Thursday, May 19, 2011

Market Summary - Post 1 - The highlights

Well, we are back from Market in Salt Lake City, and other than being really tired, we are doing well. Just about ready to get back to normal life...

So everyone wants to know all about market -- what were the "in" colors? What did we have to have/buy/check out? Who has the best new patterns? What was the "it" thing? And all I can really say is that it was pretty overwhelming.....There were literally hundreds of vendors, from notions to entire fabric lines, with everything in between. We didn't get out that much, and when I did get out of the booth it was usually stopping at the ladies room, or going to a meeting, or getting a snack, so I wasn't particularly handy with the camera....so bear with me, I'll try to get the highlights summed up for you.

The hit color by far was grey. Michael Miller had it paired with Orchid, Yellow, Turquoise, and at least 4 or 5 versions of pink. Moda has it in several lines, from Bunny Hill's "Puttin' on the Ritz" to "Ruby" from Camille and Bonnie, and new snuggles in grey that were delightful and oh-so-soft.

As for the "it" thing -- there is usually a gadget that is totally new and unexpected, but this year it wan't so much a gadget -- it was a fabric. A ruffle fabric to be exact. Made by the ruffle fabric girls, who were two booths from us in 643. There booth was never empty the whole show, I'm talking constant people in the booth, at all hours. During classes, over the lunch break slowdown, and at opening and closing every day, it was people deep. Seriously, madness in that booth, and for good reason. They had this gorgeous sheerish crepe-like ruffled fabric that was made with spandex and lycra, with 1" or 2" ruffles, in about 15 colors. The ruffles were soft and drapey, and attached to a base, so you could basically make anything with it. I could see so many different things made with it -- shirts, skirts, little girl dresses, pillows, curtains, etc. It was so very, very cute that we simply couldn't resist buying some to have fun with back at the ranch. Hopefully, I will post some of that fun in the days to come.

Speaking of crazy booths -- I had a new experience at sample spree. Last time I was at market, sample spree was already sold out, so I didn't get to experience the madness. Sample spree is essentially a chance for shop owners to check out the new products, and pick up samples before the item is available for wholesale. It happens the night before market opens from 8-10 pm. It was designed to be a chance to get some pre-cuts, or patterns that you could take home and work on the sample immediately (whereas generally you don't buy things at Market, you order them for future delivery). Needless to same, sample spree was hilarious. Moda had 8 booths, and they were selling Ruby, Ruby Flannel, Putting on the Ritz, some Kansas Troubles, the new Sandy Klopp Line (the name of which escapes me right now) and probably a dozen others that I never got to see. I think they might have had some of the new butterscotch line by Joanna Figueora -- but by the time I got there at 7:15 there was basically nothing left...a few flannels, but that was it. At 8:00 sharp they opened the doors to sample spree, and it was like a mad dash to the Hoffman and Moda booths. Seriously, these people had routes, and agendas, and they were taking names of anyone in their way. At 5 minutes after 8, it was 6-8 people deep at the Moda booths (which had at least 8 people to ring you up). Seriously folks it was madness, and had all of us laughing. And for the rest of the night we got to see the folks with the Orange and White "Utah" bags from Moda -- so -- here's a pic, notice that all you see is a sea of  people surrounding the booth.And that orange and white bag, I don't want to know how much fabric was in them, all I can say is they looked heavy.

Yeah, that was all you could see of the Moda booth, zilch, nada, nothing but a sea of people! Just glad we didn't have a brawl, that would have been ugly.


More on our booth at Market to follow.

Happy Quilting!
Cat

Friday, May 13, 2011

Quilt Market Day 1

So, we're here in Salt Lake City -- just got back to the hotel after the first day's festivities at Quilt Market.  I had never been here before, and the city is quite pretty and very picturesque, huge majestic mountains in the distance with a thriving downtown setting. We're staying about three blocks from the Salt Palace Convention Center, which is a perfect early morning walk. Really beautiful scenery, and great weather today made for a perfect morning!

The show is quite overwhelming really. I have been to market before (a couple of years ago), but never as a vendor. In addition, I know a lot more people now than I did then. And today I got the opportunity to meet several of them. Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms (and her mom Bonnie Olaveson from Cotton Way), Allison from Cluck.Cluck.Sew, and the effervescent Jim West, who was delightful (and hilarious). Overall, a great day and really nice to catch up with people that I "know" in cyber space -- ok, the people that I stalk in cyber-space is more accurate, but you know what I mean. I'll be showcasing a couple of these in the next few weeks as new projects and fabric lines come into the store.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow as soon as I get them downloaded from the camera, but for now, it is off to bed, in preparation for a busy Saturday at Market.

Toodles,

Sunday, May 1, 2011

May?? Really??? What happened to April?

So, I totally lost most of the month of April.....between shows and a crazy pre-market schedule, I somehow lost almost a month....26 days to be exact.

So, you saw that word, didn't you??? Market -- as in the quilter's/sewer's trade show, the mecca where all of the quilt shops go to decide what they are going to carry next year. Time to see the new fabric lines, the new patterns, and the new designers. How exciting is that? And even better...I am going as a vendor, not just a participant/buyer, but as a vendor. Totally psyched, totally freaked out, totally scared. So, there's about 10 days left before market starts, and then I have to be a big girl.

So, just what have I been up to? 3 shows, designing and testing 6 patterns in 3 sizes each (that's 18 quilts in case you are counting), sewing, quilting, binding, labeling, photographing, writing, re-photographing, wholesale sales order creations, planning, organizing, arranging and finally proofing final patterns, before they head off to the print house.

So, wish me luck and hold on tight, there are only 10 days left until the real work begins.....The bonus is, I promise to work more "normal" hours, where photography, lunch with friends and blog chats are a bit more regular.

Have fun everyone! See you in 11 days!