Checker Newsletter

I can’t believe I missed this one when looking for Block of the Months.  Luckily I may start a new one in April – after all, who said ALL block of the months have to start in January!  Buggy Barn designed it – and what a difference from their customary pieced projects.  All I can say is WOW!!!  The blocks are finished to 20″ so the pieces are a nice size, easy to turn, and are absolutely gorgeous!

Folk Art Blooms has a country feel because they mixed plaids with prints – and showcased them on a variety of black fabrics.  Breathtaking!!!!  And thanks to the folks at Henry Glass, these fabrics are readily available.  They have a great collection of Buggy Barn basics – along with other lines that will give your quilt the same feel as this one. Check out some of their fabrics on our website by following this link: http://www.checkerdist.com/products/fabrics/?page=1&f_d=31399&f_l=4183.

I love to applique so this is a dream project for me.  The only thing that makes me nervous is those gorgeous five pointed stars – they are the only shapes in this entire quilt that are not a piece of cake.  Solution:  Do those pieces in wool!  Perfect answer to a perfect quilt!  Felted wool washes beautifully, will add texture to this project, and doesn’t need to be turned.  It makes this quilt easy for everyone, is a great way to introduce your customers to wool and is a great way to teach buttonhole stitching.  Number 8 pearl cotton is the best way to hold the wool in place.

Minor changes in sashings and borders can turn this into a queen size quilt.  It is already 88″ square!  Why not start enjoying this one today!

Item #BUG613  Retail $24.00

And what is the best way to trim those large blocks? Use the 20 1/2″ Creative Grids square of course!  After all of that work, now is not the time for a mis-cut!  My version of measure twice/cut once is to draw around the square with a water soluble pen.  Then I measure from the outside edge of the applique to the line to verify that everything is centered – then cut!

Item #CGR20  Retail $49.99

I have been planning my 2010 quilt show schedule for months it seems, and now that the new year is upon us, I am revising my classes and choosing new products to put into my vendor booth. Naturally my attention is focused on Quilting Machines and the new products used with them. I have designed a line of quilting machine templates and I can’t wait to get to my first show and begin my demonstrations! These templates are a new product line for Creative Grids® called Sweet Set™, designed for use with quilting machines and just introduced at Quilt Market in the fall of 2009. But I digress . . . .

I am also excited about the coming quilt show season because I will be able to see what new products are on the market. It seems a shame that I can only learn about these at major quilt shows. I would love to have a local quilt shop carry the products I want and need for my machine quilting. Don’t you think your customers would appreciate being able to see the longarm quilting thread colors before they own 5,000 yards of each color? I bet they would appreciate looking at your stencils and knowing they were all continuous line designs! And, it would be great for them to look at the Sweet Set™ templates from Creative Grids®, and understand what makes them unique and valuable.

I have gotten used to buying products on the internet because that has been my only source. I don’t like it though, and I have made plenty of mistakes because I couldn’t examine a product before I bought it. And, I probably could return it, but the shipping cost, wasted time and hassle outweigh the benefit, so I don’t. I would love to have a place to go to buy my longarm quilting supplies, and I would travel hours to go there if there was a place to go! Especially if I read about a new product in a post on one of the internet discussion groups I belong to!

Think about all the new products that you saw at Quilt Market and how they are part of your product mix for 2010. Many products are crossovers – appealing to more than one customer segment. Do you have separate areas that display products together based on the customer interest? This may not work for all product categories, but it sure would work for sewing notions.

For instance, a simple crochet hook is used by people to knit, crochet, appliqué and machine quilt!

I use a tiny crochet hook to remove stray threads when they are caught in the batting and visible through the quilt top. The blunt end separates the fabric threads instead of tearing them, and the tiny hook can catch the stray thread, and extract it safely. I recently tried the Clover Soft Touch Thread Pic (4910CV) and I like that better. I wasn’t looking for a tool to remove threads, but I was told about it, and I tried it, and I like it! So, now I am telling people about it!

So what if you told your machine quilting customers about cool tools that will help them? Better yet, what if you had a separate area of your shop that displayed quilting machine products together? Best yet, Checker has a stand-alone display rack that could be used for this (MQD4RACKBLK), and it even comes with the sign “Machine Quilting Products” to draw the attention of your quilting customers. Fill it with products that they need – many of them you may already have in stock. By having them together on one rack you can see where there are voids, and you can fill them (with products from Checker of course!). And seriously think about sharing free additional information which educates your customers – what a value!

When you create a dedicated area for machine quilting products, tell everyone within a hundred mile radius! Send mailings to quilt guilds – did you know there are quilt guilds just for machine quilters? Put flyers on the information tables at local & regional quilt / craft / hobby / art shows. If you sell any type of quilting system, run pre-ownership classes and be sure to include a visit to the “Machine Quilting Product” area of your shop so they know you offer everything they need. Quilters love road trips, so don’t worry about distance. Offer lectures (instead of hands-on classes) on machine quilting techniques and encourage people to bring a friend, do lunch, and make it an ‘event’. Seriously, it would be worth a road trip! And, very few quilters can visit a shop without buying something. I bet you will be surprized at how many of your customers already own a quilting machine!

Let me know if you would like a copy of ‘My Favorite Products’ for quilting machine owners. Always “checking” for a better way to quilt!

Sewlong,

Pat Barry

The Great Lakes Show is a regional wholesale show that will be held in Maumee, Ohio on March 4, 2010.  This is one of several regional shows that are held around the country.  Regional shows offer several advantages for quilt shop owners.  Sales reps from several different companies set up shop in the same place so that you can have one stop shopping.  But, in the case of the Great Lakes Show, let’s make that “two stop shopping” – because, this time, the Checker warehouse is two blocks away!

That means that not only can you see all of the latest fabrics from the best designers in the world, you can also see the most diverse collection of notions, books and patterns in one place!  I will also be demonstrating and playing with a host of new notions – and you can play with them too!

Clover Oval Yo-Yo Maker #8709CV – Retail $8.75

Stop by and see this newest addition to the ever popular Yo-Yo family.

Clover Heart Shaped Pom-Pom Maker #3171C – Retail $11.95

See an actual sample so you can see the size and proportion of this new addition.  It might be just what you need for a children’s class.

Simplicity Bias Binding Ruler #8829420 – Retail $19.99

Check out how much bias binding you can make out of a half yard of fabric – a great demo tool.  Choose a fabric that coordinates with one of your kits – and “sell” the demo sample!

Rag Quilting Snips #00588 – Retail $14.95

These quilting snips are a bargain compared to the other brands – and the quality is great!

Dritz Grommets #44368DH – Retail $10.69

See how easy it is to incorporate these grommets into your latest project.  It is simpler than you think!

Creative Grids Strip and Double Strip Ruler

Look what happens when you combine 1 1/2″; 2 1/2″ and 4 1/2″ strips – and then cut them with these rulers.  Once I started playing, I made dozens of blocks with these combinations.  Come and see what happens when you “cut” outside of the block!

Snag Free Velcro #90666V – Retail $3.49

Feel the difference between this new addition to the velcro line – and our old favorites.

Wash Away Applique Paper #20122 – Retail $15.95

See if this alternative to freezer paper is for you!

So, how do you shop?  Stop by the warehouse first and look at any sale merchandise.  Many of these fabrics may be just the coordinates you need to blend with the focal fabric of a new line.  While they are checking out your order, stop by and play with the notions.  Check out the books and patterns while you are there so you can look for fabric lines that will complete a project that you already have in mind – instead of buying fabric that you don’t know what you are going to do with!

Then, go to the show with a game plan.  A little bit of prep work will make your day a success.  Stop by the warehouse on the way home to pick up or order anything else you need!  Placing more than one order is not a problem!!!  To register for this show, contact Janis Plomaritis at 1.800.537.1060 orjplomaritis@checkerdist.co. Registering isn’t required, but it gives us some idea of how many registers and sales reps to have available (and how many cookies to buy!)

To put these regional shows on your calendar, check out the events and shows tab on our website.

Check out these new products by Quilt Happy – they are the perfect counter display.  The 16 ounce travel mug has a steel interior to keep warm drinks warm and cold drinks cold!  It comes in four fashion colors – pink; lime; blue and purple.  Fill them with M&M’s or kisses for a perfect Valentine’s Day or Easter Gift for that secret sis or quilting friend.

Item #QH4506PI (pink)         Retail $15.00
Item #QH4506PU (purple)   Retail $15.00
Item #QH4506BL (blue)        Retail $15.00
Item #QH4506LI (lime)         Retail $15.00

These purse sized notebooks come in three colorful colors – red, orange and purple.  The translucent vinyl cover contains 100 unlined pages – perfect to sketch that latest quilt idea.  A matching pen is included!

Item #QH345-PU  (purple)  Retail $6.50
Item #QH345-RE (red)           Retail $6.50
Item #QH345-OR (orange)  Retail $6.50

My favorite of all of these products is the Sticky Note Organizer.  This packet should be in every purse, sewing basket, and sewing room – not just one will do!  It includes 3 sizes of sticky notes and five different colors of flags – the perfect way to make notes or mark your place in any book or pattern!  And, at just $3.99, they are an excellent gift to put in a birthday card – or any card!  Sometimes a little gift is all you need!

Item #QH326-BA  Retail $3.99

Many of you were introduced to Pat Durbin when she demonstrated her first book – Mosaic Picture Quilts – at the Checker Booth at Quilt Market.  Her creative – but logical – techniques made it possible for anyone (even me) to create works of art.

Item #B840T  Retail $24.95

Her latest book – Fabric + Paint + Thread = Fabulous – is simply that!  Fabulous!  In this book, she paints a simple backdrop on fabric.  Then she stitches different motifs on a stabilizer.  These motifs – trees, leaves, rocks, etc. – are then placed and stitched on the printed fabric “canvas”.

The threads add brush strokes and texture to the piece and give the finished piece a three dimensional effect.  But, just like in Mosaic Picture Quilts, Pat leads you step by step through the process (five projects are included) until you are comfortable enough to take off on your own!

Item #B1011T  Retail $22.99

Threads have become an essential part of any quilt.  This market has exploded in the last few years.  The days of having one display of 50 weight cotton in your shop are over.  The question is, which threads should you carry that will best meet the needs of your customers?

Do most of your customers do their own machine quilting?  Do they love machine embroidery because you sell sewing machines?  Do they love handwork and gravitate to embroidery patterns and redwork?  Are you educated enough about all of the different threads available to choose?

Liz Kettle and Deborah Bates have come to your rescue!  Their book “Threads the Basics & Beyond” due out the end of March- will quickly become your reference guide.  They show how to use all of the different threads and how they are showcased when incorporated into different embellishments.

If you are considering adding threads to your inventory, why not educate your customers at the same time?  They aren’t going to buy it unless they know how to use it – and the best service a quilt shop provides is education!

“My Quilting Service” does all of the work for you!  These dye-cut kits, made out of a rayon blend wool felt, include all of the pre-cut fabrics as well as the embroidery floss and needles.  Your customers just need to get comfortable, relax – and start stitching!

Item #MQS010 Buttoned Up Basket  Retail $21.00

This basket mat is the perfect backdrop for an Easter Basket.  Why not make it the centerpiece of your holiday table?  There are over 20 designs to choose from.  Why not display some cute, Spring designs – while we all have those winter blues!

Item #MQS030 Birdhouses  Retail $20.00

Item #MQS200  Watering Cans  $20.00

These kits cut out all of the tedious prep work.  They are great for any resort destination shops – perfect for those quilters who need a little handwork while away from home.  Since everything – including the needle is kitted – all they need is a pair of scissors!  What could be easier than that?

Velcro has been around for years.  The packages include two different strips – one of the strips is made of loops and the other strip is made of hooks.  When these two strips are flattened together, the “hooks” catch the loops to hold the strips in place.

But, now they have created a new product that combines the loops and hooks in the same strip!  Life just got easier for everyone!

See how the hooks are nestled just below the loops?  This design also stops the lint and thread from accumulating on these strips – simply brilliant!

Remember that this strip “sticks” to itself so you need twice as much as the width of the opening.  The velcro comes in white and black.  The 3/4″ wide strips are prepackaged in 36″ lengths – which create 18″ of usable product.

Item #90666V  Retail $3.49

Item #90667V  Retail $3.49

This product does not have that industrial strength holding power that some of their other tapes create – but for a quilter’s needs, this has plenty of hold – and will work beautifully in your next tote bag project!

Judy Niemeyer is the queen of paper-piecing and all of her quilts are heirloom quality masterpieces.  These foundation pieced marvels are time consuming – and frankly intimidating!  We all love them – but turning these awe inspiring quilts into reality is what a quilt shop is for!

Stepping Stones offers the perfect introduction into her techniques.  This quilt is paper-pieced with 2 1/2″ strips – and the blocks are made in a variety of colors.  That makes it the perfect choice for a beginning class AND block of the month.  Twelve rectangular blocks can be kitted out of an assortment of batiks so that your customers can learn the technique – but divide the work over a year.  The wide assortment of fabrics will keep them interested – and add to the anticipation each month.  And, the stitching is simple straight seams that create perfect, fine points for even beginners.

Item #JNQ72P  Retail $20.00

This quilt measures 60″ x 68″ and is a nice size throw.  But, additional foundation packages can be purchased to turn this lap throw into an 86″ x 87″ quilt (24 blocks) or a king size – 99″ x 107″ (36 blocks).  Offer these choices as alternatives in your block of the month program.  They will simply buy multiple kits if they want it to be larger.

Item #JNQ72E  Retail $11.oo

Once your customers have fallen in love with this technique, why not move on to some more complicated patterns and introduce curves?  Every quilter wants to make a Wedding Ring quilt – but the intricate piecing and curves are intimidating.  Judy has designed a tablerunner that would be a perfect wedding gift – and give your customers the opportunity to try the technique without commiting to a king size quilt!  This pattern will not be available until the end of February, but I wanted you to be aware of it so you can add it to your class schedule before wedding season is upon us!

Item #JNQ74P  Retail $18.00

Wouldn’t this be gorgeous on the bride’s table at the reception???  The bridal party could sign the rings for an instant family heirloom!  Additional foundation packs are available that include enough papers to make two additional table runners.

Item #JNQ74E  Retail $10.00

But, if you want to create a true family heirloom, why not consider making a tree skirt?  Just think – a tree skirt is only used a month a year, is the showcase of the holiday, and doesn’t get slept on.  It will last a lifetime!  And Judy’s tree skirts are spectacular!  Christmas Celebration is 60″ around and incorporates some flying geese units pieced in a circle.  These tree skirts are the perfect gift for even your non-quilt loving friends and family!  Batiks work up beautifully in these designs.  They are thinner than other fabrics and because of the dye process, do not fray like other fabrics.

Item #JNQ61P  Retail $25.00

If you prefer a more “artsy” look, consider this Twisted Star tree skirt that is 54″ wide.  It is dramatic and has a more whimsical feel.

Item #JNQ16P  Retail $12.00

The trick is to make these quilts doable – for ALL of your customers.  Personally, I love the finished result, but don’t like the paper-piecing process.  But, by breaking her designs down into monthly assignments, I could actually finish one of these projects!  And, in the case of the tree skirts, you may want to start those classes now!  After all, your customers will have to make one for every member of their family!  But why wait until Christmas?  Wouldn’t this be a great wedding gift for a special bride and groom?

Who knows…..your customers may even decide to make one for themselves!!!

This book is simply a good read!  Jelly Roll Quilts & More by Kimberly Einmo is a pleasant surprise.  After all, who would think someone could come up with ANYTHING new and creative with 2 1/2″ strips – let alone a baker’s dozen – but she does!  They are not only creative, they utilize the fabric to its full potential.  And, if you want to use your stash, there are cutting instructions for that too.

Item #AQS8146  Retail $26.95

This book is for everyone – but has added features that make it the perfect choice for beginners!  Kimberly offers a “Try This!” section that offers suggestions and design ideas so you can turn thirteen patterns into even more projects.  Let your creative juices flow.

Quilting is also social – and what could be more fun than cutting up your stash and making a quilt with friends.  After all, they could have just the strip you need…..  Kimberly has included party ideas and recipes – all you have to do is set the date.  But the best part of the book is the helpful hints that every quilter loves.  This “Hints from Heloise” feature – quilter’s style, makes this a must read for every quilter!

Consider teaching a series of classes from this book.  Choose your four favorites – and believe me, that will be hard to do – and offer a different quilt each quarter.  Many of these quilts can be made in 6 to 9 hours.  Offer a monthly two or three hour class so your customers actually have TIME to finish a quilt!  By the end of the year, they will have four quilts completed! This gives you an opportunity to teach a class from start to finish.  At a demo day, show them how to cut up their stash into the 2 1/2″ strips using the Creative Grids Stashbuster Ruler – or buy a pre-cut bundle.  Then, in the first class, teach them how to make the individual blocks.  In lesson two, share how to square up blocks, chain a quilt, and press it properly.  In lesson three, show how to add borders, sew a backing, prepare a quilt for machine or hand quilting, and make binding.  There are teaching opportunities on every page!

I read many blogs and newsletters written by shops all over the country.  This month, most of you have a sale on flannels.  And, why not!  Flannels are most popular in the winter, and if you don’t sell them soon, they will be sitting on your shelves until the first snow storm next fall.

But, it occurred to me that there may be a better way.  Instead of putting these fabrics on sale, why not teach classes that feature these fabrics?  Consider adding a rag quilt to your class schedule!  The inventory will be gone in no time!

A rag quilt is a quilt that is quilted as you go.  In it’s simplest form, squares of fabric are cut 2″ larger than a square of batting.  The batting is centered between two squares of fabric – placed wrong sides together.  Then, a simple straight stitch is sewn across these squares – usually in the shape of an “X” – to hold the layers together.

These squares are then sewn together with a 1″ seam.  This exposed seam is clipped approximately every 1/4″.  When the quilt is washed, these clipped seams fray and add interest to the quilt.

Because these quilts are quilted as you go, it is the perfect beginning project.  If you would like a quick mother/daughter class, why not do a 24″ floor pillow?  Cut 8″ squares so you can cut five squares across the width of the fabric. You will need 32 squares – 64 if you are making it reversible.  (1 3/4 Yards of two different fabrics).

This project does not even have to be bound.  The pillow front and back can be sewn together with a 1″ seam and then clipped so the pillow will have a ragged finish.

We have several books and patterns on our website that takes this simple concept to a whole new level – but the result is the same.  Instant gratification!

Item #HPC212 Retail $7.50

This quilt is reversible – which means all of the seams show on the same side.  The back is totally flat like a traditional quilt.  Notice that, again, there is no binding.  The outside edge is clipped.  All your customer needs to know is how to sew a straight seam!

Item #SB122 Retail $7.00

This quilt takes it one step further.  The blocks are strip pieced – and then sewn together with a seam that is then shagged.

These quilts – which are quilted as you go – are the perfect beginning quilt.  They are at their best when they are made out of woven flannels.  Since woven flannels look the same on both sides, the fabrics look great when they are washed to create the “raggy” look. And, it is a great way to use up scraps of batting that are laying around in your shop!  Just cut them down to 6″ squares and “kit” them for your customers!

There are at least three different scissors designed to clip these quilts.  They all have a spring in the handles to make it much easier to clip without the wear and tear on your hands!  My favorite – and the cheapest – is this pair by Tooltron.  They have a very comfortable rubber grip and easily cut through several layers of fabric.  You won’t find a better pair of scissors for twice the price!

Item #TT0588  Retail $14.95

If your shop sells the Go! machines, they make a die that “snips” the outside edges of these squares for you.  You simply run the fabric through the machine – and it cuts it into 8 1/2″ squares that are clipped around the outside edges.

Item #ACQ55013  Retail $49.99

You could even kit some simple quilts or pillows for a Mother/Daughter demo day.  This is the perfect way to get tweens into quilting!  And, what mother can resist a daughter’s enthusiasm???

If you sell embroidery machines, you could even embroider a design through the fabric and batting instead of quilting it.  What a great way to “quilt” it – and show off your machines!  Those flannels are gold!!!