Gidget 2!

The new and improved Gidget 2 has arrived! We have made some design changes to make the classic Gidget sewing and crafting table more portable and versatile. First we made the opening larger, allowing the table to hold any machine on the market. The original opening was 17" x 9" where as the new opening is 24" x 12". This also allows for a custom insert to be made to fit around the machine. Also, because it will fit larger machines we added more support to keep the table sturdy while you put the pedal to the ground. The second addition to the Gidget is the Velcro strap to hold the legs together while you carry the cabinet. Lastly, and most importantly, we attached wheels on the underneath side of the right end of the table to allow the user to simply roll the table to their next sewing location, instead of having to carry it. You would simply hold it like a piece of luggage and pull it behind you. That way if you are going to a retreat you don't have to worry about carrying your machine and table with you. And the best part about the Gidget is the low price point, $175 is all it cost to have a sturdy and durable table that allows you to sew in flatbed position. For more information check out Leah Day's blog to see it in action.

Spring Quilt Market

Nothing spells spring like a trip up to Minneapolis for the International Quilt Market. Being in Wisconsin, it was a relatively easy trip to make. Of course the cabinets were the stars of the show (especially Olivia and Pixie). We started the show selling some some things at Sample Spree. If you don't know what Sample Spree is think of the yelling and order swapping of the New York Stock Exchange, but instead there are sewing related items and 20 dollar bills flying around - that is sample spree. The line to get in was over 200 people long! We couldn't sell sewing cabinets there because it is strictly cash and carry, so we decided to sell aprons, bags, and baskets that had the Alexander Henry fabric that matches our sewing chair. It was quite a 2 hour fiasco taking orders and passing out product. By the time we were done we felt like we ran a marathon, and we were in one place selling. I can only imagine what the people who were running around felt like. It was quite interesting. Then the next 3 days was the actual show. It was very busy, but fun. We always love going to these shows because we get to meet the dealers face to face, sometimes for the first time. One couple will love meeting with are Bill and Missy Gouty. They own "Threads of Time" in Danville, IL. Great people. They actually have a sewing retreat every few months were their guests come and actually stay for the weekend. They have a large one story building that they turned into a large sewing building for people to come, eat and sew. It was so cool to hear. We decided to go down one weekend and stay overnight and sew (even though we are beginners at best). Another dealer we love seeing is Mary and Monica Forte from Fabrics Etc. 2. They own a large store in Bensenville, IL. Their store has tons of space for all your sewing needs, plus they have a classroom they call the "fish bowl" which is the coolest idea. It is a classroom in the front of the store so people walking by can see whats going on in the class. You'll have to check it out if your in the area. After it was over we met lots of new dealers and friendly people. Quilt Market is one of a kind because it is so big and there is so much to see that all the sewing dealers just walk around with big smiles on the faces all day, which makes it so fun to talk to them.

I'm back from MA!

So I made it back from Massachusetts in one piece, but I has humbled by the grueling trail race I ran. I enjoy jogging a few times a week. When I go, I'll jog 5-6 miles pretty easily. Before I flew out to MA for the race I was jogging 10-12 miles at a great pace with a few hills here and there. I figured I would be in fine shape to run the Seven Sisters Trail Race... man was I wrong. This is not a brisk jog by any stretch of the imagination. This is a 12 mile death hike up and down so tough trails. The hills we scaled were no more than 1000 feet, which sounds pretty simple. But when your running up 500 feet inclines at a 60 degree angles jogging 6 miles seems like a day in paradise. And to top it off it was one of the hottest days of the year in Amherst, topping of in the low 90s. The one good think though was the awesome views you got to briefly glimpse when you did get to the top of one of the seven mountains. Then your at it again climbing down the mountain only to go back up another. I finished the race in 3 hours and 50 minutes - almost doubling the 2 hours it took me to go the same distance at home. However, I did finish and it was something incredible I can say I accomplished once - but probably not again. Fortunately that wasn't the only thing we did when we were out in MA. We did some sight seeing and went to a Red Sox game and really go to enjoy ourselves and meet some great people. Check out some of the cool pics I took. The first 2 pics are an idea of what the trail looked like. The third is the view from the top. The other pics are just awesome sites we saw along the way.

MA is going to be BA

So being the supreme athlete that I am (not really) I have planned a trip out to Massachusetts with my running buddy for almost a year now and the weekend has finally arrived. This Friday we fly out to Hartford, CT and then drive to MA for the Seven Sisters Trail Race. This is a very hilly, rocky 12 mile trail race that winds up and down the Mt Holyoke Range. We have trained for 2 months and are ready for the trek. We arrive Friday but the race isn't until Sunday, so that will give us a day and a half of anxiousness to look forward to. My friend, Pablo, has a step up on me because he ran the race a few years ago while he lived in Boston. I don't really know what to expect, besides my legs screaming at me for putting them through this misery. I don't think I will be in the top ten for times finished, but my goal is to finish in less than 2 hours. There is light at the end of the sweaty tunnel - as a reward to ourselves after the race, we are going on a micro-brew adventure all through Boston, of course starting with the Sam Adams facility. Then the following day we are going to a Red Sox game at Fenway! I'm so excited, even if I have to pay $8.50 for a beer and $6.00 for a hot dog! As a cubs fan I know all about traditional ballparks that reek of nostalgia (and maybe beer and peanuts), so I'm really excited to visit a park even older than Wrigley. I may or may not sport my Cubs apparel, hopefully Boston fans don't hate Cubs fans as much as Yankees fans... or this may be my last blog. Either way, wish me luck this weekend. Next week I'll have lots of pictures for you.

Minneapolis bound

With May fast approacing we have started preparing for our trip up to Minneapolis for the annual International Spring Quilt Market. Each year hundreds if not thousands of quilt enthusiasts flock to the convention center in Minneapolis for a 3 day free for all of sewing, quilting, and crafting needs. In years past we have only went to the show in Houston in the Fall but this year we are giving Spring Market a whirl. We love these shows because we get to visit with numerous different shop owners that currently carry our products and even more potential shop owners interested in our products. If you have a favorite quilt shop you like to visit ask them if they are venturing to Minneapolis for the show. Most likely they are, because this is like the academy awards of quilting - all the big stars will be there... including Arrow :)>

Tired of Sewing on the Kitched Table?

Hello friends,

Today I want to talk about the cabinets we offer. You may think this is just another plug, but most likely if you are reading this you are a sewing enthusiast and probably will be able to learn something about why sewing at a cabinet is immensely superior to using a folding table, T.V. tray or something that is not conducive to sewing/quilting/crafting.

I have a few stats for you as well (so you know I'm not just pulling this out of the air): 1 out of 3 customers buying a cabinet did so because they were tired of sewing on their kitchen/dining room table. As a quilter or sewer you need lots of space for your material and the easy answer is a large table like the one in the kitchen, but that also means sharing your space with spouses, kids, grand kids and possibly a cat or two. This means your material must overcome food spills, crayon accidents, dirty hands, piled books and maybe even the occasional hairball.... yuck. Sewing is a hobby, and like any other hobby you need your own space. Handymen have garages, golfers have courses, athletes have workout rooms - why shouldn't you have a workspace. Having a cabinet or table allows you to have a designated sewing area to work on projects and store your machines and accessories.

Another thing to think about is the time frame in which the majority of our customers bought a sewing cabinet: 1-5 years after the purchase of the machine. Times are tough, and hobbies suffer during tough times. Buying new sewing machines or cabinets can seem like a luxury. But I think people are buying the cabinet later after the machine for another reason. It's the awareness they get that sewing on a brand new, top of the line, computerized machine is great at first, but hunching over at a short dinning room table or looking up at your machine on a folding table is not quite so great. You need the right height, the leg room, center needle sewing, the space to the left of the machine in order to make sewing a hobby and not a chore.

So maybe when you get that tax return (as we all hope will happen) maybe instead of getting a new golf set for the husband or wife, think about how your workplace can get a new doo with a Kangaroo!

April Showers bring.... Joe Kuhel?

You gotta love springtime in Wisconsin. Apparently today mother nature thought that one shower wasn't enough, I got the second one while running to my car. But hey, it's still better than snow. One Arrow employee who doesn't have to worry about the Wisconsin weather is Joe Kuhel (Cool), our new Field Sales Manager. He gets to travel across the country vi sting our great retailers. Last week he was in Southern California. Unfortunately for him he was too sick to enjoy his time out there (we worked him to the bone at the VDTA show). Joe decided to come to Arrow with 30+ years in the Sewing and Vacuum industry. He was a sales rep for companies like Singer, Babylock, Janome-Elna, and Oreck. He was also a Sewing and Vacuum owner for a number of years, so he knows a thing or two about the market. We are giving him a bit of a challenge though, selling furniture. We are all confident he will take it in stride and run with it, like he has done with all his other jobs. If your a dealer for Arrow you may be meeting Joe sooner than later. Make sure to give him a warm welcome as he is one hell of a guy. If you aren't a dealer, you can just take my word for it :)

What happens in Vegas...

We recently flew back from the VDTA show in Las Vegas, which was quite a show. Despite the poor economy and burst housing bubble people were buying Kangaroo Kabinets like they were life rafts on the Titanic. Many new retailers decided to join the Kangaroo Klub and get exclusive rights to sell the luxurious Kangaroo Kabinets. For a list of retailers near your visit our "Where to Buy" section of the website and look for our gold star members.
http://www.arrowcabinets.com/where_to_buy.php
Below are pictures of our new Klub members.

On the top, Robin, from the Stitching Post in Oklahoma City became our first Kangaroo Klub member. On the bottom, Trenna, and Mary show there smiles for becoming not only a first time Kangaroo dealer but also joined the klub. We had to pry the cute stuffed kangaroo out of their hands! Jk.

Besides cabinets, we did have a great time in "Sin City." With the NCAA basketball tournament in full momentum, we got to visit the sports books and see all the action of sports gambling. Also with the spring breakers the streets and casinos were mobbed with people of all sorts. Check out some of the views:


While at the casinos we did more watching than anything. I find it amazing to watch $100 a hand Black Jack tables. I'm not much of a gambler and it showed while I was out there. $50 dollars brought for gambling, $50 dollars lost. However, it was definitely an experience worth more than $50.

Serging Class '10

So we had out Serging class the last few weeks and it was a complete success. We wanted to learn how our cabinets can be conducive to sergers so we decided to make some mittens and scarves to try it out. Jo, our resident sewing teacher, guided us in our struggles to master the serger. We found out that besides the threading of the machine, which we let Jo handle, it was not that difficult. There was no back stitching or trimming of fabric, which we didn't mind at all. All of our mittens turned out really well. Some of them were more pointy than others (serging rounded edges was a little tough) but they were all very usable.

Vancouver 2010

As winter wears on we get to relish in the Olympics games of 2010, the culmination of 4 years of trash talking between Scandinavian countries vying for the title of best ice sweeper - aka curling. But seriously I love the Olympics. There's nothing better than competing the top athletes around the world in sports that I would never even have known existed if it weren't for 2 weeks of games every 4 years. My favorite the biathlon - which blends two otherwise contradictory events into a cross county skiing and rifling competition. I little history: the biathlon was actually created in the early 19th century when a Swedish man would ski from bar to bar hustling owners for drinks in target shooting. Well I might have made that up... but it sounds about right. As much as a joke, I really do get into the event. I was on the edge of my seat this weekend watching these athletes ski as fast as they could to the shooting range and without time to wipe the saliva dripping from their mouth, shoot at a target 50 meters away. The saliva was gross but it was impressive to watch them work so hard to ski and then steady themselves enought to shoot a rifle with pinpoint precision. Another thrilling event is speed skating... go Apolo Ohno! Its almost like a Nascar race - where the best part is the crash. This was especially true this year because Apolo won silver because of a crash ahead of him. And my secret joy is the figure skating. I will admit that I watch this intently because I find it so amazing that you can toss a tiny little girl in the air and she lands perfectly on one leg like its nothing. I couldn't do that on carpet, let alone ice. The only thing that makes me mad is USA never gets a medal in couples skating. Why is that? Maybe its because when someone asks an American if they can toss them into the air spinning like a frisbe and land on ice they say... not thanks I'd rather go golfing. Smart.