Checker Newsletter

Checker participated in the Great Lakes Regional Show on Wednesday – just a few blocks from our warehouse.  When I had a shop, I didn’t fully understand the advantage of this regional show – and should have attended.  This show is just a few blocks from the Checker Warehouse, so meeting with your sales reps also means that you can stop at Checker and see ALL of the new books, patterns, and notions – and take advantage of one day sales.

As shop owners, we don’t give ourselves permission to LEAVE our shops – and the truth is, our customers can survive without us for one day!  And these shows and markets give us a chance to recharge our batteries – and get excited about our industry all over again!

Checker continued their focus on education at this show.  As a company, we realize that you can’t sell something unless you know how to use it – it’s that simple!  I got to choose 30 of the newest and best selling notions  – and actually open the packages so the shop owners could play with everything and learn how to use it.  After all, who is going to buy a $70 rotary cutter unless they actually see how it feels in their hand?

Item #1219707097 Retail $70.00

Let’s face it – Checker carries 80,000 items – and with so many new products being added daily, it is impossible to keep up with everything.  These shows give you an opportunity to catch anything that might have fallen through the cracks!

Then, I got to share some proto-types of Creative Grids rulers that won’t actually be released until Spring Market – and the new Creative Grids Cathedral Window template that began shipping in February.

Item #CGRCW Retail $18.00Talk about being on the cutting edge!  And, we opened and demonstrated items that were just added to the website this week – and didn’t even have pictures yet!  You can’t get any more cutting edge than that!

Item #SR6-8 Retail $50.00

Item #DMR Retail $25.00

THEN, we teamed up with several of our favorite manufacturers to provide kits and Make It/Take Its.  After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words – a sample is worth a thousand dollars!

Shop owners were given a pattern and all of the supplies – except the fabric – to make the Quiltsmart Cell Phone Bags.  We made samples so they could see the step by step process.  Quiltsmart also donated the patterns and interfacings for their new Market Bag.

Item #Q10030 Retail $14.95


Item #10334 Retail $14.95

Indygo Junction teamed up with Electric Quilt to provide samples and the downloads so we could give each shop owner the fabric to make Vintage Pin Cushions.

Item #IJ794 Retail $8.99
Item #P-fabric Retail $16.95

Aunt Martha provided towels and iron on transfers so everyone could see the quality of the material in their new reproduction towel line – and take one home!

Item #hit101 Red Assortment Retail $33.60

Item #PKTT28 – 1 towel - Retail $3.00
Item #TT28 – 50 count pack – Retail $100.00

Then there was me – I had an advance copy of my new book – Penny Haren’s More Pieced Applique – and had the foundation blocks and appliques ready so everyone could make a block from the book.

Item #L11226 Retail $27.95

We had a great time!  But, frankly, the star of the show was you!  This show gives us an opportunity to LISTEN to what you need – and what we can do to better serve you.  And, we heard over and over again that our focus on education is what you want!  So as a company, we will not just carry widgets – we’ll know how to use them – and pass that information on to you!

And, if you missed the show this year, we will be sharing what you missed with you over the next few weeks.  Stay tuned…