As we head into the last week of July, things are busy at Brick House Fabrics. There is a lot going on with the website and with fabric.
The word for life around here is busy, busy, busy!
We are out straight!
Orders coming in, and fabric going out;
samples arriving and new fabrics ordered…
MONDAY- July 22, 2013
The heat has finally broken. We had temperatures of over 100 degrees F., with high humidity, all of last week. It was, quite frankly, awful. But, today it is cooler, and all have heaved a sigh of relief.
It has been busy, busy, busy around here. First, we changed servers for the website, which meant some hiccups last week. Taber has been busy checking out all aspects of it. Then, there was an update for the credit card gateway- more hiccups, which are still not quite unkinked… but should be soon. As it is not on our end, all we can do is wait… And they say having a web business if easy! LOL!
Last week we got in new bolts of several fabrics that come from Europe. As many know, the mills in Europe close for August… if you don’t have the fabric in before they close, you might not get what you need until the first of October, if then… it is best to be ahead of things…
Also, last week one man sent pics of some new fabrics that had just been developed. The samples for them arrived today.
When samples arrive they are spread out on the kitchen table to critic. We LOVE getting samples! It is a fun break to see, touch, and talk about what we think will work, what we like…
We all loved these. They are brand new, just developed. They are wovens, and there is something for everyone! There are ikats, geometrics, florals, a classic floral/bird/acanthus leaf, and ab insect fabric, done as a toile- very different. And, the one sample that was not included, was one with very happy elephants- my own favorite!
The color range is unique- a soft sherbert orange, buff gold, soft lichen green, pale mist grey blue, and grey, with a neutral tan.
After really studying the patterns, colors, and scale of the samples, a choice has to be made. And it is not always easy. One can not order each item in all colorways… so how to chose? But, at last a list is decided on.
The order for these will be emailed to Europe in the morning, and hopefully the bolts will be able to be shipped before the end of the month, which is, after all next week! And, don’t worry, the elephants will be included!
Because we are so far north, most fabric reps don’t come up this far. But, last week, one of my favorite reps came by with some interesting prints. As I pretty much live in a vacuum, glued to my computer, it is fun to talk with someone who is out and about!
While most of what a company develops is not for us, there were several prints that were!
I don’t have the samples yet. The rep shows them, and orders them for us. But, we ordered a fun dog pattern, a Scotty pattern ( very cute! ), a toucan pattern, a golf pattern, and I can not remember what else! These should begin to show up at the end of the week.
So, for updates, watch the
Fabric Blog.
A BIT ABOUT FACEBOOK
The Facebook page was started as a way to keep people updated on happenings here at Brick House Fabrics. And, it is certainly easy to use… hear crows cawing about something, just type it in.. and bingo… I have shared a moment.
Now, I have been told that I post too many times…that I am clogging people’s feeds. I have been given a limit of three posts per day!
Well, heck… I don’t schedule posts, they are about what is happening! I was told, no- that is what twitter is about…
So be it…
So, I am going back to doing the blog as I used to… with my normal daily happenings.
So, if you are on Facebook, check there,
if you need fabric updates, check the fabric blog,
and if you want the ramblings of what is going on in my day,
check here!
TUESDAY- July 23, 2013
The morning started out with a light sprinkling of rain and a nice cool feel to the air. By mid-morning it was torrential! But, it gives the plants a nice respite from the heat of last week. The high temperatures with high humidity really stressed out some of them.
This week there are several new fabrics to list, and we will try to get them out within the next two days!
WEDNESDAY- JULY 24, 2013
Twice a month Spot heads off to Doggy Day Care, which he loves. Tell him he is going to see Robin, and he starts bouncing. I gather together his lunch… he sniffs it to make certain that is what he thinks it is, and he charges out the door to the car.
Spot is a bearded collie mix. He is always in motion. Bearded collies bounce… like a pogo stick. They are long and narrow, and can maneuver at high speeds around corners. They are made to run and leap over stone walls on moors.
Spot feels every day, every moment, should be filled with excitement and fun, not unlike a two year old! On the Wednesdays he is at Doggy Day Care, I get a lot of uninterrupted time!
Spot looks for a friend under a red maple!
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ROOSTER FABRIC
For those who like rooster fabrics-
I just updated the rooster pattern article.
Most of the ones show cased are no longer available.
But, it is really interesting to see the different patterns!
YELLOW CHICKEN TOILE FABRIC
When the classic yellow chicken toile fabric
was discontinued,
and the remaining stock got low,
we bought all that remained of it!
See the available chicken fabrics
in the
Chicken and Duck Fabric category.
See discontinued patterns from a variety of companies in the
Sewing Notions, Fabric Facts, Fabric Histories,
Rooster Chicken Toile Fabric
THURSDAY- July 25, 2013
Yesterday was a day of deliveries… first off the phone rang, and the disbatcher for the trucking company said a truck would be arriving within 45 minutes! Just about 45 minutes later we heard the sound of truck breaks, and down the driveway we went…
It was the shipment of new fabrics that was ordered last week. There are the two dog fabrics, a toucan fabric, and a golf fabric. We will start listing them today.
Then, just before dinner, a UPS guy dropped off a beasty bolt of the Renaissance Peacock fabric.
As we were down to three yards, that is a good thing!
FRIDAY- July 26, 2013
The glitches with the website that have been occurring since we did the major updates, seem to be, thankfully, solved. It has definitely been a challenging week technically speaking! Thankyou to all the web guys and Taber!
POSTCARDS from AWAY
We love to see what people do with their fabric.
So, don’t forget to send pictures of what you do with your fabric!
Take a look at what Patty did with
her cheerful porch fabric-