Needlework Retailer News

She Took Up Sewing To Cope with Her Loss

Jacquita Gonzales found comfort in quilting at the most turbulent time of her life. 

The intensity of interest in the MH370 tragedy in 2014 has waned tremendously, but its mysterious end will forever haunt the loved ones of the missing passengers and crew.

The ensuing years have been most difficult and turbulent for MH370’s in-flight supervisor Patrick Gomes’ wife, Jacquita Gonzales, and their four children, aged between 18 and 31.

“Life’s been an emotional rollercoaster for us. While there are many news reports, books and countless theories on MH370, no one can provide me with concrete answers on how the plane vanished,” shares Gonzales.

Amid all the upheaval, Gonzales has slowly worked through her turmoil stitch by stitch, turning to needlework to make beautiful handiwork and undo the tangles. Full Article.

Giants fan doing Santa Claus 🎅 cross stitch!

If you start stitching Santa now, you'll be done in time for Christmas! Anyone else stitch while watching baseball?

Quick read: Embroidered memories keep forgotten town alive

A quilt shows the names of 150 residents of Loyalton, S.D. The all but forgotten town was remembered through 80-year-old quilt squares. Each has five names embroidered on it. Two blank squares were stitched with more names by Leann Fredrickson earlier this year. She then finished off the quilt in a corresponding pink floral print and green trim. Full Article. 

Magical embroidered food that looks like the real thing!

The delicate work of Japanese embroidery artist Ipnot is truly something to behold. Crafting incredible miniature food using the classic French knot technique.

DIY on a Dime: Embroidery

The Jacksonville Home + Patio Show's blog recommends embroidery to improve your dexterity and engage your creative spirit! We agree wholeheartedly!

10 Helpful Cross Stitch Tips for Beginners!

Amy @ Positively Splendid shares 10 Helpful Cross Stitch Tips for Beginners! Do you have tips to add?

Framing Cross Stitch...Glass or No Glass debate!

Jo over at Jo's Country Junction is recouping with cross stitch! Care to weigh in on the debate...glass or no glass when framing cross stitch?

 

The National NeedleArts Association Selects SmithBucklin for Full-Service Management

Susan Lane Named Executive Director

September 15, 2016 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) has selected SmithBucklin, the association management and services company more organizations turn to than any other, to provide full-service association management. SmithBucklin’s Susan Lane will serve as TNNA’s executive director, and TNNA’s headquarters will move to Chicago on Sept. 26.

TNNA selects SmithBucklin for full-service management

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Founded in 1974, The National NeedleArts Association is a community of business professionals dedicated to the advancement and promotion of needle arts – textile crafts and decorative sewing. TNNA encourages passion and leadership in the needle arts industry through education, knowledge exchange and a strong marketplace.

“SmithBucklin will help us in developing new ways to better serve our members in an ever-changing industry,” said TNNA Board President Dave Van Stralen. “We appreciate SmithBucklin’s proven ability to provide scalable expertise in specific areas, such as tradeshow support and enhanced marketing and communications, while delivering leading practices in association management.”

“As TNNA moves into its next chapter, the opportunities for our trade organization with SmithBucklin are going to set us up for a whole new level of success,” said TNNA Past President Dale Lenci. “The resources and services of SmithBucklin are just amazing, and I’m excited to see where this partnership leads.”

“We are honored to serve The National NeedleArts Association,” said Jim McNeil, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive, Business + Trade Industry Practice. “We believe our capabilities align exceptionally well with TNNA’s needs and future aspirations, and we will work tirelessly with TNNA’s leadership to create additional value for its members and even greater relevancy for the organization in the needle arts industry.”

SmithBucklin will provide TNNA with a complete management solution. In her role as executive director, Lane will work with the TNNA board of directors to establish strategic objectives while being accountable for developing and executing plans that achieve results. She also will lead a team of professionals who will be responsible for all aspects of the association’s operations, membership recruitment and engagement, financial management, communications and publications, technology, and conference and tradeshow management. The SmithBucklin team also will support TNNA’s initiatives, including Spinzilla (a competition to spin the most yarn), the NeedleArts Mentoring Program, and Stitch N’ Pitch (a collaboration with baseball leagues to host stitch-themed evenings at ballparks).

“The entire staff team and I feel so fortunate to serve TNNA and its members,” Lane said. “We are committed to helping them advance and promote the needle arts industry.”

Lane has more than 18 years of association experience. She has overseen all aspects of association membership services, annual conference and tradeshow management, certification and accreditation programs, industry governmental affairs initiatives, and marketing and public relations programs. Additionally, she designed and directed annual training meetings for client organizations’ leadership. Lane holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

SmithBucklin's Business + Trade Industry Practice helps a wide range of trade and professional associations achieve their missions, create value for their stakeholders and advance their industry professions. The practice's unmatched team of association professionals applies leading practices across a wide spectrum of association management services.

About SmithBucklin

SmithBucklin is the association management and services company more organizations turn to than any other. Our mission is to achieve the missions of the client organizations we serve and provide uncompromised stewardship for their long-term prosperity. SmithBucklin offers full-service management and outsourced services to trade associations, professional societies, technology user communities, industry consortia, charitable organizations, corporations and government institutes. Founded in 1949, SmithBucklin has offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., Old Lyme, Conn., St. Louis, Bethesda, Md., and San Ramon, Calif., and delivers seamless association and event management services worldwide. The company is 100 percent employee-owned. For more information, please visit www.smithbucklin.comor call 1-800-539-9740.

Industry Icon Retires

After nearly 40 years in the Sewing, Quilting, and Crafting Industry, innovator and industry icon, Joyce Drexler is retiring. Joyce is widely regarded by her peers as being the driving force in the 80’s and 90’s behind the rise to prominence of all things free-motion, including machine embroidery or ”Thread Painting”, as she was first to dub it in 1980. Indeed, that was the title of her first book in 1981.

During the 80’s she taught her fast, fun, and easy “Speed Stitch” method of free-motion embroidery in 3-Day Success Seminars and 5-day SMART events in North America to thousands of retailers and their teachers who, in turn, taught it to hundreds of thousands of consumers.

From 1980 to 1987, Joyce created over 200 kits and products that bore the Speed Stitch name. In addition to Embroidery, the kits taught consumers how to do a wide range of creative techniques like Monogramming, Cut Work, Lace Making, Charted Needlework, Applique and much, much more.

Joyce was a pioneer who was significantly responsible for the major shift in focus of the Home Sewing Industry from selling “sewing to save money” to sewing as “a creative and enjoyable pastime” which was appealing to, and worthy of, the increasing number of working women’s leisure time, energy and money.

As an ever-increasing number of women learned and loved Joyce’s Speed Stitch free-motion embroidery techniques, that became the impetus for sewing machine companies to introduce stand-alone embroidery machines for consumers in the early 90’s.

Together with her husband, Fred, they secured the marketing rights to Sulky Thread in 1985, founded Sulky of America in 1987 and developed it into the premier Decorative Thread Company in North America that it is today, now offering over 4,000 sku’s to consumers.

Not only did they create the category of Decorative Threads in 1985, but they also nurtured and grew it into a major category of sales in thousands of retail stores through an industry-first, bold and innovative educational and marketing program.

As Executive Vice-President and Creative Director for Sulky, through the years Joyce authored 24 books that have sold well over 800,000 copies, wrote numerous magazine articles, appeared on hundreds of PBS TV Sewing, Quilting and Crafting shows, developed “Sew Exciting” Seminars that have been presented to hundreds of thousands of consumers in thousands of retail
stores and guilds across North America, and developed “Certified Teacher Training” events to train thousands of future teachers.

In order to help even more people all over the world to “Follow Their Dream” of being a Sulky Certified Teacher, in 2014, Sulky began offering this outstanding course online.

In 2003 she spent almost a year painstakingly developing the first 42 colors of the uniquely different “Blendables®” Cotton thread line for Sulky wherein 4 or 5 different thread colors, that are in the same range of tone and intensity, change colors rapidly and, more importantly, randomly, which no other thread does.
She repeated the process again in late 2006 and 2011, as she developed 42 more colors each time for a total of 126 colors that are available today in both 12 wt. and 30 wt.

Joyce was instrumental in developing the extensive line of 19 high quality Sulky Stabilizers, which were the first in the industry to feature color-coded packaging and reusable storage containers for the rolls.

She also worked on the development and marketing of the patented Sulky Slimline Storage Boxes, Sulky KK 2000 Temporary Spray Adhesive, Sulky Puffy Foam, Sulky Iron-on Transfer Pens, and Sulky Petites.

In 2010, Sulky launched the Sulky Embroidery Club, www.sulkyembclub.com, which features hundreds of Joyce’s high quality digitized designs. Since Joyce loves to draw, even in retirement, she will continue to add new designs every month.

In 2005, her contributions to the industry were recognized by her receipt of the prestigious Schmetz Golden Needle Award in acknowledgment of her significant and timely contributions toward enhancing the future of the sewing industry. In 2007, Joyce and Fred Drexler were inducted into the prestigious American Sewing Guild Hall of Fame, an honor that had only been bestowed on 7 other people in the Sewing Industry. In 2013, they were inducted into the Sewing Dealers Hall of Fame.

Joyce attributes her success in the industry to a strong dedication to education, community involvement, and superior products. Joyce and Fred Drexler have consistently maintained these qualities and, in doing so, have propelled Sulky of America into the 21st century as an industry leader.

As they celebrate their 28th Sulky anniversary and 39 married years, Joyce and Fred continue to maintain their excitement and sense of adventure. Their 10,000-mile 46-day motorcycle trip across the USA in 2012, and 8,500-mile 40-day trip through the USA and into Western Canada in 2014, attests to their spirit, vitality and sense of adventure.

C&T Publishing Acquires Kansas City Star Quilt Co.

C&T Publishing is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Kansas City Star Quilts from Cypress Media LLC to bring you an established and popular line of quilting and cross-stitch books and products. Effective July 10, 2015, C&T will be publishing and distributing the Kansas City Star Quilts, My Stars, and Star Stitch imprints.

Kansas City Star Quilts books and products will be available at ctpub.com, and at fabric retailers and book stores worldwide.