Checker Open House

First let me make it perfectly clear that the Checker Open House is a wholesale event, for shop owners ONLY.  The general public is NOT allowed to attend.  Checker is a wholesale supplier to independent shop owners, they never sell to chain stores, and they are located near Toledo, Ohio.  They also own the U.S. distribution for Creative Grids Rulers.  Don't write me and ask me how you can attend next year.  If you are a Checker Customer, you already know.

Other than International Quilt Market, I consider this Open House the most fun a shop owner can have while spending money.  Checker invites an assortment of vendors to this 2 day event, host lectures from industry icons (although they ask me to do one too) and open the warehouse for shopping. 

Shop owners generally look through swatch samples to order fabric and then wait weeks or months for the bolts to arrive.  This is a grab a cart and pick-up bolts shopping experience.  And pick-up bolts they do! 

In addition to fabric overload, the warehouse is ringed with vendors, including The Quilt Company, that are there to demonstrate their products, answer questions, provide class or project ideas, etc.  The shop owners can move from booth to booth and fill their heads and shopping carts with everything they need for the fall season.  The vendor line-up is impressive!

Alex Anderson was there with her books.

Swirly Girls sharred their newest patterns

Smith Street Designs - Always one of my favorites

This is Daniela Stout's booth from Cozy Cottage, we tease Daniela about being short, but I'm pretty sure if she was in the booth you should be able to see her over the table.......

Checker takes these wonderful photos of all of the events and provides us with a CD to take home.  Not ALL of the photos are wonderful.  For the last 4 years I hold the record for the most unflattering photos possible. 

Exhibit A.  This is last years photo.

Exhibit B. This years photo.  

I could go on, but why embarrass myself?  Normally sharring horrible photos of myself with the industry would upset me, but when you are part of the Checker team, they treat you like family, and you know how family can be. 

While I was there I also shot demo videos for my ruler..... did I mention that they have a display of the top selling rulers?  Well would you look at that! The Quick Trim Ruler is right there in the upper right hand corner!  If you don't have a Quick Trim Ruler, then you NEED one!  Not convinced?  Click this link to watch the current video.  VIDEO LINK  Click here to order your very own Quick Trim from our website ORDER RULER

This is Craig, he is in charge of making me look good on video.  I gave him strict orders to shave a few years off my age and make me sound intelligent.  As for the still photos.  I give up - I'm there to explain product, so I never shut up, which is why they usually catch me with my mouth open. 

Do you want to know what the silver lining in the whole situation is as far as I am concerned?  See those red pants that I am wearing during my lecture?  They are a size 8!  YEA!

Design Wall Wednesday, Again

Did you ever stop to wonder how many mistakes a designer makes before pulling together a project that is ready to share in the form of a pattern?  The answer is LOTS.

This photo is of the generous size table runner that I planned to make for my kitchen island.  I make lots of runners, but they are on the skimpy side for an island that can handle a 5 burner cook top and still have room for 4 extra large pizza boxes.  We hosted a ton of parties when our youngest was in high school and that island has seen a mountain of pizza.  Now that the kids are out of the house I decided that a generous size runner that could double as placemats for the 2 chairs that sit at that island was in order.

It seemed like the perfect project for the Triangle in a Square projects that I have been working on.  I decided that I would use batik scraps from Timeless Treasures - who wouldn't want to have breakfast on a batik runner?  I chopped up the scraps and arranged the triangles and half rectangles like this.

Then the sewing began.  I had another project to finish, and being the super efficient person that I am (no snickering), I decide that I would sew them both at the same time.  I used the table runner units as "thread bunnies", stitching one seam after I completed each row for the other project so that something was always under my needle.  That way I could finish the required project and have my table runner well underway when the required project was finished.

Probably not a good idea.

The table runner pieces are stitched into blocks, then those blocks are cut into strips and re-assembled.  The re-assembly process flips the block around.  I had to remember to swap the colors on each side so that they reversed themselves into the proper position and would be where I wanted them in the final assembly.  Confusing?  You bet'cha!  It could have been the riveting finale to Design Star that I was watching on my laptop that had me distracted, but whoa-baby were there mistakes!

The first 2 rows went together with minor mistakes. I caught those before slicing the blocks apart.  Row three was a disaster!  That is when I decided that having all of the rectangles the same color was a much better idea.  If I am totally confused by row three and I am writing the instructions, how can I expect those of you that buy the pattern to figure it out?  I do have to consider that you won't be distracted by Vern Yip falling in love with an ugly yurt and selecting the wrong person to have her own show on HGTV, but you could be subject to other distractions.  Seriously, we sew for fun and relaxation, not because we are studying to be brain surgeons - unless you are currently in med school.....

I did manage to "fix" the disjointed issue that I normally see in this Magic Lantern block and create a table runner that is sized to make a statement.  Once I didn't have to flip, reverse, rotate and stand on my head to get the fabrics in the right place it was a lot of fun too!

The Quilt Company is on vacation this week. We made the decision years ago to annually close the shop for the week closest to the beginning of August each year. Our regular customers are use to it. Out of town visitors plan around it. We tell everyone on our website, we publish it in our newsletter, we remind everyone in Email Updates, but there are always one or two people that are absolutely shocked when they find out we are closed. My apologies, but the truth is, we need the break.

So what does a quilt shop owner do with a whole week off? I SEW!

I couldn't show you my design wall last week because I was on double secret probation. I was working on a snowflake quilt for my favorite quilting magazine. The project will be featured in their winter issue. Naturally I will let you know as soon as it hits the newsstands later this fall. Meanwhile this is a sneak peek of the prototype flakes I was busy stitching all week. I used some beautiful paisley prints from Timeless Treasures for the quilt. The quilting was finished in record time by the wonderful Mary Thomas, binding has been applied and hand stitched. It goes in the mail tomorrow. Whew!

That doesn't mean that the design wall is empty! Having a whole week to get caught up on projects I planned to work on the log cabin blocks on the right. Then I got news from the Creative Grids team that after about 2 years of listening to me whine they are finally going to produce the rulers that I have been asking for! That means that the zillion ideas I have on paper to use those rulers can become quilts!

There is nothing like a new project to spur me into action! Those whopping big stars in the center of the design wall are made with half square rectangles. I use to dread half square rectangles, but like our shop tag line says, "It is all in having the right tools!" This new ruler isn't the first half square rectangle tool on the market, but I wanted a bigger one - a MUCH bigger one. I have a king size bed and making a quilt for it requires a thousand pieces, unless you can find a large block pattern that uses large pieces and still looks like you put some effort into it. I think this pattern hits the mark!

Further down the wall in the corner are a few Magic Lantern blocks that will use both new rulers. Once again, larger pieces means less work and better proportion on a large queen or king size bed. I am loving these "new" rulers even though they don't really exist yet (I'm playing with a prototype). Experimenting allows me the opportunity to work out the placement of lines on the ruler, see how they work with different fabric cuts and make sure we have included everything you will need so that you will love them too. Once I am finished experimenting they will go into production and be ready for fall Quilt Market. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the real thing!

Absolutely Nothing To Do With Quilting.

I've been running.

Not the kind of crazy busy "running" that we all do in our hectic lives, I'm talking about the kind of running that involves special shoes and sweat. I know, I know, for those of you that know me well, it's hard to believe that I drag my behind out of bed early in the morning to EXERCISE. My behind or more accurately the size of my behind is precisely what spurred me into action.

I realize that I'm not exactly a candidate for the Biggest Loser, but in my mind size is relative. I fondly remember being a size 6 and way before that a size 4. My wedding dress was a size 2. In the bottom drawer of my dresser are a stack of size 8 pants that I would like to be wearing. Hanging in my closet are my size 10's and if the truth be told, they were getting snug. Something had to be done.

Cutting out wine during the week, taking the candy off my desk and controlling my carbs helped. To make a real difference I knew that I would have to move more. My husband offered to run with me, amazing because he is athletic and I'm a rank beginner in the running world - and I mostly run downhill. We've also been down this path before. Read my entry from September 2009.http://www.karensayssew.blogspot.com/2009/09/run-run-as-fast-as-you-can.html

Naturally my renewed interest in the sport required new equipment. Shoes were not a problem. My husband had me invest in great running shoes in 2009 and they are still like new. After my experience with yoga pants, shopping for running shorts was an absolute requirement in my book! THAT is what this post is really about.

We have already covered the actual size of my behind, so could someone please explain to me why I wear a size LARGE in "active wear"? Really? A size LARGE? Is that some sick stick thin designers idea of a joke? Is that Nike/Reebok/Addis idea of encouraging you to exercise more? According to the internet the average American woman wears a size 14. Average is two sizes larger than I am right now and I wear a large? Are they assuming those woman will NEVER want athletic wear?

 

I think that we have all experienced "the more you pay the smaller your size" when dress shopping. Now that I've dropped a few pounds I'm a size 8 over $200 and I'm pretty sure I could be a 6 if I had reason and the means to shop Nordstrom's Special Occasion department. Perhaps that principle applies here? I'm not overjoyed at spending a bundle on something that I plan to only sweat in on a regular basis, but "cheap" shorts in Athletic wear are in the $24 range, they come in basic black like a model T and if you are lucky you get a pocket just large enough to hold your car key.

 

I prefer the tight body hugging shorts to the baggy gym shorts style. I have good reason for my preference, one that my husband doesn't understand, but those of you whom have thighs that rub together won't question. I'm looking at capri length or at the very least bike shorts because my thighs are not yet ready for a public appearance.  Which begs the question of why LARGE active wear is available in mini short length?  

Running everyday requires a whole wardrobe of LARGE shorts and that "LARGE" tag irritates me every time I shop for them.  To solve the problem I ordered a pair of shorts off the internet. Good price, free shipping. When they arrived the tags were in Spanish. I don't feel any better knowing that my butt is "Grande".

It Is Wednesday In My World

Here it is folks, the photo of my design wall.

You are looking at what could be the beginning of a great idea. I love working with triangles and I love working with stripes. These triangles were cut with the Creative Grids 60 degree equilateral triangle that we use for the Easy Striped Table Runner. You own one of those don't you?

I cut these triangles out a few months ago with the idea that with just one striped fabric and a bit of background you could design your own twists and turns and create your own unique quilt.  Fantastic idea! Then I started to think and then over think the instructions. I'm still playing with them.  The simple fact is, it's almost TO EASY to explain!

Grab some striped fabric and cut it into identical 8 1/2 inch strips. Grab your Creative Grids 60 degree triangle and slice those strips into triangles. (Don't you just LOVE Creative Grids?)  Play around with the arrangement until you are happy with it. Fill in the open areas with background fabric. Stitch the thing together. Done!

Oh yea, "quilt as desired", bind and Enjoy!

Easy?

Easy to do, yes. Easy to write instructions for, NO. The problem is that I have no control of the striped fabric that you will purchase. Therefore I have no idea how many identical 8 1/2 inch strips you will be able to cut. Four seems reasonable, but I could cut 5 from the fabric I used. Other stripes that I have tried will only cut 3, but then you could get one or two more from the leftover that didn't match.  Those would have to be used in areas that were unique to themselves and not intermixed with the others or they won't work. Then there is the issue of how much fabric to buy. Obviously it depends on how many strips you can cut. What if you cut the strips smaller, say 6"? Could you get more strips? How big would your quilt be then? The size depends totally on how you lay it out!  If I say 10 triangles across and your design looks better with 8 - use 8!

This could end up being the Nike quilt pattern that I am always threatening to publish. Photo on the front cover, inside the instructions will simply say:

"Just Do It"!

BERNINA University

It looks like I missed another Design Wall Wednesday!

This weeks excuse is that I was attending BERNINA University in Washington DC instead of sewing.  BU is the annual gathering of BERNINA Dealers from, ...well from everywhere!  It is intended as the U.S. convention, but my favorite Canadians are always there.  I also sat next to a New Zealand dealer in one class and chatted with several Europeans in other classes.  Naturally there are Swiss instructors and Techs in attendance so it is really an international event.

BU is where we learn about new products.  The newest machines are introduced (even though they won't ship for a few months) and we have the opportunity to "schmooze" with other dealers between classes.  Schmoozing is the best part in my opinion, but I can honestly say that you are also going to LOVE the new 7 series and all of it's state-of-the-art features when they arrive later this fall.

This year along with Brandon I took two employees, Jane and Honey.  This was their first time traveling with Brandon and I and I think they enjoyed the experience.  Even the parts that they didn't intend to experience. Like running 3 blocks in the pouring rain to get back to the hotel and eating with your knees higher than the table in a "zen" style restaurant.  They also laughed until their cheeks hurt and walked more miles than intended.  This is Honey being a good sport with Brandon in front of the White House.  What she didn't know is that we also intended to take in the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Mall before returning to the hotel!

 

Traveling with employees means that they too have cameras with them.  Jane posted this oh-so-flattering shot of me taking a funny photo of Brandon on her Facebook page.  Gee thanks Jane! 

It wasn't all fun and games.  There were plenty of classes to attend, important tech knowledge to absorb and new products to learn.  That's why I took Jane and Honey.  To expose them to the wonderful BERNINA product line.  To allow them to experience, hands-on the stellar features of the Swiss engineering behind the brand and to afford them the opportunity to meet the BERNINA team.  They were surrounded by the 5th generation owner of the company, the education department, the Swiss design team and top notch dealers from around the world.  It also allowed me to sign-up for some really inspiring classes.

Hey, someone had to attend...

BTW I didn't win a bottle of wine.  I guess that means I have to "study" harder!

I'm heading for BERNINA University in Washington D.C. very early tomorrow morning.  Brandon our Tech and Honey and Jane from the sales staff are going along for several days of classes, top notch education and training as well as the chance to rub elbows with the best BERNINA dealers in the country. 

We will also be there for the unveiling the newest additions to the BERNINA line and the seven hundred series.  If you want to be the first to see them - virtually, follow us on Facebook!  I will be posting about the goodies we find, the new techniques we learn and whatever else we find.  I might need your help deciding what to buy too!   Click here to find our Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Quilt-Company/142564535755634