What did Santa Bring you?

I am curious what Santa brought you for Christmas. Please post a picture of your fun new present at our facebook site. Just look up Arrow Sewing Cabinets after you login to facebook.

Hey everyone, it’s me again, Olivia.

My owner ran out for her Starbucks fix, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to sneak on here and say “Thank You!” to all of the folks that supported me by posting a comment. Even Gidget stopped by! Guess What? It actually worked! My owner has started to do some sewing on me. Now, it wasn’t a big project, but it was fun. We are in the middle of making some holiday gifts! We’re starting off with the Simple Wallets from Kay Whitt’s great new book, Media Frenzy.

They are oh-so-cute and very quick and easy to make, so they really don’t show my full potential, but at least she didn’t haul the sewing machine off to the dining room table this time! Maybe she thinks she needs to break me in gently, but I’ll tell ya – I am ready to sew, sew, sew! There is still a big roll of fabric over in the corner, so I’m hopeful that I’ll be used for a major sewing project soon. Say, maybe you could post some pictures of projects that you’ve made over on Arrow’s Facebook page. That may help! I’ll try to sneak back on here and post some pictures of the finished wallets another day. Uh oh, I smell a Vanilla Latte, so I’d better go!

Hey, it’s me –Olivia.

I snuck onto my owner’s computer and posted this because I’ve got a big problem and I need some help from all of my Arrow Sewing Cabinet sisters out there. My owner seems to think that I’m too “pretty” to do any real work! She put me together right away when I arrived on her doorstep, so I thought I’d really be cranking out the sewing projects. NOT! I have been languishing around her craft area for months with nothing to do! A couple weeks after I arrived, my owner went to a quilt show and came back with a bag. Oh, I was so excited! I thought she had gotten some cute fabric, and we were getting ready to make something. She reached in to the bag, pulled out a strawberry-shaped pincushion, and hung it on my knob. She then made some comment about how cute it looked on me, and then walked away.

C’mon lady! I know I’m gorgeous and can wear just about anything (Heidi Klum – eat your heart out), but I’m also a tough cookie. I was born to sew!

Next, she came home with a bunch of paint chips trying to match my beautiful shade of green, and mumbled something about coordinating shelves. All of a sudden, two lamps in my shade of green appeared. Really? Do I belong to a shopper? I was in despair. A few weeks ago, I thought I had finally hit the jackpot. My owner walked in with three big rolls of fabric from Jo-Ann’s. Woohooo! But wait, where was she going with that sewing machine? She swiped it right off of my top – and took it to the dining room table. You have got to be kidding me!!!
Last night was the final straw. My owner walked in with a pair of glass cakestands and said how pretty they’d look on me, piled high with jelly rolls.

I knew then that I was going to have to do something drastic to make her realize that I am not just another pretty face. That’s why I’m hacking into the Arrow blog and posting this. So please, I’m begging all of my sewing cabinet sisters – Betty, Auntie Em, Lucy, Auntie Oakley, Marilyn, my fellow Olivias, and even little Pixie – PLEASE post a comment and tell everyone how much work we can do. I know my owner reads this blog, so maybe it’ll help her see the light! Oops, gotta go – I hear footsteps!

Quilt Market anyone?

Next week we travel down to Houston for the International Fall Quilt Market. Every year we meet the craziest, yet sweetest people around. Die-hard quilt enthusiasts and store owners have aisles and aisles of quilt supplies, sewing machines, cabinets, cutting tools, mats, designs, patterns, you name it to browse through. The 3 day event is usually barely enough time to make 1 pass around stopping at each booth. The toughest part about it is being able to have your feet keep up with your wallet. After the first day your exhausted! It's like a shopping spree and marathon rolled into one. But again, everyone is so friendly and we love coming down and working a booth dedicated to the Arrow and Kangaroo cabinets. We see both new faces and old friends during the 3 day period (many stop by for our t-shirt and candy give aways). Now we've heard the Quilt Festival, the consumer event held right after Market, is even crazier. However, we have never witnessed it. Who out there is going to Quilt Market or Festival?

Show us your sewing space

Many people don't realize the efficiency and convenience of having a designated sewing area or cabinet. Most people sew on their kitchen table and that is that. I have even heard of people sewing on a T.V. tray! We want people to realize that a true sewer should be sewing in the flatbed position, where the needle is level with the surrounding table. I'm curious what you are using to sew. We here at Arrow are doing a contest to see who out there has the worst sewing space/cabinet. Please comment with the picture and description of what you use to sew and we will pick the winner we think has the worst sewing area. If you are the lucky winner you will receive a small sewing box with the Alexander Henry fabric on it and a coupon for up to $50 off a sewing cabinet at your nearest dealer. This contest is for the whole month of October so be sure to get your pictures in right away.

Fall is Here

Fall is here and the leaves are begging to change. Also, our hobbies our starting to slip into that winter pattern. With less daylight to be outside we need to find more things to do inside - SEW. Halloween is approaching faster than you know it and the kids will need new costumes or fixes to new ones. Maybe it is time to find yourself a good place to relax and get some sewing done. I am curious what your projects are for this winter. Do you have a particular piece you would like to start, are working on, or are finishing up? Comment on this blog with what you have in mind. We would love to see it. And what do you know, you may get a little something special from the Arrow family! Please add pictures if you can.

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.

Looking for sewing accessories

Have you been searching the web for a nice website to buy sewing machines, sewing accessories vacuums or anything in between? Then search no more, visit Sew Vac Direct. You'll find things from ironing boards to ott-lights, sewing machines to air purifiers all at one great location (not to mention our great Arrow and Kangaroo Kabinets *wink wink*). They are one of the largest sewing specialty dealers in America and have been around for over 20 years. One of the great things about Sew Vac Direct is the customer service. They are a friendly group of Texans who will help you with whatever you need. They sell almost any brand you can think of and they are well educated on repairs and upgrades. You won't find any better prices on the Internet and that's their "personal guarantee" Here are their 7 reasons to buy from them:

1. We appreciate you, the customer, and we always treat our customers with the greatest consideration and courtesy.
2. We'll be here tomorrow. Our business has been headquartered in College Station, Texas for twenty years. We are one of the largest dealers in the USA.
3. We'll do our best to remedy any problem you might have with a purchase. We are old fashioned; we believe we have an obligation to you if you purchase from us. We are a member of the Better Business Bureau of the Brazos Valley and Deep East Texas.
4. Your order will be filled accurately and shipped promptly. We have thousands of machines in stock. We have been selling by mail order for over fifteen years.
5. We are authorized for the brands we sell; therefore, not only will we back up your purchase, but the manufacturer will as well.
6. You won't pay too much. Our volume buying and low overhead assures you of a low price and top quality products.
7. You'll help a child. A part of all our sales go to worthy non-profit organizations that help unfortunate children.

Day Style Designs

So in the process of doing my everyday business I came in contact with Leah Day, creator of the website Day Style Designs. She has decided to carry our Gidget sewing table on her website. But before she did, I started looking at her website... and WOW - I was impressed. Leah has started a blog 365 days of free motion quilting. Now you know how I am - what the heck is free motion quilting? So I did some research, aka I googled: "what is free motion quilting." After getting a few textbook definitions I went back to her website with a better understanding of what she's doing, and its nothing short of extraordinary. Each day, for one year, Leah is creating a new free motion design, video taping it and sharing it with everyone online. And let me tell you, this is definitely not for beginners like myself. I made a table runner last summer and I thought that was hard. Some of her designs are so awesome and creative, you have to check them out - like the Day 104 - the Paisley Flower (top). Obviously a more advanced piece. !!!!!! That's the only way I can describe it. Some day I hope to try out some of her beginning designs, but I have a few more table runners to practice on before that happens. Another one I loved was the Tree Roots - Day 12 (bottom). It has a bit of an eery or mysterious feeling to it but that's what I love about it. I am anxious to check out her designs each day - great job Leah :) If you haven't already check it out and feel free to leave a nice comment.


Day Style Designs Online

Don't get swept up in the Serging.

Each year, here at Arrow, we take a sewing class taught by our own Jo Jacobi. Last year she taught us the basics of quilting in a fun little class where we made table runners. This year we are making gloves and scarves, an upgrade to the serger! This is my first time serging and I am excited. Hether is going to buy the fabric tonight and we a scheduled to begin next week. My hope is to be done in time to use them before spring. Being in Wisconsin that is more than likely considering our cold weather usually stays with us until mid-April. As the only guy in the class I have to show these girls how great us men can be a sewing. FYI is was the A student in the quilting class last year (until the end - things got a little hairy). I will make sure to post pictures as we progress through the class. Jo has also agreed to show me how to make chair covers so I can use them in my wedding next year!

Whats on your mind?

So call it a genuine interest in any questions, complements or critisicms you have or just simply a lack of something interesting the last week, but I want to hear from you. I know the list of readers/followers isn't busting down the door, but anyone that has anything they would like to say about Arrrow, sewing, cabinets or even just what the weather's like in Wisconsin - send us a comment. I would like to get a nice little conversation going.

Looking for a great T.V. stand for your new flatscreen?

With the 2009 economic meltdown leading to cautious consumer spending over the holidays, we all were privileged to experience some of the best sales and closeout specials ever. In particular, the severe price drop in flat screen televisions. 2 years ago a 32 inch LCD flat screen TV retailed at $599. This Christmas you could find them for half that price! Because of this dramatic change, places like Walmart and Best Buy were selling hundreds of them in a matter of a few hours. If you were one of the lucky purchasers of these TVs let me ask you, where does your new TV sit? Is it sitting on an old table or entertainment center that you bought years and years ago when TVs actually had tubes? Maybe, like your TV, its time for an upgrade. This may seem strange coming from a sewing cabinet manufacturer, but we might have something that would be perfect for you. The Boomerang entertainment and crafting center. This utilitarian piece can be used as a place for your TV with lots of storage cubbies for the DVD player, VCR, cable box, etc. And unlike the amazing sales on TVs, the Boomerang is still at a great closeout price. $799.00. For that price you receive everything you see here:

Got a new laptop or desktop computer? Let the boomerang be your spot, handling all your documents, Cd's and DVDs. Just visit our "Where to Buy" section of our website to find a dealer near your. Or if you live far from a dealer, check out our web dealers as well.

Our Post-Holiday wake up call

As the Holiday season draws to an end once again, we retreat to our everyday routine that is laid before us like a train track and realize there is no light on the path until the snow melts and Memorial Day arrives (unless your a teacher and are lucky enough to have spring break). But lets keep our mind off of the grind and focus on our hobbies or resolutions. For me, the resolution is to find time to learn how to sew better. Its true, I sell sewing cabinets which would lead most people to believe I know a thing or two about sewing, but this is not the case. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert sewing enthusiast who knows how to take some piece of fabric and make some beautiful lace curtain just to get you to buy a Betty Sewing cabinet. I do, however, think that learning some of the ins and outs will help me do exactly that - sell cabinets. So here is my goal: I am getting married in the Summer of '11 and my fiance and I aren't bursting out the pockets with money. So anything we can do to save a few bucks is great. So one of things I want to do to begin sewing is make chair covers to place over an ordinary chair so we don't have to spend extra $$$ to get nice chairs. Sounds easy enough, right? Well this is where I need your help, comment on this blog with any ideas of where to start or any websites you know of that can guide me. Or if you have a little story of your own to enlighten me please do. I'm anxious to hear what you have to say.