The Prohibition Era theme was well recieved by MFA attendees who embrased 1920s costumes.

The 2019 MFA conference included 16 Australian guests who presented educational sessions on a variety of upholstery and patterning techniques. Aaron and Kym Stroud-Smith, Canvasbarn Marine Trimming, Swan Reach, discussed dodger fabrication from an Australian perspective and gave the crowd a bit of an Australian geography lesson to help clarify the different fabricators, conditions and techniques around the country. David Elliott, David’s Custom Trimmers from Queensland, Australia, along with Steve Szenay, Serge Ferrari North America Inc., presented a session on deluxe enclosures. The session was full of tips for working with U zippers, patterning and materials. Elliott, who has been working as a fabricator for 40 years, cautioned people not to use the innovations and techniques they learn at the conference to undercut the competition, but rather, “use them to add value to your work, to stand out and that way you can charge more.” Elliott is a huge proponent of fabricators getting paid what they’re worth. “If a customer says it’s too expensive and the guys next door do it cheaper, let them go. They’re not your customer.”