Yesterday, Barry Spingarn, our rep for Hoffman of California and Needlecraft, Inc., a fabric distributor, came to visit. It was the perfect time to take a couple of pictures and talk a bit about how we buy fabric.
Sales reps bring both actual fabric samples and samples on paper. Most of these fabrics will come available to us two to six months from now, and must be ordered and received in a timely fashion - or they will be gone - with the exception of basic and blender lines that stay in production for longer periods of time. Yesterday, I ordered our Hoffman Holiday fabrics as well as other holiday lines (Halloween, Autumn and Christmas) and some other pieces as well. (Hint: If you are a Halloween fan, keep your eyes open for this year's Red Rooster line, Happy Hollow II, which should be a big hit. If you love snowmen, watch for Red Rooster's Winterberry Lane.)
As you can see here, there is always more fabric available than we can possibly order --lots and lots of choices from many companies. So what to do? I try to achieve several goals:
- Offer variety within some specific groups: You know that every shop you visit has one or more specialties. Over the last 17 years, we've become known for our holiday collections, batiks, 19th reproductions, baby/children's collections, as well as the specific lines Art To Heart and now, LakeHouse Dry Goods.
- Keep specific groups deep enough for quilts: This means that in each of the groups listed above, you should be able to find enough fabrics to put together a quilt.
- Keep fabric moving: You want to see new fabrics on a regular basis, so we want to buy in amounts that allow us to keep fabric flowing. This is also a reminder that fabrics age rather quickly. If you are making a quilt that will take a long period of time, be sure to buy enough fabric up front -- chances are good that it will be gone if you come back for me much later!
We try to make a lot of models to show you what fabrics "look like" when they are used. That may sound strange, but you have probably seen a fabric used in a purse, quilt, jacket or potholder and said, "I never would have looked at that twice on the shelf." It's also fun to see how customers pull fabrics together; it often leads us to do the same in a new model. All good fabric combos are welcome!
When I look at fabric samples, I think about how we - and you - can use the pieces I've viewing. This isn't a big issue with Hoffman batiks, but it is very important with specific floral groups or novelties. I also look at groups in terms of the "support" that comes from the manufacturer - free online patterns and advertising, for example, and support from designers' website, books and patterns. Before the Internet, everything that came out of the sales rep's bag was a surprise. Today, I often peruse the manufacturer's emails and websites in advance to see what might be coming in order to do a bit of planning and to compare lines. There is only so much money to spend and only so much time to sew (just as it is for our customers), thus we must try to plan and buy as thoughtfully as possible. Of course, no matter how hard I try to order what I think will be popular, there's always fabric that just doesn't appeal to many shoppers. This means that you'll always be able to find some great buys in our attic on marked-down fabrics.
I've been very fortunate to have worked with four very experienced and knowledgeable sales reps over the years (I limit the number of reps that I see due to time and money limitations). They have all taught me a great deal and have been a great help in working through the process in good times and bad. Their personal approaches to the business can never be replaced by the computer, and I always enjoy their visits. When Barry comes to call, his gracious wife Nerma joins him, and we take time to visit and catch up on all the news of grandchildren, vacations, business and politics. Such good friends are a delightful "extra" that comes along with the wonderful fabrics!
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