Positive Yarn

Thanks to the wonderful Connie Barwick, who is the About.com Cross-stitch Guide and offers lots of great info through her site and weekly e-newsletter, I just learned that The Needlework Show, an online-only trade show for wholesalers, is “opening” April 15.

There is a lot of talk in trade show circles that virtual shows are increasing in popularity — after all, there is no travel or shipping costs involved, and with their username and password in hand, attendees can conceivably browse 24/7. Unlike a traditional trade show, where a misprinted sign or forgotten business card can be a sign of doom for an exhibitor, mistakes can be corrected almost immediately.

I'll be exhibiting again at TNNA in June. Come say hello if you're attending, too!

However, also unlike a traditional show, you do lose some of the spontaneity that comes from a casual conversation at a booth, identifying a visitor’s needs and getting the chance to show him or her how your product fits the bill. In the needlearts industry especially, the inability to touch yarn or see the true color of a canvas can be a hindrance. Plus, unlike the packed schedules of, say, a show from The National NeedleArts Association or the Craft & Hobby Association, this is a market only — no classes or seminars to support it. That’s not to say future events won’t include a live Webinar or YouTube-archived project instruction, though!

Recession conditions and multimedia technologies seemed to have converged at just the right time to make virtual shows viable. For example, according to an October 2009 press release, Middleboro, MA-based Champion Exposition Services did a study that found 28% of associations polled plan on using a digital event platform in 2010. The study also found that 70% of respondents are “actively producing, considering or interested in pursuing virtual events.”

I don’t think virtual shows will replace brick-and-mortar exhibition events, but there is definitely room for them at the table. The Needlework Show is appealing mainly to shop owners, but the site doesn’t neglect needlework enthusiasts (which is Barwick’s target audience). It offers a list of vendors, as well as retailers by state who are signed up for the show and thus would potentially carry the various products. Plus, as Barwick says in today’s newsletter, “Be sure to visit the Fun Page — once the show opens they usually have contests that offer opportunities to win fabulous prizes.” That sure beats trying to discern whether it was your name that was announced over the ancient public address system on the show floor at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.!

What I think we’ll see more of is what’s known in the trade show industry as “hybrids” — where a physical event takes place, but there is heavy social media promotion (Facebook fan page, dedicated Twitter account, etc.) and even an online component, where exhibitors are highlighted and videos of seminars are archived, for example. TNNA is already doing this to some extent, particularly with showcasing its popular fashion show events that take place at the Summer and Winter Markets online (TNNA’s Yarn Group has its own YouTube Channel). For that matter, CHA offers a dedicated Web site that offers event-only content, a separate entity from its regular site.

Forbes.com has a great article here that covers the virtual show topic well; while it’s geared to tech shows, the points made could be applied to nearly any industry, including craft and needlearts.

So what’s your take on virtual shows? Are they worth giving a whirl, or do you prefer physically attending a show? Have you participated in one already, and if so, was it a good experience? Please sound off below or drop me a line at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

And if you’re planning to attend the TNNA Summer Market June 12-14 in Columbus, OH, come say hello to me at Booth 1450T!

Update 11/5/09: Thanks to some readers who have been following this closely and who broadcast their findings on Twitter, I’ve learned that on Nov. 3, the Consumer Safety Products Commission issued a Guidance Document that in part reads “The Commission intends to solicit further input … at a public workshop to be held with stakeholders and Commission staff on December 10 and 11, 2009 at the Commission headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.” You can download the 12-page PDF here (it’s the first item under the “What’s New” header). I’m glad to see that the voice of small businesses will get a chance to be heard, and will keep you updated as new info arrives. —HG

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) recently sent a letter to members about how the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of October 2009 directly affects how the needlework and crafts industries sell their goods, particularly to children.

“We cannot suddenly say that our products are ‘not for use by children 12 and under’ and still try to teach children to knit, crochet, needlepoint and cross stitch,” states the letter, which was sent by TNNA’s five-member CPSIA committee. “We can’t say children 12 and under are only allowed to use certain tools but not others and still expect them to take needlearts seriously. We must involve ourselves and our businesses in the effort to amend this poorly written, misguided legislation and keep it from destroying our businesses.”

The committee urges industry professionals to download and view a PDF of the Statement of Policy: Testing and Certification of Lead Content in Children’s Products. As stated in the letter, the committee is concerned with the following:

• “Textiles (including yarn, fabrics and it sounds like needlepoint canvas, although not specifically named) have for the most part been exempted. While the list does not specifically include, it also does not specifically exclude metallic fibers. And while there is no metal in most metallic fibers, there are metallic fibers that contain aluminum, gold and silver – but without question no lead.”
• “Wood, paper and other cellulosic products have been exempted. This does not include finishes or paints put on wood.”
• “Printing inks with CMYK technology (this is what color laser printers use) have been exempted. Other inks have not been. Screen-printing has not been exempted; hand-painted canvases were not mentioned.”
• “Surgical steel, stainless steel and precious metals have been exempted. However, if a solder or other component is used, that is not exempted. Aluminum was not included on the list.”
• “The labeling requirements have been relaxed somewhat to allow manufacturers to create labels that are appropriate for their products. The CHA memo is not specific as to those requirements and this issue should be researched by those it affects before deciding on a label format.”
• “Phthalates are not discussed specifically in this memo. Phthalates are used to make plastics flexible and can be found in many products in needleart stores.”

Think about the metal tools, plastic accessories and other items you use — and sell — every day. As the letter points out, “Every manufacturer, distributor and shopowner will be held responsible if they are found to contain lead or phthalates above the acceptable levels. The testing that will be required on many of these items will substantially raise the prices. How many of the items you sell can tolerate a $1,500 testing fee for each production run? How much will that raise your price?”

The letter concludes by pointing out the obvious — no one wants to see any child or adult put at risk from dangerous contents in a toy or other item. But on the other hand, no one wants to see a responsible business put at risk from a narrow interpretation of this law. The committee asks for a call to action from members to contact local legislators and demand an amendment to this law that makes its interpretation less anti-business.

Even if you’re not a TNNA member, please voice your concerns. You can find out who your local Congressional representatives are by clicking here.

What’s your budget for this piece?

Those are six little words I really wish I had heard this week, but didn’t. Yes, I fell into the under-informed consumer trap thanks to my giddiness over being FINALLY (after six years) finished with my Wreath of Seasons cross-stitch piece. I had told my husband last month, as the light finally peeked through this tunnel, that if I did indeed finish the project by my 36th birthday, all I wanted as a present was for it to be professionally framed.

The source of all my consternation, before it was finished, washed and ironed.

It took me till about 11:59 p.m. on April 12, my last day of being 35, but by golly I finished, washed and ironed it before I went to bed.

The next afternoon, my husband packed my project, our two kids and me into the car and to the shop in the pouring rain to get my project framed. As you may recall in a previous post, this particular project was neglected for many, many months after I mindlessly stuck a red folder in my project bag — in the pouring rain. I finally got over myself, moved the dragonfly over a bit to cover the pink squares and made peace with the fact that there will always be a reminder of my early foolishness. In other words, I guess the rain was fitting.

This time, I made sure the piece was well protected from any stain-causing objects. I unrolled it on the framer’s counter and then — looked up. Oh my goodness, so many frames from which to choose! I didn’t know where to start!

The framer was very patient. She let me toggle between two shades of green for several minutes; she made helpful suggestions. Luckily, there were no other customers waiting behind me, so I felt I could take my time a bit.

I have to confess that the only other time I had been near a professional framer was about four years ago, when I had my husband’s autographed concert T-shirt, prized guitar pick and some ticket stubs all formatted and saved for posterity. (I’m not sure which daughter is going to want to inherit a Metallica tee, but perhaps one or the other will eventually learn to have an appreciation for heavy metal.) I recall it being expensive, but since I knew he was very proud of the items — and the autographs were starting to fade as the shirt just hung in his closet — it felt like the right thing to do.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, because again, in my excitement of finishing I did no research into pricing before I came to the shop. In my excitement of choosing woods and mats, I asked no questions about how much each component would cost.

Shame on me.

With a 50% off coupon, it was still twice as much as it had cost in my head. That means its regular price was four times as much. When did I find out? After she wrote everything up. Now, I could have backed up the train and tried to go about choosing less-expensive versions of the frame, the mat and an inner piece (which alone cost $100, I later learned), but even though I saw my husband slightly pale at the cost, he said, “Go ahead at this price.”

After all, we had already decided on the colors and the style. Anything less would be unsatisfactory, right? Well, there was still a dissatisfied feeling in the pit of my stomach as we headed home — knowing that this was a bigger chunk of our finances than we had expected. I tried to justify to myself that, well, it will hang above our fireplace for years to come. At least I don’t finish things too darn often. And could this maybe be my Mother’s Day and anniversary present, too?

I want crafts and needlework to be enjoyed by everyone. I want people who dismiss it as something to do at summer camp when you’re 12 to see the level of sophistication and workmanship handmade items can have. I want people who fall into the “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” category to never feel the way I did on the ride home just for wanting a finishing touch on something they worked so hard to create.

But I also want to know: Do you take your customer’s budget into consideration when you help them plan, execute or finish a project? I’m not sure whether the woman who rang up my sale works on commission, but she was taking as much of a risk of me saying “Oh, forget it!” as she was me saying “Go ahead.”

Back in the days when I worked in retail on commission, I didn’t just go straight to the highest-end product. Instead, I made a conscious effort to show the range of products that I identified would suit their needs — and the price differences. Sure, you usually get what you pay for. But I like to think most of my customers appreciated the knowledge. I never had a problem keeping my minimum levels month to month, because unlike some colleagues who pressed for the big-ticket items, I rarely had returns from customers with buyer’s remorse.

In the frame shop, even if I knew the price point of every frame she had, I may well have stuck with the combination I ordered because they were my favorites. And like I said, I am taking full responsibility here; the employee was just doing her job. But in this economy and for shops that want to keep loyalty strong, being sensitive to people’s pocketbooks only makes sense long-term. Staying in their price range this visit means they may have a little money left over to come back.

All I know is that when I get the project back later this month, it better kick canv-ass.

OK, I promised photos, after all:

Here’s Jan at her demonstration station.	A sampling of the counted cross-stitch mingling with the quilts. We also had knitting, crochet, surface embroidery and a beaded entry.
This round robin sampler won second place… and all who participated (including yours truly — my harvest border is the last band) are receiving ribbons, too.	Here are a few of my treasures from the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo. The Clover needle threader I bought from Shaffer’s Countryside Quilting, because it’s just so strong and elegant. I was able to load size 8 perle cotton with nary a cuss word! The wristlet gadget, from Lacis, is to hold said perle cotton balls — specifically purchased from Fabulous Fibers (here’s a link to the tool on their site) for my goal of knitting Bag Lady’s tiny pendant purses, but I think it will also come in handy for my cross-stitch projects, too. The drill bit-looking item (made by W.H. Collins, purchased from Quilter’s Fancy) is to repair snags.
Yes, I know my photos of my wool applique ladybug needle holder are a little out of focus, but it’s by design. I don’t want you to have a clear shot of my blanket stitch! Keep in mind this was a make-and-take at the Expo done under conference center lighting, plus I was trying to rush through so I could get back on the floor to shop and return poor Judy (who was an excellent and patient teacher, by the way) back to her customers.
Also from Cindy and her team, I purchased a doll tassel kit… I played with it last night, but it’s definitely a work in progress.	Last year at Expo, Barb Callahan introduced me to the wonderful world of needle felting. This year, she showed me a fantastic way to weave — in an old cut up lace tablecloth, no less — using a surgical tool known as a hemostat. I can only describe it as a pair of long-necked tweezers, with a tiny grip at the end. It’s perfect to weave in and out of the holes, with your clamped ribbon in place, then draw back through whence you came and surprise — a perfectly woven row. I loved it! Here’s my make-and-take button: I tried to make it Easter-y.

There’s one more make-and-take at Expo I managed to squeeze in — but I’ll discuss in a future post.

I probably wouldn’t have bought the needle threader had I not used it at Judy’s table, or the doll tassel kit if I hadn’t seen it being worked on at Cindy’s make-and-take (in fact, I couldn’t get near to actually do it, so I decided to buy the kit and figure it out on my own). On the other hand, while I paid Barb for the button/pin that I made, I did not make another purchase from her. Not that I wouldn’t have loved to have done some wallet damage (her weaving looms are awesome!), but it was late in the day and my mind was on finishing up and getting back to the family for dinner. Naturally, I have Barb Originals as a bookmark, so I can always make a virtual shopping trip!

That brings me to my question for you: Do you find that make-and-takes at shows (or in the shop) are a good use of time and resources? Drop me a line either in the comments below or via email at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

I saw the sun today, and here in Northeast Ohio, that’s pretty inspiring.

Oh sure, I had to endure a heavy downpour as I drove the kids to the bus stop (I didn’t want them to have to stand out there like drenched rats), but around 10:30 the skies cleared and as I type this, it’s darn near springlike outside.

Enhancing my appreciation for Mother Nature today is my “virtual friend” Karen Stahlecker, who lives in Woodstock, IL, and is the proprietor of Will Oaks Studio. She sent me a link to her IndiePublic site that shows a pretty cool photo album, Winter Walk. It’s also on her blog (www.willoaksstudio.blogspot.com). She, too, admits she’s getting “a little itchy for spring” to arrive, and in the meantime was looking for a bit of inspiration. Karen makes some amazing jewelry pieces, and I can easily see how what caught her eye to photograph on her nature walk could translate into her future pieces.

As for me, the impact is fairly concrete. There is a Dimensions Gold Collection kit I have been working on since before we moved into our house — which, by the way, will be six years ago in April. (Refer back to my procrastination post if necessary; otherwise, my timing here should surprise exactly no one!) “Wreath of All Seasons” is literally at the point where all it needs is about 25% more outline, and perhaps a stray filled-in thread or two. The trouble was that I once, quite foolishly, stuffed a red folder into my needlework bag on a misty day not unlike today. The middle of the piece has just a tinge of pink splotches, and every time I look at it, I get upset. Here’s a photo:

I know, I know — I should have rolled the cloth over a paper towel tube, not folded the piece. But at the time, I had no inkling I would leave it alone for years on end.

My husband, who at one point has opined that perhaps he will just staple the pattern to the wall (I have refused to hang anything above the fireplace mantle but this, upon its completion), doesn’t see the splotches. He doesn’t see why I get upset. He does see a lot of work that has already been put into the piece, and believes that I should just muster one more push to see it through.

I’m starting to think he’s right. I think I can get it done within a week or so (trying to figure out where I left off takes concentration skills best put off until after the girls go to bed). I’ve extracted a promise from him to make getting it finished and framed professionally my birthday present.

When I brought the piece upstairs from the depths of my basement craft room, I started realizing just how far I’ve come, technique-wise, in the last five years. I see mistakes — some of which I fix, some that I don’t. It makes me feel good, actually, to know that I’ve evolved as a stitcher.

Nature isn’t perfect, and my pink-tinged masterpiece won’t be, either. But both are an inspiration.