Gains and losses

Christmas tends to be a time when new things show up in life, usually in form of presents.
I gave myself a small present already before Christmas, however, in the shape of a mini-machine which I intend to take to workshops, for demonstrations on the stand, and basically just as a backup in case of need. Ever since my old Bernina went up in smoke two years ago and I was then told that there wouldn't be a whole lot of spare parts to get in the future I have been hesitant about what to do, because I don't want to lug the big Bernina around to workshops. So when I saw the offer for a small mechanical elna at 180 Euros I couldn't resist! It arrived by mail.

I do admit, the zebra design is not really my style. But who knows, now that I have much more contact with people from Africa, and really like them, perhaps a bit of zebra in my life is an apt addition!

My husband gave me a new music system for Christmas, which we had first intended for the room where the longarm is positioned. But as this is a much better system than the one I have had in my studio for a long time now, we reconsidered, and put it up in the studio. Unfortunately so far we haven't been able to secure radio reception for my favorite radio station (we don't have cable in the house) and need to fiddle a bit about that. The gain of the new system might mean the loss of a source of information that is not heavily Bavarian-scented, as my favorite station is from outside the Bavarian boundaries. We haven't given up hope yet, though.

The removal of the old system leads to a gain in space in the shelves!

Perhaps a bit of sorting might even increase that effect. If there was time...

And due to mis-assorted thinking on my part we lost a pan and pan-scraper. I managed to turn on the wrong burner when I was trying to make my beloved lemon-ginger-tea and didn't notice for far too long, thinking the strange smell was caused by something burning under the pot.

The pan wasn't exactly new and probably would have needed to be replaced in the near future anyway, and the pan scraper wasn't a special thing either. But I do mourn the loss of the lid, solid and heavy glass. However, after the plastic had melted unter it and with all the black spots on it I just don't want to use it anymore in the process of preparing food that we want to eat. Let's hope this is the only loss of this kind in a while and my absent-mindedness not a serious sign to worry about!

Special Sale on justcolours.de

In the final stages of preparation for shipping the November selection of the fabric club, and I am also just updating the website for a special sale of my fabrics on December 6th, to celebrate the 6th anniversary of my little business for hand-dyed fabrics.

Any order that arrives in my mailbox via the website on December 6th will receive a 6% discount on regular yardage. If your order exceeds € 60, the discount will be at least € 6,-, and for orders over € 100,- it will be shipped for free. So take your chance to celebrate with me!

5-year-anniverary special for new subscribers to the fabric club!

Almost five years ago I shipped the first collection of the fabric club to my first customers. By now there have been 33 different collections, and you can find somewhere between 12 and 14 boxes of different fabrics in my ‚warehouse’. Next week my son and I are going to take the end-of-year-inventory to find out how much there really is!

I still enjoy taking the fabrics to market, and it is still a lot of fun to decide which colours are going to be featured in the next collection.

As far as I can tell, no same colours have been included in a collection twice, but there has always been a difference in value or hue. After all, I am keeping track of the recipes I use, and keeping a swatch book with a piece of every colour ever included in a collection.

Now, after these first 5 years, a special offer is out, valid for any for new subscriptions that reach me between now and January 9th, 2016:

Sign up for a full subscription (the conditions are stated here, http://www.justcolours.de/infoseite.php and a sign-up sheet can be found here),

and, together with your first shipment, you will receive a piece of the soon-to-be-dyed anniversary-colour,

and another piece of fabric ranging from somewhere between 30 to 40 cm.

Please note that this offer is valid only for new sign-ups before and up to January 9^th, 2016, and only for full subscriptions. ‘Light’ subscriptions do not qualify.

And: the colours of the January-collection have already been decided on!

Small business Saturday

For quite a while already have I been following Margaret Cooter’s blog by e-mail notification. Her frequency of posts is intimidating for anybody who is a blogger, because one starts to wonder where she finds the time to write so many posts, and produce her books, sewing kits, drawings, take photos , and read (and share) poetry (and information on the respective poets) as well...

And inbetween she is always good for wonderful and interesting bits and pieces of information. Such as this most delicious recipe for lemon squares which I had printed out in March right away and finally have tried recently and found to be of a highly disappearing nature. If they hadn't disappeared so quickly, I might even have been able to take a picture.

Recently she wrote about the “Small business Saturday” - that is today - in England.

The rules for eligibility (as shamelessly copied from Margaret’s blog) read as follows:

ELIGIBILITY
We founded the Campaign to promote and support small businesses; accordingly, you should only download and use the Marketing Materials if you fall within these criteria:
 Your turnover (for all outlets and other business locations within the UK) for the 2012 calendar year must have been ten million pounds (£10,000,000) or less·
 You must not be:·
o involved as a principal course of business in the manufacture, promotion or sale of pornography, sexual aids, firearms or other weapons
o involved with the promotion or advocacy of any sensitive or controversial topic, or otherwise participate in activities that we determine to be inconsistent with our values.

So here I am – my turnover in 2012 was far below ten million pounds, even if converted into Euros, I am not involved in the manufacture, promotion or sale of pornography or weapons (although I suspect you could use a quilt to suffocate somebody if you tried really hard – but I would plead for ‘misuse of object’ in court in a situation like that), and I try to stay away from controversial topics on the blog (although I sometimes do feel a growing urge to start saying something about politics and humans treat each other and the planet). And in German tax rules I am even registered as a ‘small business’.

I even have several ideas how you could support me. You could either

• buy a quilt (here is the gallery, more pictures on  request) – or
• buy some fabric (by the yard here) – or
• hire me as a workshop instructor – or
• offer me a chance to exhibit my quilts.
• Or subscribe to my fabric club – for which there is a special offer up, starting today, Saturday 7^th, and valid until the Saturday after next, i.e. 21^st, 2013.

This is the offer:

Sign a subscription for my fabric club (conditions for subscription in English can be found here and a printout of the order form is possible here, and after the completion of the first year you will receive the January-2015-shipment either

• for free (if you sign up for Fat Quarters), or
• at half price (if you sign up for half metres or metres),

regardless whether you decide to discontinue the subscription or to keep going.

Are you ready? 

Support this small business, and give yourself a little Christmas treat that will last more than a whole year!