Ties that Bind
Volume One, Issue 2
Volume One, Issue 3
Volume One, Issue 4
Volume One, Issue 5
Volume One, Issue 6
Volume Two, Issue 1
Volume Two, Issue 2
Volume Two, Issue 3
Volume Two, Issue 4
Volume Three, Issue 1
Volume Three, Issue 2
Volume Three, Issue 3
Volume Three, Issue 4
Volume Three, Issue 5
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TIES THAT BIND
Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2002
I really should do these newsletters more often. Once I sit down and start typing, they are quite fun. Unlike so many I read, I make sure that every word has meaning. No mindless filler or drivel.
The November retreat with the women of Uncommon Threads was very nice. We were visited by many of our quilting friends, including Carolyn Holland who showed us an antique quilt made using a foundation piecing technique. The paper used was still in the quilt and was hand written insurance documents. Really neat.
What a great December we had. As many of you know, we had a sale at QuiltSmiths with almost everything in the store marked down. We also sent to all our preferred customers a letter good for a whopping 40% off one item. There are now lots of quilt tops about to get a back. Oh, here's a great story. Being a regional shop, we have regular customers in six states, TN, MS, AR, MO, KY, and AL. Quilters in different areas have different traits. Alabama quilters are very traditional, those from Missouri very colorful, and Tennessee quilters are frugal. The further east in our sales territory, the more frugal they are. This was proven the week of Christmas when a quilter from east of Memphis drove quite a long distance to use her 40% discount on a magazine. Now thatıs what I call thrifty! It's a good thing we donıt have to depend on that market for a living. Let me tell you, we would have to join guilds in Little Rock and St. Louis to entice members to shop with us. Market research is a beautiful thing, especially when, as we did, it's done before you start a business.
By the way, I've just finished reading "Jack, Straight From the Gut", by Jack Welch, immediate past CEO of General Electric. Wow, what a powerful book on business practices. I highly recommend it. His major points are the need to keep and reward great people, move out less than good people, and practice integrity above all else. When you are wrong, admit it, apologize and move on. When you are betrayed, take away their key. Good stuff! Iım tempted to mark it up with important sections highlighted, notes and comments in the margins, and send it up the chain of command at my "real" job. But the only outcome would be the loss of a good book.
We have decided to remove the Gammill from the shop and bring it home. Not to worry, we have a list of nice, capable and talented people eager to machine quilt your project. Those not nice, or incapable and untalented have been left off. HA!
In the space where the Gammill is now, we plan to fill with fabric. This will bring the shop capacity to well over 2,500 bolts. We will need this capacity soon as Rita has ordered well over 1,000 bolts of new fabric, which will be arriving soon. As each fabric group arrives, we plan to invite our best quilting friends in for a preview. We will give you more information on this later.
A quick note of thanks goes out to Dorothy, who helped Rita move, clean, dust, and vacuum behind and under everything in the shop over New Years weekend. We are only closed Thanksgiving and the Friday after Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. This three-day cleaning whirlwind was hard work for all involved, and was done on the only three-day stretch on our calendar when QuiltSmiths was closed. This coming year I plan to close the shop on these holidays and Ritaıs birthday in July. She will need the break. So plan ahead. Whining and irate pounding on the door will do no good--no one will be there.
New fabrics in the shop include new Moda Marbles, selections from Color Bridge by P&B, new batiks and hand dyed beauties from Hoffman, and more on the way from Princess Mirah, new Orientals from Kona Bay, and beautiful new basic colors by Kona Bay, San Marcos by Free Spirit, and new creams and whites. We have expanded our children's section and we think youıll love it-we're adding to it every day. As usual we are always adding to each color group so that you can find just what you need.
Our cool tool of the month is Creative Grids rulers. If you haven't tried these yet, you must pick up the 6" x 12" or the 6" x 24". They have built-in non-skid dots which you will love. These are only sold in independent quilt shops, so donıt look for these at the "H" places.
Don't forget to take a look at our class list. We have some great ones to choose from whether you are a beginner or an experienced quilter. Make a baby quilt if you are a beginner, or you might want to try the nine patch. If you prefer hand appliqué we have a four-bird wall hanging which is easy enough for a beginner, or if you need a challenge you might want to check out the Tussie Mussie 4-block wall hanging. Then if you just want to do something easy and fun, try the Yellow Brick Road. If you love that beautiful stained glass quilt hanging behind our sales counter, maybe thatıs the one for you. Whatever you decide, you'll be glad you did.
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