, 30 Janome Sewing Machines will given away to lucky individuals in the Real Life Fashion Runway audience on Sunday afternoon. You could also win one of three $750 show-floor shopping sprees and a $4,000 Cutting Edge Fabric Bedroom Makeover from fabric retailer macFAB, which includes Robert Allen fabrics & wallpaper from the Ulf Moritz Collection.

All this is just a fraction of the creative happenings that will be taking place when the Festival doors open at 10AM each day. Classes and workshops with experts in the industry, incredible shopping, and endless opportunities to give everything from stand-up machine quilting and jewellery making to room makeover magic and needlework a try... all under one roof. For a complete list of events and classes and other info visit www.creativfestival.ca or call 1.800.291.2030 for a free brochure.