The highlight of my day today was comparing Brandon Mably and Kaffe Fassett to Notorious B. I. G. and Puff Daddy. I say Puff Daddy because when Biggie was alive, I believe that was what he was calling himself. I think he's just Diddy now. Anyway.
Hello friends! Thanks for a wonderful week! I met quite a few new people this week, cut quite a bit of fabric, and sewed up a few samples! I even learned how to make a sweet paper-pieced pot holder that I am going to be featuring in a class.
Yaaaaaaay! Class programs are being created as I type. We have got a lot in store for y'all.
*****life altering good news to share*****
Guess what ladies? My Gammill has a California-shaped quilting design.
I know. Isn't it awesome?!
***other life-altering news to share***
Recently I've had a lot of guests come into my shop and talk about the other local shops in the area. This is to be expected. When I worked for Zumiez skateboard shop, we knew everything that was going on at Vans and at PacSun. Just the nature of the beast.
What really surprised me was all of the negative feedback I received.
"So-and-so's shop over on blah-blah-blah street is SOOOOOO rude. Nobody talks to me when I walk in."
"They were having their own conversation. Clearly I was looking for something. The lady looked annoyed when I asked her a question, and immediately went back to her conversation after helping me. I needed more help, but she didn't really want to help me, so I just left."
"Everybody in there has their own clique going on, and when I walk in I don't feel welcome."
I'd just like to say one thing and one thing only to address this issue.
Ladies, we are living in a day and age where all of our rights are being stripped from us and we are too busy being apathetic and clique-y to even notice that there is a bigger war going on here. I am appalled sometimes at how we treat each other. For some of us, yes, this is a career, but remember, THIS IS A HOBBY. HOBBIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FUN. WHEN YOU'RE A BULLY, NOBODY HAS FUN. As a shopowner, I realize that my guests have the ultimate buying power. They can buy online, they can buy down the street, hell, if they want to they can even go to Joann's and buy fabric. Bottom line is, I like to treat each and every one of my guests like they were my mother or my sister or my aunt or my grandma. Because that's exactly how I want to be treated when I step into a quilt shop. I want the owner or the quilter helping me to be genuinely interested in my project and helping me find the best possible inner border.
I highly encourage you if you belong to a local area guild, that the next time you are at your guild's meeting, to look around the room at some of the ladies that are sitting around you. If you don't know somebody's name, introduce yourself and ask them about their favorite work in progress. I can't tell you how much negative feedback I've received about my own area guild, and how unwelcoming the guild is. Also appalling. Ladies, be nice.
That being said, today was an absolute hoot at the store. I had such lovely groups of ladies come to visit. Thank you for your continued support of our business as we steadfastly grow into our own and learn as we go. I also appreciate each and every reader of this blog!
Have a great weekend! More news, kits, show-and-tell, and upcoming class schedules on Tuesday.
xoxo
Jessica