Spring Market First Day

This is half of the convention floor being set up for market. Think of a quilt show, about 4 football fields long - that's market. Every fabric company, hundreds of pattern designers, notion companies, you name it - they're here!

Today was Schoolhouse - short presentations by the companies on their products. I did my presentation on my Beginning Quilting By Machine class. I didn't forget anything, and managed not to say hmmm to many times, so I'm considering it a success! Karen Montgomery didn't think I'd post this to my blog - suprise Karen!

I saw lots of friends, found some new leads for patterns and notions - it was a productive day. We went to dinner with Karen Snyder and then went to Sample Spree . . .

Sample Spree is a huge flea market. Picture about 1,000 quilters in a room where Moda is selling jelly rolls and FQ packs, Hoffman is wiped out of Bali Pops in 20 minutes and it's general meyhem! Ok worse than meyhem . . . I haven't been in a few years and now I remember why! I did get some cute already made samples and I got my Bali Pops . . . .Yes I am as tired as I look in this picture! It's been a long day!

Of course Jim had time to pose for a picture with El and Sue

This is my Hoffman rep Barry who managed to snag me some Bali Pops at risk of life and limb I think.

And this is The Quilt Company's booth where they were mobbed by people buying pillow patterns. I tried to snag their firecracker pillow but didn't get away with it . . . I have no idea what the purple gloves are.

Tomorrow the sales floor opens - let the buying begin!

Spring Quilt Market

I'm off to the wholesale show for quilt shops this morning. Think of a quilt show the size of 6 football fields with every major author, designer, & fabric company having a booth - that's quilt market!

It's in Pittsburgh so we are driving and if I don't go pack, we won't get to Karen Montgomery's store before it closes!

I'll post from market and hopefully be able to post pictures.

Until next time.

Working best under pressure

Why is it that I tend to put things off until the ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO BE DONE? Two months ago, Karen Montgomery asked to borrow one of my samples during Quilt Market. I'd done a Quick Piecer orginial pattern & used her fabrics. Since all her samples will be in the booth at market, she asked if she could borrow mine to hang in her shop. SURE! It's good for both of us, she'll sell fabrics and I'll hopefully sell some patterns.

Now quilt market is the week after next. I KNEW I had to get that quilt and the patterns in the mail by today. When did I get it in the mail? On the way home last night. When did I finish quilting the sample, put the binding on and have the patterns run off? YESTERDAY MORNING.

I'm not sure if it's a defective gene that makes me put things off or one that makes me think that things are so much further away in time than they really are. I can't believe it's May already, can't believe that I leave for Quilt market next week, can't believe that I have to get some tote patterns ready to drop off at another booth.

WHERE HAS TIME GONE?

One of those days . . .

Yesterday I arrived at the shop a few minutes late to find I was actually an HOUR late for a fabric appointment with one of my favorite reps. Larry was sitting calmly eating the bagels he'd brought. I'd mixed up my dates and thought he was coming NEXT Tuesday - mind you the calendar said he was coming yesterday, I just never looked at it since I had in my mind he was coming next week. Sigh. Some days you just screw up & yesterday was one of them. Thankfully, he's a nice man, I apologized profusely and was forgiven!

Larry represents quite a few companies so when he comes it's an hours long fabric shopping event. And he's from the old school, fabrics are fanned & displayed precisely. He's also from the old school of no computer. His wife Julie, takes care of his emails, so when we called Lisa at Timeless Treasures for some information on Karen Montgomery's new line, she emailed it to me and then I FAXED it to Larry - since Julie is in FL waiting for a new grandbaby.

So we shopped P&B, then went to Marcus fabrics, then to Kona Bay, Clothworks and finally ended up with Timeless Treasures. A great new nautical line from P&B will arrive this summer and most of the rest was for late summer/fall delivery - except for some new tone on tones and reorders of flip flops coming soon.

While spending money with Larry, the UPS man & the FedEx man and then an 18 wheeler trailer truck were making deliveries in the back! The HQ Fusion - a 24" long arm machine FINALLY arrived but with a crushed box for the handles. So we have the frame, the machine but no way to run it. HQ was sending one right out but it won't be here until next week. Bummer!

Then the Bernina 820 arrived! We're going to get it set up today, stop by and check it out!

Before I knew it, it was 4 o'clock & time to go but the mail orders hadn't been done & Jim was still wrestling with a machine in the service area (he won & it finally runs right!) so we didn't get out of there until 5 and were back again for a 7 pm class.

I didn't move around much but my brain sure got a workout!

Till next time.

Experienced Machines for Sale

We have a couple of experienced Berninas that are available. They've been serviced and are ready to go - call the shop for details. We can't mail these machines, so they are in store purchases only.

Bernina 730E - with BSR & a authorized Bernina warranty!
Bernina 730E - with BSR
Bernina 200E - updated with BSR!

Ahhh, the possibilities!

Today I have a day to myself - well OK, I do have to go into the shop but I'm not scheduled to do ANYTHING while I'm there! I am practically giddy with the thought! I don't think Jim or anyone on the staff has figured out that I don't have a class today, don't have an appointment to meet with anyone, I'm not scheduled to work the sales floor and while I probably should tackle the mess that I pretend is my office - that's not going to happen.

So - what to do? Load up the HandiQuilter and do the two quilts patiently waiting to be finished? Tackle the paperwork I've left for "someday"? Work on the summer class schedule? Figure out what samples need to be done, kits need to be remade, displays need to be moved?

Well the answer is obvious - the HQ and quilting wins out! Now to actually get a quilt loaded and get quilting before anyone finds something for me to do.

Till next time.

Days Off?

In the world of the quilt shop owner, a day off isn't really a day off totally. Yesterday was my "day off" and I prepared the weekly email, loaded fabric up onto the web page, took stuff off the web page, cleaned up some things on the POS system and worked on an event. Jim paid bills, did paychecks, ran to the bank and the PO and then spent who knows how long on the phone trying to straighten out the Comcast bill for the third month in a row.

Hmmm, what's wrong with this picture?

I had great plans of getting to the bookstore & poking around for a few hours, or actually going out to LL Bean and spending my Christmas gift certificate - NOT.

Days off aren't totally days off when you own your own business. Some pesky little paperwork has to be done that can't/doesn't get done at the store. When working on the web page, I need to be home where I won't be interrupted and send the whole website into the black hole of the internet like I did about 6 months ago. YIKES! I still don't know how that happened.

Seeing as where I was home and it was a "day off", I did manage to lay across the bed and read a new book during frequent breaks. I also sat on the couch and watched a couple of episodes of "Designed to Sell" on HGTV while eating lunch. I can't do either of those things at the store - somehow laying across the lobby bed and reading wouldn't go over well!

My days off consist of doing work stuff, but at least I get to do it at home while in my sweats! Next week I'm going to the bookstore though.