October 18, 2011

Coming soon to a mailbox near you!

As we speak, Issue 102 is on the way to the Post Office, and in no time it will be on its way to you! This issue is full of exciting news of changes to come with American Quilt Retailer, new ideas and information you need to keep in mind as you shop Quilt Market. In fact, we even have a column on “how” to shop Quilt Market!

Dawn and Patrick Farrier, owners of The Creation Station in Buellton, Calif., in front of their original design "League Night."

Our business profile is on Dawn and Patrick Farrier, owners of The Creation Station. Their shop is aptly named as this husband/wife team have set up a business model that is not only “creative,” but it works for them and their customers. I think sometimes we get very caught up in what we perceive our customers want (or are demanding), forgetting that our businesses have to work for us and fit our needs as well. It’s maintaining a balance between the two. Dawn and Patrick have done this, and as I usually do, I find their business story really interesting.

Valori Wells in her Spring Quilt Market booth in Salt Lake City

Then in addition to all our other columns which you must read, we have an interesting piece detailing what it takes for our designers to get from “idea” to “market.” Valori Wells, FreeSpirit designer, shown above in her finished booth, actually auditioned her set-up in her garage and held a cocktail party for friends to get feedback. It’s an enlightening “behind the scenes” piece.

This is a busy time for everyone in the industry! American Quilt Retailer will be in booth 325 at Fall International Quilt Market and we are hosting three Schoolhouses. See you there! — Susan

September 27, 2011

There's still a room with a view for you!

The 2012 French General/American Quilt Retailer “Hand Made in France” Getaway June 23 to June 30 is half-full! However, there is still a room with a view for you!

Some of you have written with good questions and I’ve tried to answer them as best I could. This morning I realized I had not explained one of my favorite things about this trip.

Sometimes you travel to visit family or friends. Sometimes you travel to get away and rest. Some times you travel to learn something new and see some of those “1,000 places to see before you die” tourist sites. (I’ve been on these sort of trips and they are good, but can be stressful and exhausting!)

During each of the weeks I’ve spent at Chateau Dumas with French General, I’ve traveled to meet new friends, get away and learn something new. But, to me one of the best aspects of this trip is that we were not seeing any of those 1,000 places you should see before you die. During the week we were nowhere near other tourists. In fact in one small hamlet, word got out there were 20 or so American women sitting in the cafe (the only cafe in town) and one ex-patriot and one American summer-only resident of France came to greet us and hear news from across the pond, back in the states.

Actually, we weren’t in any places that were even crowded. This past year we saw a couple of banks (although, no fear, Kaari knows where all the ATM machines are) and maybe a gas station. Nothing was particularily modern except all the people were real today, living in such a simple, seemingly old-fashioned way.

We live one block off the freeway, three miles from a huge sprawling mall, 30 to 40 chain restaurants and what seems like hundreds of car dealerships. If we didn’t have our own little one-and-a-third-acre hamlet with 100 oak trees, I’d say “yuck” to most of my area. I can’t move to southern France — really I wouldn’t want to — but I sure do still enjoy getting lost in my photographs and the memories of each trip. That’s the sign of a good vacation!

It was facinating to see this brief view and experience how these people live in the French countryside. Life at Chateau Dumas was slow and peaceful. We had no set agenda of “must see and do.” Once we were picked up from the airport, I felt taken care of. All I had to do was come to breakfast when I smelled the croissants and the church bells started to ring. I tried to meet at the appointed time and place eager to find out about our next outting. I learned to have total faith, that whatever we were doing was going to be fun and I was never disappointed.

If you have any questions for me be sure to e-mail sfuquay@americanquiltretailer — and sign up soon! Go to French General and check out Week Two. — Susan

September 16, 2011

Want to come to France? We're going again in 2012!

Do these ladies look relaxed and like they have had a week of great fun?

Once again Kaari Meng of French General and I are coordinating a week in southern France at Chateau Dumas June 23 to June 30, 2012. And . . . you are all invited to join us on this special “Hand Made in France” week!

This past July our group of women enjoyed a blissful week of good food, amazing scenery, antiquing, relaxing, crafting and friendship — all while settled in at the lovely Chateau Dumas in the small hamlet of Auty, France, north of Toulouse. This recent trip, also coordinated by French General and American Quilt Retailer, was extra special because everyone was in, or had been in, the quilting industry. We had similar interests and some common ground, and we’d love to enjoy the experience with you in June 2012.

You can read about and see photos of the guests, the faces, the food and the surroundings on links to my summer 2011 blog posts. Then be sure to read Kaari Meng’s June and July 2011 blog posts and Molly Meng’s June and July 2011 blog posts from their weeks at Chateau Dumas. (Molly is Kaari’s sister.)

Do I have your interest yet?

Here’s a list of the activities we did this past year on the French General/American Quilt Retailer week:

• visited a small regional farmer’s market with our chef as a guide

• we made, and were able to bring home, French mustard and authentic fois gras

• enjoyed a wine, cheese and bread “pairing” with Laurent, a local somalier

• had fun “digging” in a closed hat factory, bargaining for and buying vintage ribbons and trims

• visited brocantes (antique shops) and vide greniers (translated as “out of the attic” flea markets)

• enjoyed a picnic as the French do (with fine accoutrements) along the river in Cahors and in Montpezat

• visited an artisanal market, especially enjoyed meeting the “lavender lady”

• dyed fabrics (and anything else we could get our hands on) a luscious shade of French blue  with the magical “woad” plant (notice a color theme going on in the photo above)

• enjoyed a traditional English “high tea” prepared by Mama Jo, Lizzie’s (the owner of Chateau Dumas) mother

• many of us were turned into “boneless chickens” after a massage from expert Sonia

• walked six kilometers through fields of wheat and sunflowers — I now know what drove Vincent to paint!

• visited one of only 12 remaining French tapestry weavers and a church housing a 13th century tapestry

• visited an Angora goat farm and tasted fresh goat’s milk

• and we crafted — crocheting, jewelry-making, block printing, felting!

• and we laughed and laughed, and even had time in there to relax and enjoy the surroundings!

Now, do I have your interest?

You can also go to my “Missing Pieces” blog posts from my 2010 French General trip to Chateau Dumas. Click on posts from “July” and “August”  2010.

How about now?

The activities will vary slightly next year as Kaari and I work out the details, but trust me — you’ll have a good time! One guest this year said the experience was 5,000 times better than she expected!

French General is actually hosting two weeks; Make note that “Hand Made in France with American Quilt Retailer” is the second week, June 23 to June 30. Charlotte Lyons is the visiting artist for the week and will lead many of the workshops. Click here to learn more specifics and sign up! Don’t wait too long — as space is limited in these old chateaus!

Can’t wait to see who’s going to come — as I mentioned in a previous post, the people you are with on vacation can make the week very special as much as anything! — Susan

August 12, 2011

Wow!

Wow! What great responses for my question “How is it working for you?” This was exactly the type of information and feedback I was looking for! I hope everyone now takes the time to read back over all the responses and American Quilt Retailer will compile a summary report for you soon.

The winner of our random number drawing for posting a comment is: Merrie Miller of Catty Wampus Fabric Co. in Caro, Michigan. Catty Wampus is a new shop and we extend good wishes for a healthy business. Merrie will receive four fat quarter bundles donated by Moda Fabrics.

Thank you to everyone who posted a comment and thanks to Moda Fabric for donating our prizes!

We’ll be asking more questions like this in the future. The feedback and ideas in your responses are invaluable for all of us!

Happy Friday! — Susan

August 3, 2011

How is it working for you?

In the past few years the quilting industry has been looking for ways to expand our business and it is happening. Sewing is catching on with an entirely new generation. One of the blogs I like to follow is called Do you mind if I knit? This talented young woman in the UK recently wrote a post called “Apparently sewing clothes is the new knitting.”

Yesterday this article, “Sewing is back”, appeared in the The Washington Post.

BurdaStyle.com is the largest DIY fashion and sewing community with more than 500,000 registered members.

Many of the designers in our industry are now designing clothing patterns and industry publishers are addressing this new market of sewers as well.

These are just a few examples.

I find these changes exciting, and I have talked about new directions in each issue of American Quilt Retailer.

However, if you are a shop owner, I’d like to know if this is how it looks to you? Do you see your business moving in new directions? Are your customers sewing beyond quilting? Are you reworking your business plan and inventory to meet the new needs in the marketplace? How are you diversifying?

Or, are you happily staying a quilt fabric store? And if so, please tell us why.

I pick up on forward trends at market and in other media, but I am not actually out in the trenches, like you are.

So tell me, what do you see happening? Leave a comment, and we’ll select one to receive four fat quarter bundles from Moda which you can use for sample making.

Just curious — Susan