Tag: quarantine

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Q&A with Gudrun Erla of GE Quilt Designs

Want to know how other industry professionals responded to the chaos of a global pandemic? American Quilt Retailer picked the brain of Gudrun Erla of GE Quilt Designs to learn how she was able to transition from a hectic travel schedule to creating a community online.

Quarantine Quilt Along

Thanks to a well established email newsletter list, and already hosting two Facebook live shows a week, Erla had the foundations laid pre-quarantine to share information fast.

In late March of this year, Erla hosted her first Quarantine Quilt Along (QQAL). The event included a new quilt pattern she designed titled “Elvira.” The event was free, and included a quarantine playlist on Spotify for participants to listen to while they quilted.

The response was incredible, with over 16,000 quilters from 37 countries participating. From that initial QQAL, Erla has seen her mailing list, Facebook group, and online sales explode. GE Quilt Designs is still hosting QQAL’s, with proceeds from the pattern going to charity.

How Erla Creates Community

With the cancellation of quilt markets, Erla has been inviting guests onto her QQAL’s. Consumers love being able to still hear from representatives and designers.

Above all, Erla also remains true to herself, sharing what’s important to her and letting her personality shine. Erla’s significant other is African American and grew up in South Minneapolis, blocks away from where George Floyd was killed. On her first Facebook live after the murder, Erla urged viewers to stand up for what is right. The response from the quilt community was amazing, confirming what we already know—being candid always pays off.

To read the full interview, check out “Connecting Through Quarantine,” by Millie Kehrli published in the October 2020 issue of American Quilt Retailer.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.

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COVID-19 Check-In

COVID-19

Much of the nation has been quarantining for a month now, and the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation we (and the world) are in is fully realized.

The uncomfortable part of quarantining is likely over. We’ve become used to leaving the home for only the essentials, we’ve fallen into a new schedule. But this doesn’t mean that the way we feel during this crisis is any different.

Things have been hard, and nobody is enjoying themselves. A survey on a friend’s Instagram story proved this to be true with 80 percent of respondees saying they are not enjoying this strange time.

Sitting and thinking about friends in nursing homes, essential workers, people who have lost their jobs, and vulnerable family members is enough for the spiral of anxiety to begin again. We are being confronted with a sense of powerlessness every day, and with every new piece of information.

What can I do?

And yet it’s thinking of these people that make me realize how good I have it. It inspires me to turn the feeling of powerlessness into action. Send a card (or two), continue sewing face masks, donate to local charities and businesses, reach out to loved ones to see how you can help.

What if it’s not safe for you to leave your home? Bake cookies, write a letter, put a sign of encouragement in your window, or call a friend instead. Because at the end of the day, all we have is each other and a new day will come soon.

What has helped you the most during the COVID-19 quarantine? Leave comments below with what you’ve been watching, listening to, or doing.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.

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Self Quarantine

Quarantine

Times are strange right now aren’t they? The low hum of menace is everywhere, anxiety is plaguing our minds during this quarantine as much as the coronavirus is infecting the globe.

Misinformation is rampant and nobody knows what to do, how to feel. All we know is every time we leave the house we are either threats to somebody, or at risk of developing a serious illness.

You don’t need someone else telling you what you already know; to stay home and not to leave unless it’s absolutely necessary.

But with the nation self-quarantining, we all finally have something we’ve constantly been asking for: time.

And with this added time, it’s easy to reflect on the past few days. What could I have done different? Why didn’t I take this more seriously sooner? While reflecting on the past, it’s easy to transition to thinking about the future. What will happen to my business? What will happen to this nation?

Some things we do know; America (and the world for that matter) won’t be the same. Nobody alive has ever been through a pandemic, so there’s simply no way to tell how this will coalesce. But one thing I’m trying to do is live in the moment. This proves to be much easier said than done (any one else having adult acne for the first time?).

But when will the next time come around that I get to watch a movie every day for a week? Or do something that I love but haven’t been able to do for years, like paint?

We’re all struggling with how to articulate what we’re going through, and in that camaraderie I hope we can find the courage, and solace, to make the best decisions for our society in the coming weeks.

Godspeed American Quilt Retailer Community. In solidarity, we can curb the spread of the coronavirus together.

If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.