Tamarinis

Adventures in Quilting with Kate and Tammy - A Market Adventure

Hello, quilting friend!  I can hardly believe it is Market time again!  It seems like yesterday when I was preparing for Spring Market, getting excited about launching my spring line (hey - did you see the Globetrotter blog hop last week???), and packing my bags.  And here we are again - another Quilt Market, another frenzied last minute round of preparations.

So for those of you that may not know about Quilt Market, here it is in a nut shell:  a trade show devoted to all things quilting, where those in the industry gather to promote their new products, new fabric lines, new patterns, and generally immerse themselves in everything that is so fabulous about quilting.  In the spring, the show location changes on a rotating basis between six or so cities.  Fall Market is ALWAYS in Houston, and is right around Halloween.

Uh huh - but what does THAT mean?  Think of  a giant quilt show - you know, aisles and aisles of vendors, TONS of quilts and fabric.  Not for sale - for display and for placing orders.  On Friday, set up day, there are Schoolhouses - mini information sessions that offer the opportunity to get detailed information about some of the new products coming out this season.  That's where I come in - I'll be offering a schoolhouse on, of course, the new fabric line, the new patterns, but more importantly, how those products can help quilt shops be successful.  I find it a lot of fun - a ton of work, but so so so much fun.  And then the remaining three days are for seeing all of the new products, meeting with folks, and learning about trends in the industry.  It is an exhausting, exhilarating, stimulating, inspiring whirlwind of color.

Are you going?  Yes?  Then please put me on your calendar - drop by my schoolhouse in Room 372D at 12:45 (and get there early to get your free kit!).  Not going?  No worries - I'll do my best to keep you informed, and do some FB Live videos from Market so you can see all the fun!

First - the fabrics!  I was lucky enough to get to work with this super fun line, Icicle.  Isn't it divine?  Getting to do two color quilts was a real treat- and really got me in the mood for winter, snow, and frosty mornings.  Now, slow your roll just a bit.....while this line is absolutely awesome, it is NOT available just yet.  It will ship early next year - and yes, of course, I will keep you posted when it IS available!

And then of course there are the patterns!  You'll notice a couple of old favorites here, newly refreshed in this cool, crisp line, along with some new treasures including Prism, which is the latest in the Guided Improv line.  What - you want one of each?  Wellllllll....I can do that!  Patterns will be available to ship the end of January.

Be sure to head over to Kate's blog to see her Market preview as well.  You know Kate - she'll have some awesome, fun, adorable projects for you to drool over as well!

Oh....and teaser.....Kate and I have a special surprise for you, coming up VERY VERY soon!  So come back and see what fabulous adventure we have for YOU to take part in.  It's going to be a lot of fun!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com!  Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships.  Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.

 

 

What Happened In St. Louis

 

What Happened in St. Louis  My Quilt Market Review   Quilt Market is a lot like Christmas (for me, at least).  I spend months preparing and looking forward to it, the excitement builds, I am reunited with friends I haven't seen in months, new and exciting projects, fabric, patterns, and tools are revealed.  And then it's over.  But the good news is I can share some of the wonderful projects and products from some of my very talented friends.   So here we go!  Here is MY roundup of favorites from Quilt Market featuring some of my quilting pals: Canton Village Quilt Works: The über talented Jackie Kunkel had awesome projects in her Fresh Pick'ins line from Island Batik.  Check these beauties out! Cranberry Pie Designs: Her new pattern, Pantry Pals, are just too cute (hint - this is just two of the four designs in the pattern!).                      And check out the snowman - a perfect mix of applique and embroidery!                                    Fat Quarter Gypsy: Check out the new Wingman - what everyone needs on the arm of your favorite sewing chair, right?  And then there's the adorable new dressed up pop ups!                      Poorhouse Quilt Designs: The gifted Kris Poor used 10" precuts in my Batiks Go Retro line to fashion her new Honeycomb Bag - and it is too stinkin' cute!  It stitches up super quick, and uses Bosal's precut hexi shapes as the base.  How clever is that?!                                       Purple Moose Designs: Terri came up with a design that just screams summer - Sandy Toes!  She's also a Pop Up partner, and the project will make a large pop up.  How awesome is that?  Two projects in one!               Swirly Girls Design: Susan came out with not only a terrific fabric line and awesome patterns, but also a new fusible product, Barely There, that is an absolute must!                          Seams Like A Dream Quilt Designs: Check out Kate's new pattern, Moonflower Mini, using (yep, you guessed it) my new Batiks Go Retro fabric line from Island Batik.  Isn't it just too adorable (ok, maybe I've overused that word this market - but it's not my fault everything was just adorbs!)?  And I love her other new patterns as well- Savannah Squares and Tannenbaum Trio:     Tamarinis                                                  And of course there was my new line, Batiks Go Retro (duh! you didn't think I'd leave THAT out, did you?).  1 new fabric line plus four new patterns = a terrific show! (and of course, getting to collaborate with a score of designers on terrific projects of their own  using my fabrics was an over the moon experience!). Fabrics and patterns ship in October.  You can order the fabric directly from Island Batik, along with the patterns. 2 1/2" strips and 10" squares precuts are available as well. And if it is just the patterns you want, well you know where to find them.  Yup, right on my website (available late summer).                     Wedge-o-Matic                       Jangle          46" x 48"                               48" x 60"                                   Atomic Bombshell                       Dutch Windmills                          45" x 68"                       62" x 75"(and other sizes) __________________________________________________________________________________ Upcoming Events Some fun blog hops starting this summer - so mark your calendar! Fiesta de Azucar 2017:  Begins July 1.  This is NOT your typical blog hop.  So if you are a fan of sugar skulls, if you like something a little different, if you like fused applique with some fun stitching, or if you are just a stitching fanatic, check it out! More info is on the Facebook page (link above). Hello Blog Hop: Begins July 16th.  This blog hop features different designers' projects using Swirly Girls Design's new Hello fabric from Michael Miller.  More info to come! Batiks Go Retro Blog Hop:  Begins September 11th.  This blog hop features different designers' projects using my Batiks Go Retro fabric line from Island Batik.  And guess what - more info to come! Thanks for sharing the quilting passion with me.  Happy stitching! If you are interested in having me teach at your shop or guild, please contact me! Click to visit Tamarinis!

What I Learned at Quilt Market - Or How Exposure IS a Good Thing!

 

So….this spring I decided NOT to have a booth at Quilt Market, and kismet - an opportunity to work in QuiltWoman.com’s booth at market sprang up!  It was meant to be, right?  Of course!

As a (ahem) veteran vendor of Market, I didn’t necessarily think I knew it all, but I thought I had everything fairly figured out.  Life Lesson #1: You can ALWAYS learn something new.  And I did.  And in the spirit of paying it forward, dear fellow designers, aspiring designers, and the “maybe someday I’ll do that” folks, here’s a brief summary of what I learned this time around from working in Nancy’s booth (BTW - she is wonderful to work with - in the booth and as a distributor - just so you know).

1.  Images

Your images, in catalogs, in posters, on covers, need to be clear, crisp and bright.  They are your shelf space and represent your pattern.  So showcase that gorgeous quilt that took up so much of your life to create!  Take the time to have a quality picture that highlights the quilt (i.e. most prefer a flat image of the quilt rather than a staged shot), and please, please, please - high res.

2. Catalogs

If you are offered an opportunity to present patterns - new, old, a mix - in a catalog, say yes.  And do it! Create your page (or pages) to the best of your ability and highlight your patterns.  Think outside yourself - if I were a shop owner, how would this page look to me?  Are the patterns attractively laid out?  Is the information easy to read?

Insider tip:  At market, most shops gather catalogs and brochures the first day, then go back to the hotel room the first night and peruse them to make decisions.  So being in the catalog is a definite plus!  Well worth the money.  Oops - did I not discuss costs?  

You’ve heard the expression “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  True.  True.  True.  No free advertising.  No free exposure.  Everything, let me repeat, everything is a trade off.  So exposure - catalog, wall space, floor space - costs.  Exposure for money - there’s your trade off.  So back to catalogs - that would be Exposure #1.

But……not all shops/owners want to pick up and carry around catalogs.  That gets heavy.  So….on to Samples and Covers.

3. Samples

It’s no different than your local quilt shops - samples sell patterns.  I saw it time after time at market.  Now, obviously you can’t have your entire line on display at market (space = $$), so choose your best sellers, or your newest designs, or maybe go with a theme.  That decision is up to you, and there isn’t really a right or wrong answer here, because what a shop owner is looking for at one show can be completely different at the next show.  (Sorry - my crystal ball broke at this point, and the repair shop is not optimistic on a quick repair time.)  

Nancy uniquely offers two options - and I saw shop owners respond to both.  She offers digital images (blown up to poster size), or actual sample display.  And she offers reasonable rates for the display space.  Even more exciting, she will be offering up a very unique and innovative option this fall - so check out the recent email about the community of designers at Fall Market and read every line - really.  Read it all - carefully - so you can take advantage of the options that will work best for you.   So choose your option; refer back to #1 for digital images - or go with actual samples.  This is part of the individual “learn by trial and error” journey.  Either option - Exposure #2.

4.  Pattern Covers

You can send Nancy up to 25 pattern covers and she will put them on a ring (grouping them to make it clear they are by a single designer).  Please note the word “covers.”  Yeah - I didn’t read carefully either…..but covers only.  Oh - and this was new to me.  You want to have the crystal clear pattern bags.  I thought mine were.  Nope.  So my next order will be for the crystal clear bags.  They really do make a difference in how crisp the cover looks through the bag (Nancy recommends G.T. Bag – crystal clear 6 x 9).   Exposure #3.

Now you may be thinking - well, if I take advantage of the catalog or the samples, then I don’t need to do the pattern covers.  Well, dear reader, here’s the hard cold truth.  You don’t HAVE to do any of it.  But the more you DO, the more exposure you’ll have.  I saw some shop owners “shopping” from the catalog primarily.  Others made decisions based on the samples in the booth.  Some looked through the pattern covers that were on display.  And still others combined all three to make purchase decisions.  So is one option “the” answer?  No.  Ultimately you have to decide what is important to you AND how much you are willing to spend.

What I hope I have shared with you in this brief summary is that exposure is everything! If you haven’t been to Quilt Market, it is difficult to adequately explain the magnitude of it.  There are 27 to 28 rows of booths, perhaps 20 to 30 vendors per row, sometimes more, sometimes less - and many small designers will rent a half booth.  

So…..how many vendors?  Hundreds.  Maybe a thousand?  Possibly.  It is sensory overload.  So your job is to grab some of that attention in that mad crush of fabulous eye candy and options, which is why exposure is everything!  Gosh, I feel like I’ve said that before…….

Please note - these statements are my opinion and based on my observations alone, and again, are based on my experiences in QuiltWoman.com’s booth.  Other veterans of Quilt Market will have different insights, and it would be worth talking with them and getting their input as well.  The more information you have, the easier it is to make an informed decision.

I wish you the best of luck at your next Market!

Tamarinis at Quilt Market

So what's it like at Quilt Market, you ask?  Well....it's wonderful, magical, and truly a sensory overload.  It's frantic, crazy, chaotic.  It is - well, it's Market.

Here I am in my booth, my home away from home.  Simple, yes.  I pretty much take a booth in a bag - whatever I can squeeze, squash, and shove into a suitcase will go in my booth.  While my booth is simple, others aren't. 

I've seen cars (yes, real cars) in booths.  Last year there was a small Airstream in a booth.  Some have full rooms set up.  Beds, couches - whatever fits the theme.  One of the batting companies had a lovely fanciful tree.  Others have charming little vingettes set up.  It varies, depending on the vendor (and budget!).

What you see in my tiny 8 x 10 space represents months of work and tons of hope and dreams.  Is it worth it?  Absolutely.  It is the pulse on the industry, and a gauge (not the only gauge, but a gauge) of how timely my work is. 

Exhausting, exhilirating, stressfull and wonderful.  And I can't wait until the next one!

Next?  I'll share my new patterns.  Get ready - it's a picture heavy post!

 

Sunshine and Rainbows

Quilt Market - I can't believe it's already come and gone.  It's a lot like Christmas.  There's a tremendous build up, then suddenly it is here, and you're caught up in the wonderful/terrible frenzy, and then....poof.  It's over.

I do have to say that if you've never been to Pittsburgh, you need to go.  What a wonderful town!  I hadn't been since my youth (ahem, no comment there folks.....) and it has changed tremendously!  The skyline, as you can see, is lovely.


My daughter, Sam, went with me to help out (and to play,let's face it - we did some playing after hours).  And she fell for a guy that was, frankly, larger than life.  He's a bit of a hard case, but you can see she definitely has a soft spot for him!

So I'm sure you're asking - Sunshine and Rainbows?  What's that all about?  I just wanted to see if your life - and your quilting - was all sunshine and rainbows?  No?  Take heart, my friend!  It's the downs that make the ups so great!  Sometimes I feel like my quilting is moving along about this fast (rush hour in Atlanta - it's a dream, folks!).  Stitching the wrong strips together, cutting a block 1/4" too small.  Running out of just the right fabric when you're almost done. But, after a brief break, a little chocolate, and some reflection, the truth is - any time quilting is better than no time quilting.  And playing with fabric just makes everything better!

So I hope your summer is full of friends, family, fun, and a bit of quilty stuff here and there!  Happy stitching!

PS -

What's next?  Well, I thought I'd give you a view into my booth at Quilt Market.  I'll be listing all my new patterns - and.....drum roll.....my Craftsy class is being released July 1!  What???!!!  Yepper, my Craftsy class!  So come back again - and again, and again - because there will be a fun blog hop, a giveaway, and some sneak peeks!!!

Spring Market Island (Batik that is) Style

 

Blowing in the Wind Stack

Yes, I did the "new phone book" dance (see the Facebook post if you are lost at this point......) when the first package arrived from Island Batiks.  Woohoo!  Just look at all these luscious fabrics!

And you've got a first hand look at the working title - Blowing in the Wind.  I THINK this is what I'm going with...but we'll see....who knows, once it gets started.

So what are these luscious fabrics going to create?  Ah....I can't show you.....yet!  But....I can show you just a snippet.

 

Just a glimpse....

Ok....so have the general idea??  Yep, squares (big surprise, huh?). 

No, but really - two luscious tealy blues (ah, ocean water, right?) place nicely together as a mixed background, showcasing those wonderful brights.  So I've got squares to cut....but more pics to come soon.  Promise!

Oh - and just had an inspiration.  Maybe you can give input on the name!  Hmmm....maybe we can do some kind of "name the quilt" competition.  What do you think?  Are you in? 

Give me feedback (please) and if there's interest, we can get it started as I post the growth status (wow, takes me back to when my kids were little!) of the quilt.

In the interim, since I'm finishing up another quilt right now, what's your favorite thing about batiks?  I know we all LOVE Island Batiks - they have such terrific, rich colors and fabulous fun prints.  I know what I love about batiks- so what do you love?  And thinking about it, many of my favorite quilts are batik quilts.  So share - about what you love about batiks AND if you want a "name the quilt" competition.  And let's watch this quilt grow!

I look forward to hearing from y'all!  Check back soon - and Happy stitching!

 

 

To Market, To Market.....

It's finally here....Quilt Market. 

After months of preparation, sleepless nights, zombie days - Quilt Market.  I've stitched, un-stitched - ok, un-stitched about as much as I've stitched on some days (proof that sleep IS a necessity).  But ultimately, I did end up creating several projects. And here's proof - my scrap basket.  Just to put this in perspective - my "scrap basket" is an ottoman basket I turned upside down.  Yep - it's pretty full!  And I've got plans for all those lovely little scraps - more next month - look for a free project tutorial (wink wink).

And with the help of a few close friends (Ms. Anne and Pati - thanks so much! Couldn't have done it without you!), almost everything was accomplished that was on my to-do list.  Yes, even Felix got in on the action - you can see how important his consulting was!

And now it is time - the bags are packed, the ticket in hand.  Houston, here I come!