I hope that you all are well.
We are getting by very well but most of the progress on get the work area set up has come to a bit of a stand still. Sure we are home and have the time, but we can’t get out to get supplies we need or bring in people to help move the heavy stuff. We also had planned to put some of the things in a garage sale or CraigsList, but that’s not off the table for the time being. Not being able to clear space makes it hard to rearrange the furniture into a useable configuration.
Part of that not being able to get out has impacted work on the Academy of Quilting review. There are a couple of items in my quilting toolbox that need replacing and working my way through the book was an excellent excuse for replacing those items. Not being able to run out and buy them has put a stop to that.
Oh sure – I could purchase with sidewalk pickup or have them mailed from Amazon or some other online merchant. However, you will find as you start quilting and collecting tools, that you have definite preferences and I have learned that I need to look at things before I buy them. Otherwise you chance getting buyer’s remorse and, worse, fill your work space with tools you never use.
Since what we really need today is some good news and happy thoughts I’m going to chat about one of my favorite quilting activities today. A couple weeks ago, on March 7th, The Sweetie and I went on a shop hop. What is a shop hop? A great way to find new things to inspire your creativity, talk to quilter’s and quilt shop owners, and support small local businesses. There is often a chance to win some great prizes and depending on the theme (there is nearly always a theme) a quilt to make. I’ve seen everything from a cheap/free block (the more shops you visit the more blocks you can collect and the bigger your quilt).
There are lots of options for participating in a shop hop. The number of shops will vary. The March hop we went on had 12 shops. It covered a large area of Kansas and driving time was over 8 hours. The hop ran for a week but we only ‘hopped’ on the first Saturday. All the shops were closed on Sunday or we would have gone half way (half the shops) on Saturday, and the other half on Sunday. I wish I had taken better pictures and made some notes so you all could join us on the trip. Next time!
We had a great time, admired a lot of great quilts, fondled a of beautiful quilts and even bought a few things. My favorite part of the trip was getting to go to the actual physical location of one of my favorite online shops – Fabric Essentials. I enjoy Block of the Month (BOM) quilts. Often these are run on a schedule controlled by the quilt shop. If you find it late, you’re out of luck. If you are already doing one, and can’t afford to pay for two, you are out of luck. These things really frustrated me in me early love affair with BOM programs. Not only did I get to see the shop where I spend so much of my online shopping time, I got to meet the owner and her staff, who have all been so amazing to deal with. Marsha (the owner) is just as wonderful in person as she seemed by email and phone. She also recognized my name when I checked in for the shop hop. I don’t really think that I am a VIP shopper extraordinaire (I don’t spend that much money) but I have been a regular customer for a few year. Even then, I was really surprised to be remembered.
Fabric Essentials offers a number of BOM programs but the best part of their service is you get to be in charge of starting dates and timing. At least until they sell out. I enjoy the customer service I have received so much that whenever I find a program I want to do I check to see if Fabric Essentials is offering it and get it from them if I can. Other than the great customer service, and the flexibility for starting the programs when it’s convenient for the quilter, Fabric Essentials also includes a bundle of extra fabric (in case of mistakes) but most important of all – BACKING. Before I got the long arm it wasn’t quite so pressing. I had plenty of time to source, choose and obtain backing fabric. But now that the ability to quilt the top is sitting there, just waiting for a quilt to grace it (and my quilting time is much short so things get done MUCH faster), having the backing is just one less thing I have to obtain before I can start and it’s already paid for.
I recommend anyone who quilts or wants to quilt to seek out and take advantage of shop hops (or any craft knitting shops also have hops). Shops have different personalities, they carry different types of fabric, different styles of patterns. Finding a shop that matches your personality is an excellent way to fuel your creativity. If you have a regular shop it’s great to get out and see what else is out there. You might just find your next great thing!
Speaking of BOM programs – One of the issues I’ve seen shops deal with is BOM participants who bail on the program. The store has invested in the fabric and patterns and they are out that money if the participant doesn’t pay. They customer has agreed to pay a number of payments, but I’m not sure how you enforce that if they don’t. I’ve participated in some programs that were unsatisfactory. Poor quality fabric, missing fabric in the packages for example. But so far (other than poor quality fabric) the shop made good and I received what I paid for.
This year I’m doing two projects (one with my mother, which has been great). One of the shops is now 3 shipments behind and has not responded to emails requesting information. They had already been late with a prior shipment. More specifically, the first month arrived on time, the second was late the third arrived on time and since then I’ve not received any communication from the shop. This does NOT bode well.
I realize that with the pandemic crisis things are difficult for people. But communication is key to success in most things, especially business. Also, the issue didn’t start with the pandemic. Luckily, for me, I received the complete pattern with the first shipment (sometimes the pattern is sent 1 part per month along with the fabric for that portion of the quilt, in which case I would be out of luck). Since I have the pattern I can search for the fabric at another shop and complete the quilt (taking the chance that the fabric dye lots won’t match) and I’m not out the money for shipments I haven’t received. How long to I wait before I write this one off and start looking for fabric to finish the quilt. Anybody have any advice or words of wisdom to share? I’d love to hear them.
I have no new quilting to show you this week but here is the first of the blocks for the BOM my mother and I are doing:
