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 :)