This Week's News

Hey there everyone.  The two weeks after market have flown by.  I processed all the orders we took while at Market and created all the invoices and sales receipts, shipped off all the books that I had left... which I think was 10 copies of each, added all the new customers and events to the website and ordered all new books.  What a lot of work.

I have come to the conclusion that based on all the new changes occurring around here... it was probably time to update the website and the blog and make some more new changes.  My new pre-New Year’s Resolution is to try to post to the Blog at least once a week.  

For those of you that are interested in purchasing new books (or those that have already purchased and are waiting on delivery), all the books should be here from the printer on Friday.  I am picking them up from the printer in person.  The plan is to get everything packaged and mailed on Friday and Saturday.  So look for your orders to arrive next week.  The plan is to send an email update when they are set free from the home office and on their way to you.

Anyone who had the chance to meet me in Houston at Market knows that I was losing my voice and suffering from the “Houston Hayfever”.  When I arrived home I was confronted with the “Creeping Crud” in my home.  It made it’s way through the house like a freight train.  I have been working at definite half speed for the last few days having just gotten over a fever myself... but I have never been away from the office... just checking email slightly less often.

I even made it into the studio this week to make some corrections to some patterns.  Which really brings me to my next thought.  This week I received emails from two different customers on the same day that were having issues with the same pattern.  In the last few months the office has been updating some of the pattern formats for patterns that were released years ago.  Apparently (with at least one of the patterns) there were some definite omissions to the instructions.  This caused some confusion and needed to be corrected.  We will be adding a corrections page to the website soon as there is no way to tell who purchased the few copies of the pattern that were sold.

I look forward to hearing from every one of my customers.  I am excited to learn how your customers enjoyed the designs.  

Back Home and Sorting Through

Wow... What a whirlwind week in Houston.  Hurricane Sandy sure did take the wind out of the sales of attendance this year.  Many of the shop owners and buyers in attendance this year took early flights home in order to ensure they were able to arrive back home before the storm.  That meant many flew by the booths and collected materials to take home rather than taking their time to shop.

I was just grateful so many took the time to attend my Schoolhouse class and stop by the booth to say hi.  Many complimented me on the booth design, my books and methods and my general energy in class.  It seems many were really excited by the prospects of using their scraps.

I was able to return home as planned on Tuesday after the storm passed.  My flights to Atlanta and DC remained right on time.  Many thanks to Delta Airlines for making that happen as planned.  I am, however, still waiting for the truck to arrive with the trunk show, books and patterns.  Expected arrival is Friday but I have not received confirmation... so that means I have been unable to ship orders out this week and will begin on Monday morning.

A great big wonderful thank you to everyone who made our first market a success.  I am so excited to talk to all of you again and here what you have done with my designs at your store.  Follow up emails should be coming next week as well.  Also, check the website calendar for updates on classes and trunk shows.  I will let you know where we will be appearing next... as soon as possible.  Also be on the lookout for new books and patterns premiering soon.  Going on sale by March 2013.  There are plenty of new looks on the design wall.  I am excited to show you everything that I have come up with for the new year and all the new products we are hoping to work with as well.

Happy Quilting!