Almost Ready!

Well, it's getting down to the last minute rush before I head out for the beginning of Pieceful Designs Fall Tour!  I'm a big list maker...I get such satisfaction seeing those "to dos" crossed off.  Only thing this time around is that the "to dos" are adding on instead of getting checked off!  I go for weeks with trying to think up new ideas for patterns, booth display, etc. and then they all hit me when I'm in rush mode.  So, we'll just have to prioritize and see what shows up.  What you will see at the next shows is a bigger booth!  We've outgrown our 10 X 10 booth so we're moving up!  And the increase of space will fill very quickly with new patterns and kits.  Because of the new space I had to order more pipe and make new drapes...that couples up with fireproofing.  I learned yesterday NOT to fireproof on a windy day!  Not only did I get the drape covered but my clothes, hair, face, well you get the picture, covered as well.  The picture hardly shows the procedure, but suffice it to say it's a bit messy spraying and saturating fireproofing onto the fabric.
Today it's off to finishing new pattern samples and organizing boxes of kits...

Behind the Scenes

Here's a look one of the not so fun parts of this business...washing the booth floor squares on the back lawn.  I'm busy getting all of the supplies, booth props etc. cleaned and packed in preparation for the next 7 shows I have upcoming.  A "Fall" cleaning of sorts!

Looks Like Something New is Brewing

Here's a tease...the next new pattern in the works!  Just need to finalize a few things and finish up the sample.  I'm using Soft and Stable instead of batting and I can tell you that it's a dream to work with and might possibly be my newest "favorite thing".  Stay tuned!

My Labor Day Weekend was spent "laboring".  My daughter, Laura, came to help me put together kits, price items and wind bobbins to use in making our exclusive Just Bobbin Along Necklaces.  What an angel she is, although maybe not one that uses the best judgement sometimes!

Most of my friends tell me I should write a book about my experiences that I have both here and on the road.  Last year I logged 35,000 miles of travel to 20 different states.  I've experienced almost every natural disaster you an think of, have had some "interesting" confrontations on the road, and what I cherish the most...experiences so funny that if I told you you'd fall off your chairs laughing!  And then, there are the not so funny things that happen.  Of course, we never do anything in an easy normal manner...So started this weekend with my daughter helping me out.  She showed up at my door limping and with only one shoe on.  The shoeless foot had a big bandage wrapped around her big toe.  First thing she did was unwrap it and ask me if she should go see a doctor.  Now, I won't describe what the toe looked like in order to spare those of you who are faint at heart...just suffice it to say that I didn't hesitate to tell her YES!  So, we started our work day at Urgent Care.  Now, as I mentioned, we have the not so funny and the funny experiences.  This little story contains both.  Laura did quite a number on her toe, but it will heal.  How she did it is rather funny...Seems that she was camping with friends and brought her dog along.  It was dark and the dog kept running off so in order to keep track of her, Laura put a head lamp on the dog's head.  (Really Laura???  Have you heard of a thing called a leash?) Laura's plan kind of backfired.  When the dog moved her head the light shone this way and that and freaked her out so she went running and Laura went running after her...without a headlight on cause the dog was wearing it!  You can see where this is heading.  Laura tripped on a log and smashed her toe up and Gwen the dog came running to see what was wrong with her master.  The doctor said that this story made her day.
As for our day...we got a late start but I had a great helper for the rest of the day, Laura had a sore toe, Gwen won't be wearing a headlamp again and I have another story for my book. 

Here's a "Tip"

What a beautiful day today...and I'm inside sewing away!  And...as I'm sewing I thought, I wonder how many people know about this tip.  For years now I've been cleaning my iron by running it across a dryer sheet.  It does a great job removing anything gooey or gunky.

The majority of my applique patterns use the raw edge fusible machine applique technique.  My favorite fusible web to use is Steam a Seam Lite 2.  Unfortunately one of the downfalls of this product is that it causes built up of the fusible on the sewing machine needle.  One day as I was sewing along, I thought, "Hmmm I wonder if dryer sheets clean off my iron, if they'd be good for cleaning off my needles."  So, I gave it a try.  I simply wrapped the dryer sheet around the needle and ran it up and down a few times.  Not only did it easily remove all of the sticky residue, but it put a little coating on the needle that appears to prevent the sticky build up from accumulating as quickly as it usually does.

So there you have it...now off to more sewing.  Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone!

Just When I Get to Know You It's Time For You to Leave

In my last blog I brought up the subject of out of print fabrics.  Seems that I frequently fall in love with a fabric at the end of its print life.  Before I started designing quilting patterns I had no idea how fast fabric patterns were turned around.
Now, this isn't true for all fabric manufacturers, but the majority follow this scenario:  Fabric is introduced in the spring and fall and is available for 6 months to a year.  That isn't to say that when it's introduced it's available.  I've ordered fabric in January that wasn't actually printed and available until July.  It takes a lot of planning ahead.  First you have to figure how much of each fabric pattern you need for the kits you plan to make and then you have to guess on how popular the kits are going to be to determine how much fabric  you'll need overall.  Sometimes I get the bare minimum I need and once I find that I've hit on something popular I'll go back to the manufacturer and see how long it's available or buy up all they have.  Some manufacturers will keep printing the fabric pattern as long as it's popular, while others will print a set amount and when it's gone it's gone.  Some will do a reprint for you if you order ...get this...800 to 3000 yards of it....gulp!
If I can no longer purchase fabric that is exactly the same as my pattern samples I try to find something similar, hence the disclaimer on the backs of the kits that states "Fabric may vary from pattern photo or sample".  I had one woman ask me why I didn't just make a new sample.  Well, as you can imagine, I would be making new samples every 6 months or so and that's not cost effective material or time wise.
Sometimes I get sooo frustrated because I'll create a new pattern, find THE perfect fabric and then discover that the manufacturer has 10 yards of it left ...total.  So back to the search.  But the search is the fun part!  It takes me all over the internet and to parts of the country I haven't been to.  Sometimes I start out looking for fabric and end up finding another nice surprise....guess I have my topic for my next blog!

Ready, Set, "Kitting" Ready to Go!

You know how you have those days that you wake up , you blink and before you know it its time to go to bed and it seems like you've accomplished nothing?  That seems to be a common occurrence these days...EXCEPT...from the boxes (and I mean BOXES) piling up in my storage area I know I've accomplished something.  Kit making!

As quilters we all seem to love kits.  You can usually see the finished sample before you give it a try yourself and you save LOTS of time by not having to pick out all the fabric and supplies yourself.  I love to buy kits (and sometimes I actually make them...other times I leave them to "age").  As a kit maker, I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into putting them together.  Some folks charge a kit fee to compensate for the time it takes to put them together.  Here at Pieceful Designs we don't...what you pay is what you'd pay if you were to go out and purchase the materials on your own.  And...sometimes I get a good deal on something and I pass it along to you so the kit price is is actually less than what you could purchase materials for.
Putting together kits, although time consuming, is fun.  The kit actually starts with making a pattern sample and tweaking fabrics and colors.  That means a trip to the "Candy Store" ie: fabric wholesaler, or hours searching on the computer to find the perfect fabrics.  I have wonderful luck choosing just the right fabric only to find out that it has just been discontinued...which brings up a whole new topic to be discussed in another blog!  If the kit requires notions I like to include those so that quilters who don't have access to fabric or quilt shops have everything they need right in one package.  That means more searching for goods.  Once everything is set and purchased the cutting begins!  I usually cut all the kits myself although I have enlisted help these days.  Deciding what fabric goes where in the kit packet takes a little time but once I determine a pattern we're off and running.  I have several people that help me put together and package the kits...otherwise I'd have yards of fabric draped all over everywhere for weeks.  After everything is in packages they get labelled and boxed.  It's actually quite a process.  This week my helper and I made MANY kits...some of which took 1/2 hr each to make.

You may ask, why don't I build a kit charge into the price?  Well, many people will come into my booth and ask if I have a show special or a discount if they buy multiple patterns.  By not charging a kit fee I feel like I'm passing along a "special" to all of you, provide you with a product that is complete and affordable.

So, now you have the inside scoop on kits...and on the Home Page of Pieceful Designs I said there may be an incentive for reading the Blog...check out the "Where I'll Be" area of the website, come to one of our upcoming shows, visit us at our booth and with your purchase if you mention that you read the "Kit Blog" you get a free fat quarter on me!
Off to more kitting.......