It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Halloween...

It's August and if you know me you know this is the beginning of my favorite time of year...Halloween merch is beginning to hit the stores and I am one happy camper. 

That, and it's time to get samples done for the shop for fall and Halloween.

We got a few super cute panels in, and I've finally finished the quilting on both.  One is a 13 Days of Halloween "Advent" calendar, and the other is just a cute panel....it'll be obvious as to which is which...or should I say, witch is witch!  Haha! 

This one is the Thirteen Days of Halloween...not sure what the line is called offhand.  But I did my own quilting and embellishing here, and in the second picture you can see Mom creeping around and  photobombing my picture of the display. 

And this one...I call this one "Oogie Boogie" because the pumpkins and the writing reminded me of Oogie from Nightmare Before Christmas...no idea why!  But I added ghosts made from Angelina Fiber (very fun stuff to use) and did my own quilting here too. 

Batting, and Why Many Independent Shops Don't Sell It.

A few days ago, a customer was quite upset with me when I told her that typically, our quilt shop doesn't sell batting.  Visibly upset, she spat "What kind of quilt store doesn't sell batting?!  ALL good quilt stores carry batting!"  This is not the first time lately that a customer has left upset because we don't routinely stock batting.

We have been in business for four years, and we learned quickly that batting is not really an option for us in our area.  We don't carry it often, and when we do, it is a single size run (crib, twin, queen and king) of packaged batting.  Currently, all we have is a queen sized roll of black batting, and a bolt of fusible fleece.  After discussing this with the owner (also, my mother), we both thought it wise to address the batting issue on our Facebook, and on my blog.  This isn't meant to scold or to complain, rather, it is to help give insight as to why many quilt shops lack one very basic item on their shevles. 

So, why doesn't our shop, and many other independent quilt shops not stock batting in quantity, or by the yard?

First of all, there is a huge storage issue - full bolts of batting are huge and most local shops can't house them.

But there is one very, very big reason.  Most shops, ours included, cannot compete with this:

That's right.  Your local quilt store is getting out competed on batting by JoAnn's.  Or Hancock's.  Or whatever your big box fabric store is in your area. 

Here's the deal.  JoAnn's has a HUGE overhead.  With hundreds of locations around the country making thousands of dollars every single day, they can afford to discount their products in this way.  It brings people in to buy yardage in quantities they couldn't before, and on top of that, to buy higher priced items than they normally would, with the knowledge that the cost would be cut by 40%. 

Let's apply this to batting.  A kind sized package of batting runs anywhere for $40-$70 dollars, depending on the material (cotton vs. polyester vs. wool vs. soy, etc).  Now, with a 40% off coupon, that $40-$70 dollar pack of batting is now $24-$42.  That's quite the savings!

So, let's look at a local quilt shop, that has one location.  Their overhead is vastly different than that of JoAnn's.  They can't afford to chop the price of their merchandise that way, and maintain any kind of quality in their products at the same time.  They have to sell that batting for the suggested retail price of $40-$70.  People balk at the expense, and comment that they can get it more inexpensively at JoAnn's with their 40% coupon, or during whatever sale promotion that applies. 

We simply cannot compete with the sale pricing they offer, not to mention the word of mouth that our product is available more cheaply at JoAnn's with a coupon.  For the local quilt shop, their regularly priced batting sits and collects dust.  It becomes unsellable, all because of the big box store having the ability to discount the price.  We simply cannot compete with this, and many, many other local quilt shops are the same way.  If there is a JoAnn's or Hancock's nearby, expect their batting selection to be limited, if any at all.

As a matter of fact, I made a pit stop at JoAnn's on Saturday (the 24th) to check out their fall decor, and this is what I saw while walking in:

A batting promotion.  $26.99 for large packs of Warm and Natural, right outside the automatic doors. 

40% off cotton batting by the yard and by the pack, and 50% off polyester batting by the yard or by the pack, with a few bolts gone, and many packages missing.  As I walked past the cutting counter, a lady was getting several yards of  cotton batting cut.   

Unfortunately, this is a the nature of the beast when independent stores and bog box stores go head to head.  On some items, the discounted price point is so attractive that people make the financially logical choice and go for big box. 

Please understand that your local shops would LOVE to stock batting, but when there is a 40% discount versus suggested retail price, on this item 99% of people opt for the savings, not the local shop price, so batting isn't a sellable item for most local shops.

Have Bad News? Will Dive Into Quilt.

Ever have one of those days that starts out deceptively well, then takes a sharp nosedive?  Today was one of those days. 

I got the materials from Devan to send out the Bachelorette Party invites to everyone for Isabelle earlier today.  Later, as I'm getting ready to print, our printer fails and I can't troubleshoot my way out of it. Looks like tomorrow will hold a trip to Staples!

I got John's Star Trek quilt back from quilting....and it looks fantastic!  I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and I know he will be too.

I got the binding sewn on, but not stitched down.  I was going to try and finish it tonight since John was supposed to be coming home after 2 weeks out on the fireline tomorrow morning, since the fire was over 80% containment and they have very little to do.  Unfortunately, I heard from him about an hour ago to tell me lightning reignited the fire and another section was ablaze, which puts his ability to return home (even after his 2 week stint) in real jeopardy.  It is likely he will not be able to come home for his break, but instead spend it there and go for another 2 week trip.  It was really disheartening news...we miss each other very much and we both were excited to see each other again.  When your loved one is gone, you don't miss them less and less, so it was saddening to know that we may have to go a month total without seeing each other at all.

Finally, and the very worst of all, we found out a friend's son commit suicide.  It was shocking.  She is in our thoughts and prayers - The pain in her voice when she told us was heartbreaking on its own. Though I have lost friends to suicides, I cannot even begin to fathom the pain a mother feels when she is forced to outlive her child, especially to have lost her child in this manner.  My heart really goes out to her and her remaining son. 

I feel the need again to jump on my soapbox again.  Please...friends, family, acquaintances and strangers from here and all over the world...If you are struggling in your life and having suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help, not a handgun. There are people in your life who love you dearly, who want to see you thrive, and whose lives would have an irreplaceable void without you in it.  Suicide is a permanent and irreversible solution to a temporary or fixable problem.  If you need help, please go to http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call 1-800-273-8255.  You are loved. 

Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe that we are already having to get ready for fall, etc, in summer. It's 94 today...I'm certainly not thinking of crisp fall air!  But since I work in a quilt store...I had to start thinking about Christmas in July. 

But aside from Christmas and Halloween projects...Thanksgiving gets lost in the mix. For a holiday that begs for table decor and whose themes are good all season long, there are certainly a real lack of cute Thanksgiving patterns. But we found one and it is cute as hell. 

This pattern by Kimberbell Designs is definitely a Thankgiving themed pattern, and while there are turkeys, there isn't a cooked one in sight. No cornucopias, etc.  I think this fits well into any fall decor, and so it has a longevity that the few other Thanksgiving patterns don't.  I have to admit though, the only think I wasn't wild about were the color choices. Personally, my eye went right to the black int he quilt because of how much it contrasted with the lighter cream that was used, so I changed mine up a little. 

Please excuse my toes.  No one will ever accuse me of being a great photographer. 

Sunday - Not a Day of Rest!

Today was a really, really full day.  I intended to sleep in, but after a 6:30am call from John, before he went out to the fire line, I was really cat-nappy.  I kept waking up and at about 9:30 I gave up?  Sunday, a day of rest? Pssh.

I completely forgot the Silverton Art Fair was going this weekend, so I called Mom up and to see if she wanted to come with me.  She, Dad and I ended up going, and wow...Sorry guys, but this year was disappointing!  Usually it is such a great fair, but this year it seemed like there were fewer vendors, and among the vendors that were there, a lot of them had similar stuff...lots of metal garden decor that was similar, lots of jewelry that was similar, lots of similar style paintings...only one booth stood out, and she was a doll/jewelry make that had a lot of spooky themed stuff.  I wish she would have had a business card available!

But once we got back, I got to binding a few samples that I needed to finish for the shop.  I got the Thanksgiving quilt done, and I'm just about finished binding the Halloween panel.  When I got home, I got the Generation Q quilt from my last post ready for quilting, as well as a Fall quilt and a Christmas quilt that have both been waiting to be finished in my backlog.  Looks like we'll have a change of the guard in the shop pretty soon...it may be August but it's time to get ready for Fall and the holidays....Already...Despite all the samples, I am NOT ready for the season to change yet! Wah.

I need to get pictures taken of the quilting-ready and 100% done quilts...I promised Isabelle I'd have them posted on Facebook tomorrow, so I have no excuse to not have them posted here.  Until tomorrow~!

Store Sample: Rain, Rain Go Away

Today when I walked outside, it felt just like home.  I may have been born in California, and I may have lived here for the past 8 years, but in between I lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Every now and then I get a ration of crap when I say I'm from there ("But you weren't BORN there, so you can't be FROM there!"...yeah, I've heard that a bunch), but to me where you're from isn't always where you were born, it's the place you loved the most and the one that realize you miss the most once you've gone.  For me, that's good ol' Spotsyltuckey County (Spotsylvania, but that's what we all called it).

But today, in Salem, it felt like home.  When I walked outside, it felt like I walked into a luke warm bowl of soup...It's ALWAYS humid in Virginia this time of year, but for Oregon...this is some regionally uncommon humidity!  When I listened to the weather, the guy said it was supposed to rain all around us, but not hit us.  Whelp, weather dude, you miscalculated because the sky opened up on my way home from Panera (that Greek Salad...).  It's no secret that from October to May here it rains, rains rains, and I hate it, hate it, hate it.  But this muggy rain I don't mind as much, so long as it goes away after a bit.

In a nice little coincidence in timing, yesterday I started a sample for the shop using some really adorable rain boot and umbrella fabric that people haven't quite fallen in love with yet.  Seriously, it's so cute...awful rainy weather doesn't need to be dreary on fabric!  Plus, the new Generation Q magazine came in, and there was a perfect pattern for it. 

Hi there, "perfect pattern for rainy fabric"

So today, I'm working on rainy day fabric and it's getting drippy outside to match. On a weird side note...most quilter I notice get inspired to get cracking on a project by listening to music or being outside, or by being around like minded people/other quilters.  Me?  Yeah, those things are great but uh, I get inspired to work by watching documentaries about nerdy/weird stuff.  What's on tap for today?

 Say hello to Albertosaurus.  He's Tyrannosaurus Rex's older brother and once someone gets moving on a time machine and a way to clone mini versions of things, my future pet. Yeah, some girls wanted ponies as a kid.  Not this girl...Also, he will eat your face.

Annnnnyhoo...it took me a while to lay out the color placement.  The pattern calls for scraps, but I used 4 prints and a background, so I had to be a little more choosy.

Cute.

So I'm moving right along, and there are supposed to be fused/appliqued circles in between the diamonds, but I got really wild and crazy and decided to hand applique mine.  I'm not a stellar hand applique-er, so I may regret this after circle one.  Someone save me from myself. 

The circles are a little pretty wobbly,

FIIIINE. Very wobbly.  And this was with a template too.  Yeah, yeah, I know..."stick to what you're good at."

...but I figure once it's up on the wall no one will be totally focused in on my misadventures in hand applique. and instead will be looking at how adorable the fabric and pattern is.  Because seriously....it's really cute. 

Now it's time to get back to work getting this sucker put together and appliqued...and time to watch my dinos face off...Jurassic Fight Club...love that show!

 

Trekkies Need Quilts Too

While I was out at Craft Warehouse just yutzing around, I found some Star Trek fabric, and I thought I'd buy some to stash away for John.  Now, I'm going to preface this by saying I am not a big Trekkie.  I haven't watched Star Trek habitually since I was 7, and other than that I've just seen the last couple movies that have come out. Anyway, this fabric I guess shows the Shatner era Enterprise flying through space. 

 Somewhere someone on that fabric is overacting.

I got only a yard of it, thinking maybe John would want a quick and easy pillowcase to surprise him when he got back from the Douglas Complex.  Because I get too stoked about it when I make stuff for people, I told him about the fabric I found and asked him what he wanted from it.  Of course, he didn't want a pillowcase, he wanted a full on quilt. 

Lucky for him and unfortunately for me, he is one of the very few people I cannot say "no" to.  So, a Star Trek quilt it is.

The problem was, I only got a single yard of  a very directional print.  Sure, in space there is no up and down really, but uh, I think he would notice if there were Enterprises flying upside down. So, I decided to not cut it up and use it as one would a panel.  I know John would want this to be at least a lap size quilt to use while he's manning it up playing Call of Duty, so I had to make it bigger...which also means I made it simple because math and I? No.

While I am not a huge Trekkie, I do understand the concept of the shirts.  I knew of three shirts - red (you die), blue (spock) and yellow (Kirk) from the original series, but I needed a fourth color.  Thank God my family is family full of nerd because Mom pointed out that Kirk had a green shirt too. I'd hate to upset the Trekkies by improvising with a color not in the show.

Pretty stylin' there, Captain...

So. Four sides to a quilt, 4 shirts...I can make that work.  So I decide to put 4 insignia blocks in the quilt, one on each side and one in each shirt color. I looked up the original insignia and make my own applique. Easy peasy.

It needed borders around the insignias, and John said he wanted space fabric, but nothing too campy.  (Nothing campy?  Isn't the original Star Trek pretty campy anyway? C'mooooon man!) I needed way more yardage than I thought so of course the perfect space fabric I had in my stash was short by half a yard.  Thank God there's no quilt police to arrest me for mixing cotton and flannel because that's exactly what I had to do.  I used a space print flannel that looked reasonably realistic and it turned out pretty nicely. 

Oooh. Ahhh.  (He better say)


It is simple but I know he'll like it.  It turned out a decent size too, about 70" x 70". All that is left to do now is pick a backing and get it quilted!

Workie Work, Busy Bee

It feels SO weird that it is August 1st, under 80 degrees and cloudy.  John is gone for the Douglas Complex Fire down near Roseburg, so I've had some time to get projects done.  I have a backlog of 6 samples I need to get done for the shop, pronto style.

And it feels extra weird that in August, all of the samples I have to complete are Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween. Well...Halloween always feels normal, but I am about to finish a Christmas quilt and I'm like..."does not compute...it's freakin' August..."

Pictures up soon, once I get them taken.

AND, for those at the Portland Modern Quilt Guild meeting in July, the pattern for the pink and green "Tripping Down the Rabbit Hole" quilt will be ready to order soon...update on that next week!