QuiltersDepot:QuiltMarketBlog

Wednesday May 19, 2010 7pm central time

Hi everyone! Mom and I have arrived safely. Tomorrow morning bright and early I start my first class at 9am! My first class is an open to buy so that I learn how to buy the correct way instead of telling them I want everything and not being able to pay for it......lol

Then at 10am School House starts. School house is a series of 15minute classes/demonstrations of new products and techniques. That basically will be our day since that ends at 6pm. I will try to update again and get pictures of new products and fabrics as I am able. If you see something make sure you email me owner@quiltersdepotpa.comcastbiz.net and I will then make sure I know what to get into the store.

Since we are an hour behind you all it might be around 8 or 9pm tomorrow night before the next update!

remember the one who has the most stash wins

Jenn

Thursday May 20, 2010 8pm central time

Egads! My feet hurt and so does my head! We went to so many school houses today I think by 1pm I was ready to admit defeat. However, here are some of the things i have found! First we think we are going to pass on some of the freebies to some lucky soul in June. Everything that we got two of or is something we won that we do not want. (there might be a few things we do want..hahahahaha). We will put these items in a basket. During the week of June 9th is it. Is that when you little fabric bunnies will be hopping around? We will add a raffle to that great week of surprise and sales of Market items. More about this to come but that's a hint.

Our first school house was sponsored by RGA Designs. They have a skillbuilder studio. This is a great way for machine quilters to learn how to quilt. They have a few different products. The first are a series of DVD's to teach you how to quilt. They also have baby size quilt tops that have the patterns you want to learn right on the fabric. Use a colorful background and thread and you not only learn how to quilt, but you will end up with a great piece of quilted material to use for other projects or a great wall hanging! These quilt tops can also be adapted to be used on the long arm! I had a picture but it's too big to post on the website.

Our Second (no i won't go through them all just the ones that I think you will find interesting. Atkinson Designs have zippers in 36 colors that at a price that you cannot even beat at that large chain with their coupon! They also have some great purse patterns that use the zipper.

At the Fons and Porter school house they showed us a few of the products that will be released this year. They have a new fussy cut ruler. On these you can use removable marker on to do marking. There is a new needle threader that has an LED light on it. It is very bright! They have a new pair of needle nose plyers that have a rubber tip end. Not only does this make it easier to pick up those threads that get stuck in the machine. It also is designed for a woman's hand. They have a new ergonomic handle stiletto. Every attendee got one of those. Do you know what that means this is one of the items in the market basket! They also had a 6" square up ruler, a thread cutter that looks like a half of a thimble that goes on your sewing machine, new Pattern paper that is heavy duty freezer paper, and finally some new care labels that you can put on the back of your creations.

We went to a Serendipity Studio schoolhouse. The creator showed off her new book. There are 20+ patterns in this new book to make skirts, dresses, shirts and jackets.! Pick your favorite Moda fabric and get sewing!

News from Andover! Olivia the Pig is back. She has a tv show. I did not know that, but then again I do not have any little kids. They also have a lot of great new baby prints and Spot the dog. Mom won a packet of fat quarters. Not sure if you get them or if we do.........lol You must remember we have a stash too........lol

We sat in on Karin Hellaby newest attic window schoolhouse. If you do not know Karin, she is the creator of the sew simple pineapple patterns. Well now she has made a sew simple attic window!

The next one I cannot wait to go buy the book and the pattern and start to make a sample for you all. Grizzly Gulch Galleries are crocheting rugs from scraps! Sew together those 1 to 2.5 inch scrap strips that you have. Use the P size crochet hook that is included in the pattern and MAKE RUGS!!!!!!!!! You do not even need to really know how to crochet because all it takes is a single crochet! This is a great way to use up those scraps that you have and make an awesome rug for the house!

In the final school house i will tell you about was a Piece in the hoop demonstration. The book she was showing has several great patterns that people can use. Includes a DVD! Guess who won it (nope not mom). IT WAS ME!!!!!!!!!!! So all you who have embroidery machines and who come to the club, we might have a couple good projects coming up at the end of the summer as soon as I can find time to sew them out!

Ok folks I think that is all for tonight. Tomorrow I have a business course at 8am. Not sure what mom is taking......lol Then the Market actually opens at 9:30! We also have night classes til 8pm tomorrow night so the blog will be done later probably around 10:30 your time.

Sorry about any capitilization/grammer mistakes tonight......lol

Jenn

Friday Night May 21, 2010. 8:30pm Central Time

Why does the coffee you drank at 5:30 to stay awake in your six pm class not kick in until 8pm when the class is over? Can anyone answer? lol

Our morning started for both Mom and I at 8:00 am with classes. My class was on inventory control. Ok I know BORING! However, I am still learning the game of being a quilt show owner so I guess I am entitled to boring. Mom's was a customer service class. I'm not going there.......hahahaha

Then at 9:30 the doors opened to this year's Market. We shopped til we dropped for lunch around 12:30. Mom bought some great new hand embroidery patterns. Our goal was to make it through the whole market once today so that we can go back tomorrow to the places we really want to buy things.

I will tell you two things. If you love Batiks you will love alot of the stuff we ordered today from one of our distributors and we added some new batiks from Island Batiks. The Island Batiks will not be in for a few months but they are the most beautiful ones I have seen!

We also are collecting a bunch of great items for the basket I told you about last night! A big thanks to all the vendors especially Checkers! This is the second year that they treat us so well! We have a second suitcase full of stuff.

Tonight both Mom and I took the same class on Marketing ideas! This is the class you all wanted us to take so we can come up with some neat ideas to bring you into the store......lol

Now we are back in the room, feet hurting and that caffeine I should not have drunk cursing through my veins. Oh and we are going through the vendors again figuring out where to go back to tomorrow after our class.

Until tomorrow night, remember the one with the most stash wins.

Jenn

Saturday night May 22, 2010. 8:30pm central time

Let's see what is new. It rained today. Just so you know the weathermen in MN are just as bad as Pgh because at 7am when we left the hotel room for class there was a slight chance of rain. At 11am I was standing in one of the distrubutor's stalls and felt like i was being dripped upon. My first thought was darn the pigeons are here too......lol Within minutes we heard thunder and it was raining INSIDE the convention center. Felt so bad for the distributor, the rain was hitting all their electronics and notions.

What did we order today? We ordered some fleece, some very very beautiful Blank Quilting fabric. It is sparkly ladies! I know how you all love the sparkly stuff. A lot of the notions that I told you about in the past couple of days are in my basket to be ordered from my supplier. I got Verna a new Nancy Zimmerman Florida Purse template ready to be ordered! We just need to get all the little supplies in so that we can have a class.

If any of you are interested in rug making. I found a second technique today to make rugs and purses and such out of those scraps. The crochet technique I'll start on when I get back to the store and get some strips going. The second technique I need to order the instructions on how to do. These are both techniques I think you are going to love and you do not have to spend all your time at the sewing machine. Mom found a new product she thinks you will love too and shhh watch your emails I think she has something special planned for you.

We had a class tonight on teaching the teacher. This leaves ones more class tomorrow morning. I did realize tonight I have not have had time to take pictures of anything, but you will just have to trust me on the fantastic stuff coming in!

Til tomorrow night

Jenn

Sunday Night, May 23, 2010 9:30 pm eastern time

We are home! Our last day was mostly travel. We had a great class this morning taught by Karen Montgomery of The Quilt Company. Alot of you know her and have visited her store. Now time to take what she taught us and make our store better and give you quilters what you want.

I gave Monday off! I'll be there all day doing paperwork and trying to get caught up and start to get things rolling on some of the new ideas that I have come up with while away.

I'll be there Tuesday too and Mom will be back also.

Finally, if you have read this blog faithfully or not so faithfully but read it you get a gift. Come in Monday May 24th or Tuesday May 25th 2010 when I am there and tell me you LOVED my blog (yes i need my ego stroked.....lol) and you will get 15% off of your purchases! Now this is only good those two days since that's when I'm working.

Stay tuned in the next few weeks, a lot of great things are coming! Those will be by email or snail mail! I'll leave this up for a few days before archiving it

Thanks for reading and remember the one with the most stash wins!

Jenn