Monday 23 July 2012

The Winner is.....

I thought it was about time to announce a winner for this one.....only 2 people guessed correctly and one of them has recused herself as she really had an unfair advantage. (Being a good friend and all.....lol)

So that left us with just ONE person .....and that person is Annette!! Yes I turned 45 just last week....and I feel I am wearing my age well it seems based on some of the very generous guess's you have put forward over the last week....Annette can you please email me your postal address so that I can send you your prize!

I really need to update my profile as a lot of you took your clues from there. In reality I now have 2 teenagers and 2 young adults...They all still live at home but the older 2 work, drive, vote...you know all those grown up things...In fact my oldest daughter is now around about the age I was when I had her!! THAT is a frightening statistic!

So now that we have taken care of that....what else is news?? This week I am heading off to work with Cecile from Unique Stitching at the Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair. If you are local why not pop in and see us at Jeff's Shed. The show is open 9am - 5pm Thursday to Sunday ...... Cecile is running some amazing hands on classes ON the stand....remember to stop by and book early ......places go SUPER fast!!

I would also suggest you stop by and visit my friend Lara from Chocolate Coated Patchwork on her stand. She has stock of my Hexagon cushion pattern AND she has made some kits in beautiful fabric from Leesa Chandler! She has been previewing the samples on her FB page and they look amazing! She will also have a supply of my fabric badges....why not go and have a fossick through the basket!!

Thanks again to those who played this guessing game....

cheers

Lynda

Tuesday 17 July 2012

So it is my Birthday today.....

Birthday badges made by me for me!
....and as usual it has been a very full day! Walking in the sun, friends popping in with flowers, pressies left on the door step, parents ringing from way way up in the Northern Territory, dinner with the family. OH and making BADGES.....lol such excellent fun! 

If you have missed me going on about Fabric Badges (and I really don't know how you could have....) you should go and check out the store by clicking here! I have about 30 sets listed there and will add more as I put more together. By the time I am done tomorrow I will have made about 750 38mm badges and 250 fridge magnets....since last 3pm last Thursday. That was the exact time I received the machine and first set of components! IT IS SO MUCH FUN!  But I must stop going on about it...I am sure you are all over it!! 


AND because I am in a festive mood I will give just one little thing away....Everyone seemed to like the Hexagon Cushion the other weekend...so the prize will be a Cushion Pattern & a set of my fabric badges to the person who correctly guess my age! IF more than one person gets it right I will take a random draw from all the correct guesses...I will let this run for 24 hours...


PLEASE leave your comment here on the blog..if you are reading this on the FB page after it is picked up by Networked Blogs PLEASE click the link to bring you to the blog to comment for you chance to be in the draw.


SO HOW OLD AM I??


Good Luck...


Lynda

Monday 9 July 2012

6th Birthday Wrap-Up.....

Well haven't the last couple of days been fun!! 
 
I thought it might be a good idea to put all the winners from Saturday & today in the one place. Here we go! The following people need to give me their postal address so that I can send you a pattern. (Some of you have already done so....you know who you are...LOL)

Pattern Winners: Patty McNamara, Wendy Lansdowne, Shirley Adams, Sue Stubbings, Maureen Terblance & Waverlee Ferguson.

Pattern & Kit Winner: Veronica Wuthrich

 These people need to email me (lynda@patchworkpromises.com.au) so that I can send you a code to go shopping.

$50 Voucher Winner : Bronwyn Beazley

$40 Voucher Winner: Carmel Hyland

$30 Voucher Winner: Connie Wolf.

Congratulations to the 10 ladies who have won something!! It is very exciting to give things away. SO MUCH FUN....

Lastly as a thank you to EVERYONE who participated..I have set up a discount code for the store (www.patchworkpromises.com.au)...when checking out use the code HOORAY to receive a 10% discount off your product purchases. 

cheers & thanks again


Lynda



Friday 6 July 2012

Happy Anniversary to ME!

On the 1st of July 2006 I registered my business! So by my calculations Patchwork Promises is 6 years old! 6 YEARS??  I always wanted to be my own boss....I don't really know why it is just a desire I remember from way way back. For a long time I couldn't name it. A proper idea stayed just in the haze of my subconscious and I was never able to grasp it. I stumbled from one job to another, threw in some study along the way, ever really seeing a pattern, never connecting the dots. Honestly feeling that I was a classic Jill of all Trades, Master of NONE!. I know that I underestimated the value of those experiences and for a long time underestimated myself also.  The thing that I find most fascinating is that seemingly random collection of skills makes me uniquely qualified to do just what I am doing now?  I feel a bit like the past 6 years I have been serving an apprenticeship. It is only in the last few months that I have been brave enough to start moving the business to another level.The changes I have made have always been part of the long term plan, it just need me to be brave enough to say Let's do it NOW!  Sometimes I lament the time that I wasted dithering, but then I recognise the unique set of events that set me on this particular path early this year and I know that before then I was just not ready. Everything in it's own time they say?! I am very grateful that I can do what I do mostly as this particular business is not just transactional...it is personal!  I get to share my love of fabric and thread with real people who also love fabric and thread. I receive as much as I give and it is only through the generous spirit of others that I am still plodding along.

On that note I propose a celebration. A celebration to mark not only the reaching of this particular milestone, but one also that looks forward to the future of Patchwork Promises. 

The best way to celebrate ANYTHING is with presents............. .............. ............... .............. .......... SO WHO IS SENDING ME SOMETHING!! ......................... ROFL!

Nah..........I wanna give YOU some.................It is going to be a weekend of hit and run type give aways...so PLEASE STAY TUNED! I will be doing this via the FB page as it is more immediate with the possibility of real time interaction. This shall be FUN and don't forget to tell anyone you know who might like what I do. The more the merrier. 

cheers for now


Lynda

Monday 2 July 2012

How Does One Measure Success?

This past weekend I set up shop at the inaugural Mad Quilters Gathering in Melbourne. I was only able to do this by partnering with Lara from Chocolate Coated Patchwork.  Lara & I met for the first time at the AQC just this year. At some point recently she suggested that we have a go at working together for this event. We had a great time! It seems we work well together, our inventory is complimentary and so are our personalities, knowledge and experience. Stay tuned for news of our future adventures.

So how was the Mad Quilters Gathering? It is fair to say that attendance at the event didn't quite meet the expectations of the exhibitors or event management. When you are in business an obvious measure of success, in general and at a specific event, is sales. But what if you are in a situation where you can see sales will be limited! How do you measure success? Can you use another scale?? Should you?? Are sales the one and only way? These are all question I had cause to ask myself over the 3 days, and lets face it...there was sufficient time. Here are some of the conclusions I came to.

As a test event for Lara & I it was just perfect. We were able to have a real go at setting up our combined inventory in the allotted space for a real event. I have never prepared for or presented at an event of this scale, so that experience is invaluable to me. We were able to run a live test of our P.O.S. systems allowing us to give customers a seamless experience at our stand. ie they are unaware they are in affect buying from two separate businesses. I also got to use this nifty trolly and wear a bright yellow vest!

The slower pace enabled a lot more interaction with the customers we had. We met some lovely people, really lovely!! We answered some questions, solved some problems and sometimes sold them something good. In each instance I am confident we sent them away happy! I also took some time to get to know our fellow exhibitors. There were a few I know well and many that I recognised from patronizing Craft Shows over the years but it was really great to get to know the people who stand behind the stand. And what a great bunch of people they are too!  This time to chat is a luxury you wouldn't normally get and I grateful I had the sense to make the most of it. (I know some of you are sniggering ....YES I like to talk!! lol so why wouldn't I think getting to chat was a good thing!!)

The show also served as a kind of Trade Show for me..... I have now established a wholesale relationship with some of my fellow exhibitors. In particular I am VERY excited that I will be able to stock some great new Quilt Hangers....these will be sourced from Sue & Darren of Mallee Country Crafts! The quality is exceptional and I can't wait to order some!

Probably the most important test of the weekend was of ME! In the past I have not always handled stressful situations well and this was potentially a weekend FULL of stressful situations. The only melt down I nearly had was in McDonald's. I had pulled into the drive through to get some dinner on my way home and I was given the wrong order; only realising as I was mostly back on the main road. It is fair to say that by then I was VERY tired but I managed to not cry, or get too grumpy before I left with my correct meal. (20 mins after ordering??)

So in summary do I count this event a success?? Absolutely! Would more customers have been better? Of course. But did I learn something, did I come away better informed with more knowledge? Did I meet interesting people and make useful business contacts?? Did I have fun? You bet!! The things I feel I have gained are priceless and I am looking forward to doing it all again real soon!

cheers

Lynda