Houston, we have liftoff! StudioeFabrics is off and running!
Hello, again!
Please excuse the lengthy delay in posting another entry here. The weeks leading up to the launch of StudioeFabrics at the International Quilt Market in Houston, TX (October 25-27) were slam-packed with frenetic activity: mocking up the booth, getting our website up and running, stitching projects, taking pictures, writing instructions, designing packaging and labels, gnawing nails while awaiting the arrival of sample yardages, packing and shipping crates, hiring sales reps, preparing paperwork, finishing last minute projects on the flight…. Anyway, I’m sure you get the picture! Phew! I feel exhausted just recounting all of this! But it was truly worth every single second spent to share our new products at Market.
Setting up our first booth took several intense days as we transformed the empty space into a StudioeFabrics showcase. At Quilters’ Schoolhouse on Friday morning we began with a brief bio to introduce ourselves to shop owners–with standing room only, I might add–then displayed several of our projects made from kits and highlighted a new rectangular pre-cut shape with a handout.
Saturday morning we donned aprons created from our black and white Essentials collection and we were open for business! And the response was tremendous 
! Several of our designers, Lisa Schiller, BJ Lantz, Robin Roderick, and Alicia Place Frost, made appearances in our booth. It was terrific meeting so many merchants/fellow (or is that sister?) fabriholics and acquainting them with Studioe. Thankfully everything went smoothly and we were satisfied with our initial offerings in booth design and projects–and received many wonderful compliments from customers and fellow vendors alike about our fresh look.
At the close of market on Monday at 4 p.m. we were weary but thrilled with the response we had received. As we bade our crates adieu, we toasted our successful launch and basked in the afterglow of the “buzz” we had created as the new kids on the block. Upon arriving home, we have already eagerly launched into a frenzied new round of product development on our next lines designed to stimulate the creativity of stitchers everywhere.
Have you already been to our website and designed a project with our materials in mind? Be on the lookout for our products in your favorite shops, on line, and in catalogs. FYI, not only will our fabrics be gracing the shelves of domestic quilt shops, but will also be stocked in shops abroad! Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, and the UK are some of the first international customers to carry our products. We thank all the merchants for their confidence in our lines and we are looking forward to seeing quilts and projects made from our fabrics cropping up everywhere!
In closing, I want y’all (just a little taste of Southern flavor to reflect our SC roots) to know that I will diligently attempt to be a better correspondent. (As a newbie blogger, could you give me some slack and be gentle, okay?) More from StudioeFabrics intergalactic (who knows? there may be quilters on Mars, right?) headquarters soon…but in the meantime, keep stitching!
Piecefully yours,
Debbie Graves