4/1/12

Marketing sells

I work in marketing. I can do this. Marketing is the main purpose of doing this quilt now.

So, when I took this quilt into the shop yesterday so I could pick up another spool of silk thread (yes, I did use the word silk about 12 times to sell silk thread), they were having embroidery club, so the store was packed and they were all stopped for lunch...timing is everything.

I unfolded it for the shop owner and she called "Ladies, ladies, come here. You have to see this". I stepped back and let them crowd in. One lady across from me asked if I was going to teach how to make this quilt. "Well, I'm going to teach all the skills I used to make this quilt and after that, it's just practice." I got the impression she was already signed up.



As I was checking out, there was another lady in line in front of me. She was paying to take the class. Decided just like that when she saw the red silk quilt.



That's four signed up. That I know of. And, the announcement just came out in their weekly email last Thursday. All three shop employees told me we'd picked the wrong weekend. People said they can't come Easter weekend. But, even with four, we'll be crowded. There's not much space in this shop devoted to classroom...basically, just the space of a couple of long, sturdy tables. If we have more than four, we'd have to bleed out into the shop and I don't know what everyone would set their machines on.

That's the shop's problem.



So, wanted to show this picture and eat some words. When I first started free motion quilting, I read someone say that microstippling had been overdone and that nobody does that anymore and that judges had started counting against it. So, I decided that I would purposefully avoid it. But, I'm an all inclusive quilter and have found a place where nothing would do but microstippling. It's fast and it's effective and it fills these tiny spaces perfect. But, to really appreciate how tiny that space is, we need a scale reference.


U.S. dimes are about the diameter of your ring finger tip.

But, nobody can quilt like this all the time, so I made a new Jubilee block last night. That's number 10. 26 more to go.

Everybody have a great day. Lane

9 comments:

Megan said...

It's a sensation, Lane. I can quite understand why someone seeing it 'in the flesh' would immediately sign up for your class. Fabulous marketing too.

Megan
Sydney, Australia

Coloradolady said...

This post makes me want to rethink my decision....I am calling the shop Monday and beg for another class after you finish with this one. Be still my heart!

Elizabeth said...

Lane, it is absolutely GORGEOUS! And completely amazing! Beautifully done!

xo -E

Mary said...

I am in awe, this is the total definition of awesome, should be a picture of it in the dictionary. so far all I can do by machine is straight lines, aka in the ditch or cross hatching. But you have inspired me to go get a free motion foot and start trying to expand my horizons.

lindaroo said...

Microstippling, indeed! Tiny, and perfect for the space. I hope you're basking in the glow of all that affirmation, and full of confidence for teaching your class!

Shevvy said...

Fantastic, it looks amazing. They should be queuing up for the class with you. I would be if you weren't quite so far away!

Laura said...

For the record, if I still lived in Texas, and was anywhere near you (I spent my teenage years right outside of Dallas) I'd be signing up for your class. But, alas, Georgia is too far away!

Nancy said...

This is so beautiful and your work is perfect. I agree that the micro-stippling is the only thing that would work in those small spots. When this is done, will you actually use it? I would be so afraid!

Carla said...

Sounds like you have many more classes in your future. ;o)