Surprise and good experience.

As some of you know I not only teach at one of the local quilt shops,
I also do some of the store samples.
We got in a new line of fabric and a pattern that uses the panel and
several fabrics from the line. Someone else was going to do the
sample, did 2 test blocks, and decided it was too difficult. But it is
a pattern that probably wouldn't sell well without a sample made. G
So I said I would do it. (BTW, the pattern is "Blissful Bird" using
the Bliss line of fabrics from Northcott.
http://www.northcott.net/?sid=3&layo...33 &colid=362
should get you to the pattern. )
Well, a bit of a situation right at the beginning. This is a quilt
that finishes at about 43"x47". And the pattern was calling for over
10 yards of fabric. hmmmmmmmmm.... I see a problem.
So I e-mailed the designer. Except for the center panel, everything is
template cut, with curves.
So yes, it will take more fabric than a straight cut quilt.
But....... Turns out the designer had not made the quilt, just a few
blocks to check the templates.
So we emailed back and forth, after the first phone call she made to
me. We finally worked out a new supply list that still gives plenty of
room for mistakes but is much more reasonable.
Cara Gulati does like to add extra to her pattern requirements to
allow for miscuts and such with templates.
The whole exchange was very pleasant and Cara thanked me for
contacting her about it. Got the sample done, and it should be up at
the shop now.
Cara was going to send the corrected back page of the pattern to me.
and I figured it was all good.

Yesterday I came home from a meeting to find a box sitting by the
computer. It was from Cara and when I opened it found she had sent me
3 of her patterns with acrylic templates, plus her book "3-D
Explosion Quilts". I was, and am, stunned. Something I really didn't
expect or anything. But wonderful. I have wanted to do these quilts
for a long time.

So don't be afraid to contact any designer, politely and respectfully,
about questions you have about any pattern. Most will be happy to get
the feedback, be able to answer questions and more.

Pati, in Phx

Goodness, what a nice surprise to get the items from Cara. Sure was nice of
BOTH of you to consult on the pattern.
Barbara in HOT SC

On 8/8/2010 2:40 PM, Pati, in Phx wrote:

Yesterday I came home from a meeting to find a box sitting by the
computer. It was from Cara and when I opened it found she had sent me
3 of her patterns with acrylic templates, plus her book "3-D
Explosion Quilts". I was, and am, stunned. Something I really didn't
expect or anything. But wonderful. I have wanted to do these quilts
for a long time.


as my grandpa would say, hot diggity! (sometimes hot diggity dog!) What
a wonderful surprise, have fun.

So don't be afraid to contact any designer, politely and respectfully,
about questions you have about any pattern. Most will be happy to get
the feedback, be able to answer questions and more.

Pati, in Phx

I'm happy for you, enjoy your new playthings.

Judie

One time I wanted more FQs of a designer and couldn't find them anywhere. I
came upon her email address and asked if she knew where I could find more.
She replied that she was between shows but would get back to me. A couple
of weeks later, she sent me about a dozen FQs from the series. All I had
hoped for was the name of an online shop that was carrying the entire
bouquet. Wow. Yes. Hot diggity dog! Polly


"Judie in Penfield NY" wrote in message
...
On 8/8/2010 2:40 PM, Pati, in Phx wrote:

Yesterday I came home from a meeting to find a box sitting by the
computer. It was from Cara and when I opened it found she had sent me
3 of her patterns with acrylic templates, plus her book "3-D
Explosion Quilts". I was, and am, stunned. Something I really didn't
expect or anything. But wonderful. I have wanted to do these quilts
for a long time.


as my grandpa would say, hot diggity! (sometimes hot diggity dog!) What a
wonderful surprise, have fun.

So don't be afraid to contact any designer, politely and respectfully,
about questions you have about any pattern. Most will be happy to get
the feedback, be able to answer questions and more.

Pati, in Phx

I'm happy for you, enjoy your new playthings.

Judie

I love hearing about positive experiences! So nice that she responded
and fixed the error. and nice for you to feel appreciated :-)
So how hard was that design really?
Roberta in D

On Sun, 8 Aug 2010 11:40:14 -0700 (PDT), "Pati, in Phx"
wrote:

As some of you know I not only teach at one of the local quilt shops,
I also do some of the store samples.
We got in a new line of fabric and a pattern that uses the panel and
several fabrics from the line. Someone else was going to do the
sample, did 2 test blocks, and decided it was too difficult. But it is
a pattern that probably wouldn't sell well without a sample made. G
So I said I would do it. (BTW, the pattern is "Blissful Bird" using
the Bliss line of fabrics from Northcott.
http://www.northcott.net/?sid=3&layo...33 &colid=362
should get you to the pattern. )
Well, a bit of a situation right at the beginning. This is a quilt
that finishes at about 43"x47". And the pattern was calling for over
10 yards of fabric. hmmmmmmmmm.... I see a problem.
So I e-mailed the designer. Except for the center panel, everything is
template cut, with curves.
So yes, it will take more fabric than a straight cut quilt.
But....... Turns out the designer had not made the quilt, just a few
blocks to check the templates.
So we emailed back and forth, after the first phone call she made to
me. We finally worked out a new supply list that still gives plenty of
room for mistakes but is much more reasonable.
Cara Gulati does like to add extra to her pattern requirements to
allow for miscuts and such with templates.
The whole exchange was very pleasant and Cara thanked me for
contacting her about it. Got the sample done, and it should be up at
the shop now.
Cara was going to send the corrected back page of the pattern to me.
and I figured it was all good.

Yesterday I came home from a meeting to find a box sitting by the
computer. It was from Cara and when I opened it found she had sent me
3 of her patterns with acrylic templates, plus her book "3-D
Explosion Quilts". I was, and am, stunned. Something I really didn't
expect or anything. But wonderful. I have wanted to do these quilts
for a long time.

So don't be afraid to contact any designer, politely and respectfully,
about questions you have about any pattern. Most will be happy to get
the feedback, be able to answer questions and more.

Pati, in Phx

Well.............
It really wasn't a terribly difficult pattern, if you cut the
templates out accurately. G And are comfortable sewing curves.
The real pain was the tiny double Drunkard's Path blocks in the
corners. (Actually all the outside border blocks were a bit tricky
because the rectangular ones finish at 4.5-5" x 1.75". The squares
that make up the corners, finish at 1.75", 3 regular Drunkards Path
and one double.) And there are a lot of rectangular DP blocks. G
In all it went together fairly quickly. I picked up the pattern and
fabric on Thurs. Had the piecing done by Tues. Got the batting and we
decided on backing and finished it Fri. morning. So just over a week.
G
It was a fun quilt.

BTW, just got a note from Cara that she had sent new back pages for
the pattern to the store, along with some books to compensate for the
time it will take to swap them out. Very nice of her indeed.

Pati, in Phx

On Aug 9, 2:26*am, Roberta Roberta@Home wrote:
I love hearing about positive experiences! So nice that she responded
and fixed the error. and nice for you to feel appreciated :-)
So how hard was that design really?
Roberta in D

First, let me say I am in awe of your piecing ability and talent. I
need a good teacher. Maybe you can give a class up here? Second, wow,
what a great experience with a designer. Clearly she knows how to
treat people well and make loyal customers. Good for both of you!

Sunny

Sunny, it just takes practice. I would love to travel to teach, and
hope to do so sometime. G
Remember, piecing is one seam at a time. Learn to work with the fabric
instead of fighting it and it becomes a lot easier.
There are always tricks and different people find different ways to
deal with tricky seams. G

And yes, a great experience with the designer. Cara also sent a few
books along with the pattern backs to the shop. The owner is new (just
bought the shop in mid-July) and didn't realize that the books were
for the shop. G
I want to make up the patterns that Cara sent me. (they include the
rotary cutter templates.) You can see them all on her website Cara
Gulati.

Right now I am up to my eyeballs doing some work out at the shop. I am
reorganizing/sorting/clearing the patterns. They have not had any TLC
for quite a while and are a mess. We have 2 "catalogs" with pictures
of the pattern cover. The patterns are in file cabinets. The catalogs
have not been tended, patterns have been added willy nilly, instead of
in the sections they should be. And a lot of patterns never made it to
the catalog. sigh. Some of the patterns are old ones and need to go
away. So Barbara will probably have a sale, buy one pattern- get one
from the basket for free. G
There are also 2 cabinets that are mostly clothing patterns. sigh.
Plus a bunch of other clothing patterns that aren't in the cabinets.
And no one is currently doing clothing oriented classes. (I may change
that, when I get a few minutes to think and to sew. G )

Just realized that I am rambling along here..... sorry about that,
thinking 'out loud'.

Any way, thanks for the compliments Sunny. G

Have fun,
Pati, in Phx

On Aug 9, 9:50*am, Sunny wrote:
First, let me say I am in awe of your piecing ability and talent. I
need a good teacher. Maybe you can give a class up here? *Second, wow,
what a great experience with a designer. Clearly she knows how to
treat people well and make loyal customers. Good for both of you!

Sunny