OMG! I can't believe it is December already. I feel like the guy on the Donut commmercial where he meets himself at his own door, saying "It's time to make the donuts" then he looks at himself and says "I already made the Donuts". I know some people don't know hardly anything about quits, but my cousin gave me a sack of t-shirts to make quilts for each of John's family, for Christmas. There are seven brothers, four sisters and John's Mom. Ain't no f-----ing way. I don't know if I could even get one or two made. It is not like I have anything else to do, or make before CHristmas. I just finished the sample for the new Cow Quilting University 101 class that starts next Tuesday. It's a small wall hanging with about 6 different, basic squares. That took me the weekend to make, but I still don't have it quilted or bound. I've got one wall hanging on the frame that the customer wanted a specific batting. Well when Gertie and I were in Houston at the Quilt Market I looked at every vendor that sold batting and I could not find that specific kind. I ordered three different kinds of batting that proclaimed to be thin and for wallhangings. I narrowed it down to Thermore from Hobbs and have it basted ready to quilt and be darned if I did not have varigated thread. I got the thread ordered and refuse to remove the quilt from the frame until it gets here. I guess I could start those  severn, four, or is that 12 t-shirt quilts. Tis the time of year to also be thankful for the people and blessings in our lives. Try to keep your sanity and keep our thoughts Christ centered during this Christmas Season. One of my resolutions is to be a regular blogger, hey I did this one, let's see what the next week holds for us. Hope its something great to talk about. Bye for now.

Leave A Comment

Well it is finally Friday. I can go to the Quilted Cow Quilt Shop tomorrow to play with fabric. One of the items that we can't seem to keep up with are these color coordinated fabric packs that we keep in the Bargain Barn. There is usually 3 to 6 fabrics, about 1 yard cuts that Anna Bell and El Torro have matched up. You should see the gleam in their eyes as they mix and trade, then step back and squint at the fabrics. When it looks good they start to prance around and do the happy cow dance. I keep hearing that many of the visiters are afraid to select thier own colors! Anna Bell was just like you! I think everyone starts out being Amish (only using solids). No patterns, no multiple colors, nothing too bright (might call attention to my quilt). Now look at her. Just start with one piece of fabric that you really love! It can be a solid, something with a pattern, but it is best when you are starting out to select something with several colors that appeals to you. You don't even have to use that fabric in your quilt, just use the color combinations to help select your different fabrics. Next try different fat quarters, get aoubt 10-20 of them and don't spend alot of time choosing. If you need a green get three or four different ones. Stack them up next to each other in any order. OKAY that was fun! Take a deep breath and look at each fat quarter next to your favorite piece. Do you automatically wrinkle your nose or get an urge to make a disgusting sound. Then you take that fat quarter out and  place it in a NO WAY pile. It is easier to find things that you don't like, repeat with each fat quarter until you have gotten rid of the hideous. Are there any fat quarters left? I sure hope so or you have to start all over again! Now take what is left and start stacking them in a pleasing way (it only has to please you); next stand back a few steps and see how they all look together.  Is somehting standing out or are the colors so close together you can't tell one from the next. This is where you start. Come to the Quilted Cow Emporium this Saturday, 6/6/09 and Cindy will go over the key things to remember about selecting fabric COLOR. Remember, TQCE is the UDDER destination, be there or be square! TA TA for now. Perky Cow Pattie.

Leave A Comment

Well, opening did not go as well as I had hoped. The point of sale system was finally configured and setup, thanks to Bee Consulting from Auburn the Thursday before Saturdays opening. We had to frantically run around and make had written labels with prices on every item. Nothing was in the POS system, so each itme was hand typed in during check-out which increased the time quilters were in line at the check-out. The only one that had more training on how to run the cash register was me; others had been shown once, but they hoped cutting would be easier. Then the only one that knew how to cut fabric off the bolt was me. Being the kind of person that I am, I even practiced cutting fabric before the store opened. I had it all planned out how to do everything. Things sure are different depending which side of the cutting table you are on. Since I could not do both stations at one time, Gertie, with the help of my "Aunt Kay" was able to work the cash register. We had a line of quitlers 10 deep waiting for fabric to be cut. Everyone said they did not mind waiting and we had a great time passing the already cut bolts back through the line so everyone that saw what I was cutting & wanted to make the same project could be the next one cut. I was so busy getting the store ready to open, that I did not know that Bloomington Quilt Show was going on the same weekend we opened. Everyone thought that would adversely affect us, but it turns out it really helped. Carloads of quilters from all over heard about the new store in Jacksonville and they all came to us! Word of mouth is faster than the Internet! When the last customer left and we had closed for the day we all looked like well used rag dolls. The excitment and adrenaline had left us by that time. It was decided to just go home and rest. Sunday we could come back and try to get the store back into some kind of order.

Leave A Comment

The whole time we were searching and redoing the 'best business plan" notions, fabrics, thread, needles, patterns, books, etc kept coming in to GR's house. My partner GR is such an optimist that she kept telling us things will turn around, keep building and buying so we will be ready when the store opens. My husband made 13 sets of shelving to hold the hundreds of bolts of fabric.  We purchased items at auctions, just waiting for the money. When November comes around, GR is a Texas Snow Bird and she and Bill flew the coup. When the bills started coming in, these were sent to her address of course as that was where the stuff was shipped, she was gone. I kept getting phone calls from Checkers saying we were past due, so I'd scramble for money from my savings, when that was gone GR did send some money, but then more bills were over due.  I had the Manager of Checkers call me and agree to accept everything back except the fabric, but I did not have access to the merchandise so I had to keep paying when they called. My house and garage was so full of stuff for the shop, I could not have family over for the holidays for over a year. 

Leave A Comment

We searched the Internet for ideas on how to write a Business Plan, met with SCORE and SBA. Then after several months the 30 page plan was ready for the Investors. The two gentlemen from SCORE were so encouraging and said that was the best business plan they had ever seen. The first bank loan officer saw THE PLAN and was amazed, said it was the best business plan they had ever seen, but they had to present this to their investors. So we found us a decent place, that meant it was cheap, would take a lot of elbow grease to make it suitable so we told the land lord depending on the final word from the bank, we would take it. Then we were visited by three distributors: Checker, Brewer, and Moda/United Notions.  We looked at suitecases full of fabric, patterns, notions, books, you name it we saw it. After each visit our excitement grew and grew. Both owners were contacted and the Investors would not agree to loan money "to two women, with a hair brained idea to quilt, with no collateral except the mechandise" (this was our perspective of why we were refused a loan) unless both husbands co-signed and put our homes up for collateral. What? The SBA is for starting and small businesses that otherwise would not obtain a loan with little collateral. NO, we had to have twice the collateral of what we requested the loan for!! Well, no thank you banker man we will try another, then another, then another. You get the drift. No one would give us a loan for our quilt shop. Even though we had the best Business Plan they ever saw. Later.

Leave A Comment