Positive Yarn

It has been crazy in my household for a number of reasons in the past six weeks, but despite the sogginess, the sickness and the altogether busyness, I was able to squeeze in visits to two very different, but fun local events.

First, I attended the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, which took place in Cleveland March 24-26. The Expo has also already taken place in Atlanta, Chicago, Lakeland, FL, and Worcester, MA. This fall, it will take place in Chantilly, VA, Kansas City, MO, and Minneapolis.

So many wonderful things were on display, even outside of the booth area. There was the “If These Quilts Could Talk” exhibit from the Alliance for American Quilts. The Rust-Tex Collection was simply breathtaking, with its array of rust-dyed fabric creations. Although I encourage you to find this on display in person before it goes away in 2012, Rust-Tex does have the pieces pictured online here.

The “Thread Tails and Vapor Trails” display honors the centennial of Naval Aviation through 40 quilts. Again, winners are displayed online here, but check out tour dates to see them up close.

I was particularly enamored by “The Stuff Dreams are Made of” gallery, curated by the American Sewing Guild’s Janelle Archer. The gowns on display featured such intricate work, reflective of the fantasy worlds they were designed to represent. My favorites had to be the winter wedding dress and autumn bridesmaid gown. Oh, how I wish they allowed photography in the gallery area! If anyone knows where this collection is housed online, please let me know.

In the exhibit hall, I met some great people, including Kim Hansen of Fasturn, Medford, OR. To showcase the Fasturn Fabric Tube Turning System, Kim was teaching an easy make it-take it project to legions of willing expo attendees while her husband, co-owner Dan Tilton, ran the register a few feet away. The Celtic Knot Bracelet was fun to do, and a great way to give Kim a chance to talk about her product as we chose our materials and wove away. My bracelet turned out lovely, but I’d rather show you Kim’s earring, necklace and belt creations, all variations on the same basic weave:

Also having a great show was Lori Mulholland at Stitch A Book, which gives quilters an easy way to show off their skill on the cover of their day planner, cookbook, photo album or other binder-type cover. Mulholland’s site offers not only the patterns and tips for getting the ideal project, but the binders and fillers (calendars, for example) as well. She’s looking for commission-based representatives, by the way!

Last but not least, the patent-pending El-EGG-ant Hooks ergonomic crochet hook from Magique Enterprises not only caught my eye, but made a great birthday gift for my mother-in-law, who has rhumetoid arthritis. I also am forever indebted to the wonderful gentleman running the booth, who tracked me down to hand me back the checkbook I left there! Whoops!

A couple weeks later, I was able to attend the Hower House Victorian Artisan Fair in Akron, OH, with handcrafted items on display and for sale. I enjoyed chatting with Lisa M.M. Hand of Wind Horse Ventures, from Beaverton, OR, and admiring her array of antique and collectible items.

I purchased two lotion and lip balm sets from Little Clover (currently nestled in a couple Easter baskets for two young creative types who will definitely enjoy the bonus bath salts the owner tucked in with my purchase). I also purchased several hand-decoupaged Easter egg ornaments created by Hower House’s own gift shop manager, Liz Vernon.

But by far, my favorite part of the Hower House event was meeting Donna Cardwell in person. Donna is the author of Silk Art Embroidery: A Woman’s History of Ornament & Empowerment. I had her sign my copy as I took in the breathtaking display of pieces she had strewn artfully throughout the sitting room she was given as her “booth.” She told me she had recently finished a speaking tour in Oregon, and even though the book was published in 2008, there continues to be great interest in learning about this nearly lost art.

I hope these brief recaps spark an interest in a new product, technique or program for your business. And if it does, I want to know! Sound off below or shoot me an email at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

Journey with me, won’t you, into my email in-box? I subscribe to many small-business e-newsletters from all over the country, just to see what’s going on — and I’m intrigued by several of the initiatives I’m seeing this holiday season. What follows is just a sampling:

• One yarn shop has “Snowflake Surprise,” where once a week a snowflake ornament is hidden in the shop and the lucky winner receives 10% off his or her purchase. Even better, the shop sends its e-newsletter to customers with a photo of the smiling winner, along with a note about what he or she bought and an announcement of the next “hiding day” for the ornament. A needlepoint shop is having similar fun by hiding a little gnome for customers to find and win a prize.

• I thought it was a smart move for a needlepoint shop to offer a “Finishing 101″ course during this holiday season, so folks could turn completed projects into keepsake gifts. And even if the customer is like me and has barely anything finished, just learning (or “re-learning”) how to make an i-cord or tassel is useful for the gift-wrapping process we’re all rushing though these days.

• On Day Two of a wicked snowstorm that hit this week, a toy shop made sure its e-news readers were aware that “our lots are plowed and our sidewalks are shoveled!” In case you needed another reason to break free from house confinement, they offered a one-day-only deal: “Any 2 items of your choosing for a 25% discount, plus $10 to use on whatever you want!”

• A yarn and gift shop is putting a new twist on the Sock of the Month Club: It is hosting a contest every quarter, judging the participants’ socks to vie for a small prize from the shop. They plan to feature the sock in the shop, along with the pattern the winner used. And out-of-towners don’t have to be excluded — they can simply email a photo of their masterpiece for judging consideration.

• A bead shop has a “Giving Tree” covered with necklaces, bracelets and more — all priced for quick sale and easy stocking stuffers. They switch up the selection daily, so the regulars have something to check out often. For every item sold off the tree, the shop makes a donation to the American Cancer Society.

• A scrapbook shop recently celebrated its one-year anniversary with cake for its customers (and presumably soon-to-be customers, too). To keep with the holiday spirit, it also hosted a female soloist who sang Christmas carols while people shopped.

• An embroidery designer/retailer’s holiday program, “Stitch It Forward,” includes a $5 gift certificate with every purchase. The certificate is meant to be passed along to a newbie stitcher to introduce him or her to the stitching world, although the purchaser also benefits with a special coupon code for the next purchase.

Whether these cool ideas are turning into cold hard cash for these businesses remains to be seen (and if you recognize your business in one of the above, I’d love to hear about how it’s going!). Regardless, I applaud each of them for thinking outside the box for holiday sales.

I’m also always on the lookout for more: Please feel free to give me feedback on an unusual program that worked — or didn’t — by commenting below or emailing me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

It’s no April foolin’: Check out an article the Wall Street Journal just did regarding the way some male truck drivers decide to spend their down time quilting, knitting and doing other artistic pursuits here.

In the article, it’s noted that “Don Hummer Trucking Corp.  last year started a loosely organized ‘sewing club,’ and encourages drivers who are nimble with a needle to show off their handiwork at headquarters. ‘We want them to pass the time to make themselves happy, rather than get frustrated waiting,’ said Dena Boelter, Hummer’s human-resources manager, an avid sewer who calls the hobby a great stress reliever that can be done almost anywhere.”

I’m always heartened to see groups that traditionally would NOT be associated with needlework enjoying it immensely. In this case, the article points to more downtime between deliveries for many truckers because loads are lighter (more flatscreen TVs, for example, can be delivered in fewer shipments than their prior-generation counterparts). Instead of a few hours between their runs, the drivers might be staying put for a day or two. While some drivers may have had interest in needlework way before then, they now have more time to devote to their projects.

So what do you say? Is it time to reach out to companies like Hummer, or to an industry group like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers’ Association to offer a member discount at your shop if they show their commercial drivers licenses? Designers, is it time to create the “King of the Road” collection? Maybe they should know about your pattern of the month club, so they can have a goal to reach — and a project complete — by the end of the year.

I’d love to get your feedback regarding your ideas, and your experience with any long-haulin’ customers. Comment below or email me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

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.

The Medina Needlework Guild’s 28th annual Needle Art Show at the Brunswick Library is currently under way, and I think it’s going pretty well. Both my girls took first place in the junior category — although I must admit, they were the only entrants this year in the junior category. I won a third-place ribbon for my over-one pincushion rendition of a day lily, so I’m pretty psyched. Evidently, the round robin that a fellow EGA member entered won second place, and the judges decreed that all six of us who participated in a stripe of the final sampler will get a ribbon, too. Photos coming soon, I promise.

I had to get up early this morning to be a hostess with two other members, Jeanne and Jan. When I left the house, the rest of the family was sound asleep — even the cat. (The dog awoke to “walk me to the door,” but my hunch is that she, too, soon after drifted back to her natural state: zonked.) But Hubby and the girls came to the library right as my shift ended to take a look around, take in the fact that both girls are official blue-ribbon stitchers, and then take me to lunch.

Over Happy Meals, I asked my husband if it was OK for me to drive up I-71 to Cleveland to explore the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo going on at the IX Center. I think he was just glad I didn’t ask him to go with me! So once again I was on the road, ready to absorb the new trends and techniques going on in the sewing world.

The show did not disappoint. While I am woefully limited in my machine sewing skills, I found plenty of hand sewing-focused vendors to suit me. And the aisles hawking all that the Janomes, Berninas and Husqvarna Vikings, just to name a few, got me feeling pretty inspired, too.

Because classes were signed up for in advance, I didn’t get to check out any of the seminars. I did, however, get to see a stunning New Designer fashion show, as well as a display of 2008 Hoffman Challenge Dolls & Clothing, “From Knock-Out to Knock-Off: Gorgeous Gowns from the Silver Screen,” “5 x 4: Quilt Artists Meeting Their Challenges” and Robert Kaufman Quilt Quest 2008, among other fantastic sights. These displays travel to all the Sewing Expos around the U.S.: Atlanta and Tampa, FL have already taken place, but coming later this year are programs in Worcester, MA; Chantilly, VA; Kansas City, MO; Minneapolis and Chicago.

I also met some really wonderful people, such as Judy and Peggy at Shaffer’s Countryside Quilting, Sue and Honor at Sue’s Sparklers, Cindy and her team at Quilter’s Fancy, and Barb and Joe at Barb Originals.

More about my experiences at the expo, as well as photos of my make-and-takes, are coming later this weekend. Right now, though, I’m signing off from my computer to play with all the cool things I bought! (OK, photos coming of that, too!)

Easter is still three weeks away, so in the meantime I’m turning my attention to other events — namely, the Medina Needlework Guild Needle Art Show being held this weekend at the Brunswick Library. I’m helping check in entries on Thursday, and helping demonstrate (and keep an eye on “overly tactile” kids and adults) on Saturday and Sunday. I also need to figure out what on earth I’m going to enter myself, and whether I want it to be judged. I am in awe of our judges; I know Sandy Rodgers personally, and Carol Lynn Stratton and Carla Waggoner by reputation. I’ve also jokingly said that the five-year time limit on finished pieces is a bummer, as I’m so slow in finishing anything that it severely cuts down on what I’m able to enter. Still, I’ll figure something out.

How did you celebrate National Quilting Day, which was last Saturday? I went to the Medina Library to see my friend Kathleen Clark and her fellow quilt guild members sit and stitch. They were garnering some interest — and with some of their gorgeous quilts on display, how could they not?

But if you missed out on March 21, remember that according to the Craft & Hobby Association, March is National Craft Month — and if you haven’t already made your customers aware, you still have a week to do so. With household budgets ever tighter, show customers (and potential customers) that they can have family fun as well as a little keepsake of their bonding time. It’s much more meaningful than another movie ticket stub or fast-food meal receipt.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention baseball this time of year — and The National NeedleArts Association is once again spearheading the Stitch n’ Pitch program. There’s even a “Stitch n’ Pitch Day” on April 19 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, as well as the local-market events at MLB cities nationwide.

How are you getting in on the act of special events this spring? How are you working it into your marketing plans? Let us know by commenting below or emailing me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.